Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 1.djvu/21

 Inland Tribes. or the valleys arid the high plateaux supporting the shistose and granitic range which covers the whole eastern side of the island, whose highest summits are the Gigantinu, Ballestreri, and Gen- nargentu. 1 These rude, warlike tribes of shepherds and woodmen, were with difficulty subdued by the military genius of Rome, whom Fig. I. — Mediterranean. they kept for years at bay in their fastnesses amidst impassable forests or brakes of arboreal heather, arbutus, myrtle and mastic- 1 When the Carthaginians were in the zenith of their power, they seized upon the island, but they were unable to reduce to slavery the tribes settled there before them. The Ioleans took refuge in the hills and lived in rocky caves, pasturing numerous flocks, which provided them in abundance with milk, cheese, and flesh. Here they ceased to till the ground, their simple wants being easily satisfied with the products mentioned above. They were attacked several times by the Cartha- ginians with superior forces, but, thanks to the hilly nature of the ground and the difficulty of penetrating into their secret caves, they were able to preserve their independence (Diodorus, V. xv. 4).