Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 2.djvu/192

 GALLAECIA. part, from the Minios to the Navia; these received their name from their capital, Luous Auouan. It should be observed, however, that this division was not an arbitrary one, as might perhaps be in- ferred from the derivation of the names from the two Buman cities; but the river Minios established a natural bonndaiy between the two tribei. Each of the two capita] cities was, nnder the Romans, the seat of a amvmUuijuridictUf that of Lncns including 16 peoples besides the Celtici (I e. Artabri) and the Lebnni, and a free population of about 166,000; that of Bracara, twentj-four cities, and 175,000 persons, among whom Pliny mentions, berides the Bracarii themselves, the Bibali, Coelerini, Gallaeci, He- quaesi, Limid, QoerquemI (Plin. iii. 3. s. 4). Ptolemy (ii. 6. §§ 24-^27) mentions, as minor tribes of the . Catlalct Lncenses, the Capori (Kcnropot), Cilini, (KtXiyoQ, Lemavi (Ar/iovoQ, Baedyes (BoiSvcf), and Seurri (Xtovp^i, vnlgo XtfiovppoC) ; and, (§§ 40—49), as minor tribes of the Bracarii, the Turodi (Tovpoioi), Ncmetatae (StfUrarat), Coelerini (Koi- Xtpiwoi, comp. Plin. iv. 20^ s. 34), Bibali (Bi/9aXo(, oomp.Plin.iiL 3.S.4), Limici (Ai/ian>(,comp. Plin. le.) eo the river Limia, Lnand (Aovor/irol), Gruii (Tpowot, the Grovii of Pliny and Mela, and the Gravii of Silins Italicus, i. 235, iii. 366, who assigns to them the whole countiy from the Dunns to the Limia, while Mela gives them even a wider eitent, from the Durius to some distance N. of the Minios ; perhaps originally the Grovii were between the I>u- rius and Limia, and the Bracarii between the Limia and Minins), Qnacemi (Kovouccpivf, the Qnerquemi of Pliny, tc, and Quarqnemi of an inscription ap. Gruter, p. 245, no. 2), Lubaeni (Aov^cuyoc, the Le* bnni of Pliny, Ici), and Narbad (Noptfoo-ol). Gallaeda is a rugged, mountainous country, firmed by the extreme branches of the great moun* tain chain which strikes off from the I^renees westward along the north side of the peninsula. Its chief river was the Mnnus (iftn^), flowing through the plain endosed between the range just named and its SW. branch, the mountains of the Astnres, and falling into the Atlantic on the W. coast Between this and the Dnriua are three smaller rivers, one of them, at least, possessing condderable interest, but of which the names are somewhat difficult to identify, probably on account of the imperfect knowledge possessed by the earlier writers. Ptolemy gives them in regular order, from S. to N., as follows : — ^Avus (A0OV irorc^v ^irf oAof, Ptol. ii. 6.§ 1 ; Mela, iii. 1 : Rio dAve; the Cdadus, which Mela mentions next, seems to be the N. tributary of the Ave, now called Saiha or DeaU, which flows down from near Bmga) : Nbbu (N^Cior iroTv MoXai, Ptd. ^c; Mela, hci R. Cavado; this would be taken, on the evidence of the name, for the BcuWit of Strabo (UL 153), were it not that he expresdy identifies the Baents with the Minius, evidently by a confodoo of names ; for this, and the next to be mentioned, are the only condderable rivers that he knows in these parts): LnciTJa, or LiMlAS (Ai/Jov woroftoC iictoXai : Z«ma), doubtless the river which Straho (2.c.) calls the river of Lethe, adding that some named it Limaea and others Belion (6 rifs Aif9i|t, 8v rtrcf Atftaiaif, ol 8i BcAidra iniXov<ri), and that it flowed from the Celtiberi and VaccaeL Mela, who transposes it to the N. of the Minios, caUs it Limia, or the Biver of Oblivion (" et cui Oblivionis cognomen est Limia ;* where some scholars find in the word " Oblivionis " the origin of Strabo's BtXUtw ; comp. Plin. iv. 21, s. 35, "ab Minio oc. M.P. nt auctor est Varro, aUst GALLAECL/L 933 Aeminius, quem aliU quidam intelligunt et Limaeam vocant, ObUvionis antiquis dictus, multumque iabu- losus ; ** SiL ltd. i. 235, 236. ; comp. xvi. 476, 477 : Infemae populis referens oblivia Lethes**): it is also mentioiied under the name of Lethe by Appian (JTup. 72) and Plutardi (Quaest. Bom, 34), who relate that the first Boman that crossed it was Dedmos Brutus, when, after his conquest of Lusi- tauia, he advanced agdnst the Bracarii, as far as the Muiiua, B. G. 136. From Livy*s histoiy of the same event, it would seem that the river was an object of superstitious terror to the soldiers of Brutus, for they were only indted to pass it by the example of their general, who snatched a standard from the bearer, and led the way in person. (Liv. EpU. Iv., where the name is " flumen Oblivionem ; " comp. Flor. ii. 1 7, " formidatumque militibus flumen Oblivionis.") But whether the name originated in the superstition of the soldiers, who had been taught to look for the abodes of the dead in that for west to which they seemed to be advandng, aided by some resemblance in the native name, or from the hitter cause only, is all uncertun. (Comp. Strab. p. 106.) It desenrea notice, however, that a trace of the name Belion, given to it by Strabo, appears to be preserved in that of the lake iBSMfi, from which the river flows ; and hence Belion may perhaps have been the true name, and Flumen Oblivionis its corruption. The names of the rivers in the country of the CdUiId Lncenses, N. <tf the Minius, which possess no particular in- terest, are obtained from Mela, Pliny, and Ptolemy, though with some uncertainty, as follows: Lajcbon (Xer), UuA (Mek; Ovfa, Ptol.: UUa), Tamaris (Ta$nbre), Sabs (Sar), Flobiub (Jiio de Ctubro), Nklvs {Rio de la PueiUe), Virus (AlUmeM), Mba- Bin (JVero), Ivia (prob.the Ndtfiof of PtoL : Jwria); the two last foiling mto the Sinus Artabrorum {O, ofFerrol) and the Nayilubio (JVavia). The only natural productions for which Gdlaecia was fomed among tJie andents were its minerals. Besides the gdden sands of the Limine refened to in the passages quoted above from Silius Itdicus, the country yielded abundance of tin (Strd>. iii. p. 147), and a sort of predous stone, called ^etntRo GaUeaocu (Plin. xzxvii. 10. s. 59.) The people were among the least dvilised in Spain; the very prototypes rf the modem GoUegoi, Their chief serious employ, ment was divination, their superstitious addiction to which art alone rescued them from the imputation of Atheism. Engrossed by this occupation, or else engaged in sporta, or sunk in indolence, except when nused by wars, they left all husbandly to the women. (SiL ItaL iii 344—353: Flammarum misit dives Callaeda pobem, Barbara nunc patrits nlulantem carmina Unguis, Kunc pedis alterno percussa veriiere terra. Ad numerum resonaa gaudentem plaudere cetras. Haec requies ludusque viris, ea sacra voluptas. Cetera fomineus peragit labor; addere sulco Sendna, et impresso teUorem vertere aratro, Segne viris; quidquid duro sine Marte gerendnm, Callald conjux obit urrequieta mariti.") They were a most warlike people, preferring death to flight, and even the women went armed to the battle-field, and put themselves to death when they were taken captive, f Appian, Bi^. 27.) Thdr conquest by Decimus Brutus has ahneady been re- ferred to. But, although he is said, in genend tenns, 3o 3
 * Qniqne super Gravies lucentes volvit arenas,
 * Fibrarum et pennae divinammque sagaoem