Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 1.djvu/126

 no ALPES. along it till the time of Augostns. The momunent which thatemperorerectedoTer the highest part of the pass (just above the Portus Monoed), to oommemo- xate the roductbn of the Alpine tribes, is still ex- tant, and the Roman road may be distinctly traced for soTeral miles on each side of it. [Tropaea AuouBn.] It did not follow the same line as the modem road, but, after ascending fitnn near Jlfen- tone to the smnmit of the pass at Turhia^ descended a side valley to Gemenelion {Cvmiie£)^ and proceeded from thence direct to the month of theVams, leaving Nicaea on the left. The stations along this road from Vada Sabbata {Vodii) to AntipoliB are thus given in the Itin. Ant. p. 296 : — M.P. M.P. - zii. Lumone - - z. AlpeSumma(7ir6M) vi. Cemenelo (.Cmimcs) - viii. Vanun flomen - vL Antipolis (iliitt6e«) - z. - vm. - XV. - XVL Pullopice Albingauno Luco Bormani Costa Balenae Albintimilio ( Ftn- tiTniglia) - xvi. This line of road is given in the Itinenuy as a part of the Via Aorelia, of which it was nndonbtedly a continnation; but we learn from the inscriptions of the mile-stooes discovered near Turbia that it was properly called the Via Jnlia. 2. ** Pes Alpes Gottias," by the pass now called the AfotU Cfenevre, from Augusta Taurinorum to Brigantio (^Briangon) and Ebrodnnum (^Embrvn) in Gaul. This was the most direct Hue of communi- cation from the north of Italy to Transalpine Gaul : it is evidently that followed by Caesar when he hastened to oppose the Uelvetii, " qua proxunum iter in ulteriorem Galliam per Alpes erat " {B. G. L 10), and is probably the same already mentioned as having been first explored by Pompey. It was after- wards one of the passes most frequented by the Ro- mans, and is termed by Ammianus (xv. 10) ** via media et oompendiaiia." That writer has given a detailed account of the pass, the highest ridge of which was known by the name of Matbonab Mo278, a name retained in the middle ages, and found in the Itin. HierosoL p. 556. Just at its foot, on the Italian side, was the station Ad Martis, probably near the modem village of Ouix. The distances given in the Itin. Ant. (p. 341) are, from Taurini (Augusta Taurinorum) to S<>gu«>io {Stud) 51 M. P. (a great overstatement: the correct distiuiGe would be 36); thence — Ad Mortis - xvL Ramae - xviiL Brigantio - xviiL Eburodono xviii. Though now little frequented, this pass is one of tlie lowest and easdcst of those over the main chain. 3. " Per Alpes Graias," by the LittU St. Ber- nard. Thid route, which led from Milan and the pUtins of the Po by the valley of the Sulassi to Au- gusta Pmetoria (vlo«ta), and from thence across the mountain pass into the valley of the Isara (Isk^), and through the TareaUute to Vienna and Lug- . dunum, is supposed by many writers to have been
 * that followed by Hannibal. It was certainly crossed

1 by D. Brutus with his army afler the battle of Mu- tina, B. c. 43. But though it presents much less natural difficulties than its neighbour the Great St. Bernard^ it appears to have been little frequented, on account of the predatory habits of the Salassians, until Augustus, afler havuig completely subdued that people, constructed a carriage road over the Graian Alps, which thenceforward became one of the most important and frequented lines uf oommuni- ALPES. cation between Italy and GauL (Strab. p. 208; Tac. Hitt. u. 66, iv. 68.) The stations on this route are thus given in tht Itinerary, beginning fixxm Eporedia, at the eotnmce of the VcUd'Aosta:— M.P. Vitricium ( Verrez) - - - xxi. Augusta Praetoria {Aostd) - xxv. Arebrigium (& Didier) - - xxv. Rergintrum {Bourg. S. Maurice') xxiv. Darantasia {AfousUert) - - xviil Obilinum .... xiii. Ad Publicanos (Cofi/Caiif) - iiL From thence there branched off two lines of rood, the one by Lemincum {Chamber^/) and Augosti Allobrogum to Vienna, the other northwards to Ge> neva and the Lacos Lemannns. 4. " Per Alpes Pxmcnf as," by the Great Sl Bernard. This route, which branched off from tha former at Augusta Praetoria, and led direct acroM the mountain, from thence to Octodurus {Martignff) in the valley of the Rhone, and the head of the L^ Lemannns, appears to have been known and fie* qnented from voy early times, though it was nerer rendered practicable for cazriages. Caesar speaks of it as being used to a consLderable extent by mer- chants and traders, notwithstanding the exactions to which they were subjected by the wild tribes tfait then occupied this part of the Alps. (B. G. iii. 1.) The numerous inscriptions and votive tablets tbat have been discovered sufficiently attest how mndi this pass was frequented in later times: and it ww repeatedly traveraed by Roman armies. (OrelL Jn$er. vol. L p. 104; Tac. Hitt i. 61, iv. 68.) The distances by this road are thus given in the Itineruy. From Augusta Praetoria to the summit of the pass, Summo Pennino, where stood a temple of Jupiter — M. P. XXV.; thence to Octodoms {MarHgng) xxv.; and from thence to Vi'iscum {Vevay) 34 miks, passing two obscure stations, the names of which tan probably corrapt 5. The next pass, for which we find no appro- priate name, led from the head of the Lacus IJuriu to Brigantia {Bregenz), on the Lake of Ccnskmce, We find no mention of this route in early times; bat it must have been that taken by Stilicho, in the depth of winter, when he jNroceeded from MedioUinam through the Rhaetian Alps to summon the Vinde- lidans and' Noricans to the relief of Honorius. (Clan- dian. B. Get. v. 320 — 360.) The Itineraries give two routes across this part of the Alps; the one apparentiy following the line of the modem "pax of the Splugen, by Clavenna (CAuirefnia) and Tar- vesscdo (?) to Curia ( Coire) : the other crossing tlie pass of the Septimer^ by Mums and Tinnetio {Ti%- zen) to Curia, where it rejoined the preceding route. 6. " Per Alpes Rhabticas or Tridentinas,'' through the modem Tyrol, which, from the natural &ciUties it presents, must always have been one of the most obvious means of communication between Italy and the countries on the S. of the Danube. The high road led from Verona to Tridentom (where it was joined by a cross road from Opiterginm through the Val Sugana)f and thence up the valley of the Athesis as far as Botzen, from which point it fak- lowed the Atagis or Eieach to its source, and crossed the pass of the Brenner to Vcldidana ( Wiidai^ near Insbruck)y and from thence across another mountain pass to Augusta Vindelicomm. [Rhaetxa.] 7. A road led from Aquilda to Jnlium Camicum {ZwfUo), and from thence across the Julian Alps to