Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 1.djvu/372

 358 STRABO. CASAUB. 241. with a city of the same name. 1 Beyond this is Castrum Novum, 2 and the river Piomba, 3 flowing from the city of Adria, 4 and having [at its mouth] the naval station of Adria, which bears the same name as itself. In the interior is [the city of Adria] itself and Asculum Picenum, 5 a very strong position, upon which is built a wall : the mountains which sur- round it are not accessible to armies. 6 Above Picenum are the Vestini, 7 the Marsi, 8 the Peligni, 9 the Marucini, 10 and the Frentani, 11 a Samnitic nation possessing the hill-country, and extending almost to the sea. All these nations are small, but extremely brave, and have frequently given the Romans proofs of their valour, first as enemies, afterwards as allies ; and finally, having demanded the liberty and rights of citizens, and being denied, they revolted and kindled the Marsian war. 12 They decreed that Corfinium, 13 the metropolis of the Peligni, should be the capital for all the Italians instead of Rome : made it their place d'armes, and new-named it Italica. Then, having convoked deputies from all the people friendly to their design, they created consuls 14 and praetors, and maintained the war for two 15 years, until they had obtained the rights for which they struggled. The war was named the Marsian 1G war, be- 1 The position of this city is still disputed, it has been identified with Porto d'Ascoli, Torre di Seguro, and other places. 2 Giulia Nova. * Matrinus. 4 Atri. 5 Ascoli. 6 The text is here defective. 7 The Vestini appear to have occupied the region where at present Aquila, Ofena, Civita Aquana, Civita di Penna, Civita di St. Angelo, and Pescara are situated. 8 They inhabited the canton in which are built Tagliacozzo, Scurcola, Albi, Celano, Pescina, and the environs of Lake Celano. 10 Occupied the district of Tieti or Chieti. 11 Inhabited the right bank of the Sangro, the territory of Guasto, the banks of the Trigno and Biferno, the district of Larino, the left bank of the Fortore, and extended north-west t,owards Pescara. 2 91 B. c. 13 Pentima near Popoli. 14 The first consuls were Q. Pompaedius Silo, and C. Aponius Mutilus ; the praetors were Herius Asinius for the Marucini, C. Veltius Cato for the Marsi, M. Lamponius and T. Cleptius for the Leucani, Marius Egnatius Trebatius and Pontius Telesinus for the Samnites, C. Judacilius for the Apuli or Picentini, and A. Cluentius for the Peligni. "Many other officers besides these distinguished themselves in the several campaigns of the Marsian war. 15 A note in the French translation would make the duration of the Marsian war twelve years. 16 Diodorus Siculus agrees with Strabo, in asserting that this war was
 * Inhabited the territories of Sulmona, Pentima, and Popolo.