Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 1.djvu/306

 292 STRABO. CASAUB. 196. ways find them ready for danger, with nothing to support them except their violence and daring. Nevertheless they may be easily persuaded to devote themselves to any thing useful, and have thus engaged both in science and letters. Their power consists both in the jsize of their Bodies and_alsQ in their numbers. Their frankness and simplicity lead them easily to assemble in masses, ^each one feeling indignant at what appears injustice to his neighbour. At the present time indeed they are allatpeace, being in subjection and liv- ing under the commancTof the Romans, who have subdued them ; but we have described their customs as we understand they existed in former times, and as they still exist amongst the Germans. These two nations, both by nature and in their form of government, are similar and related to each other. Their countries border on each other, bejng separ- ated by the^ river Rhine, and are for the most part similar. Germany, however, is more to the north, if we compare to- gether the southern and northern parts of the two countries respectively. Thus it is that they can so easily change their abode. They march in crowds in one collected army, or rather remove with all theirfamilies, whenever^hey are ejeo.tp.djhy ~a moxe~powerful force. They were subdued by the Romans much more easily than the Iberians ; for they began to wage war with these latter first, ancT ceased last, having in the mean time conquered the whole of the nations situated be- tween the Rhine and the mountains of the Pyrenees. For these fighting in crowds and vast numbers, were overthrown in crowds, whereas the Iberians kept themselves in reserve, and broke up the war into a series of petty engagements, showing themselves in different bands, sometimes here7some- times there, like banditti. All the Gauls are warriors by nature, but they fight better onn^rsebacF''than on footT and tRftHowftr of f.frq Romqn qavalry is dr^wn^trom their"yyymher. The rnost valiant ofMihemdwell tow the ocean. 3. Of these they say that theJBelgae are the bravest. They are divided into fifteen nations, and dwell near the ocean be- tween the Rhine and the Loire, and have therefore sustained themselves single-handed against the incursions of the Ger- mans, the Cimbri, 1 and the Teutons. The bravest of the 1 The Cirnbri inhabited Denmark and the adjacent regions.