Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 1.djvu/294

 280 STRABO. CASAUB. 188. habit either beyond the Alps, the Alps themselves, or on this side the Alps. It would seem that continual emigration has drained them completely from their native country, a circum- stance which has occurred to many other nations, as some say that the Brennus, who Jed an expedition to Delphi, 1 was a i ; but we are unaple to say where the Prausi formerly inhabited. It is said that the Tectosages took part in the expedition to Delphi, and that the treasures found in the city of Toulouse by the Roman general Caepio formed a portion of the bootv^ained there, which was afterwards increased by otterings which the citizens made from their own property, and consecrated in order to conciliate the god.' 2 And that it was for daring to touch these that Ca^pio terminated so miserably his existence, being driven from his country as a plunderer of the temples of the gods, and leaving behind him his daughters, who, as Timagenes informs us, having been wickedly violated, perished miserably. However, the account given by v Posi- doniu^ is the more credible. He tells us that the wealth found in Toulouse amounted to somewhere about 15,000 taTentsTaTpart ofwKIch was hidden in the chapels, and the remainder in the sacred lakes, and that it was not coined [money], but gold and silver in bullion. But at this time the temple of Delphi was emptied of_these treasures, having been _pillaged by the fhocaeans at the period of the Sacred war ; and supposing any to have been left, it would have been distributed amongst many. Nor is it probable that the Tectosages returned home, since they came off miserably after leaving Delphi, and owing to their dissensions were scattered here and there throughout the country ; there is much more likelihood in the statement made by Posidonius and many others, that the country abounding in gold, and the inhabitants being superstitious, and not living expensively, they hid their treasures in many different places, the lakes in^particular affording them a hiding- place for depositing~tKeir"gold and silver bullion. When the Romans obtained possession of the country they put jojx-lhese lakes to public sale, and many of the purchasers found therein 1 279 years before the Christian era. 2 Justin tells us that the Tectosages on returning to Toulouse_from the expedition, were attacked with a pestilential malady, IromTwhich they could find no relief until they complied with the advice of their augurs, and cast the ill-gotten wealth into a lake. Justin, lib. xxxii. c. 3.