9.

In the interior of the country, besides the cities already mentioned, there are Arretium,1740 Perusia,1741 Volsinii,1742 Sutrium;1743 and in addition to these are numerous small cities, as Blera,1744 Ferentinum,1745 Falerium,1746 Faliscum,1747 Nepita,1748 Statonia,1749 and many others; some of which exist in their original state, others have been colonized by the Romans, or partially ruined by them in their wars, viz. those they frequently waged against the Veii1750 and the Fidenæ.1751 Some say that the inhabitants of Falerium are not Tyrrhenians, but Falisci, a distinct nation; others state further, that the Falisci speak a language peculiar to themselves; some again would make it Æquum-Faliscum on [Pg 336]
[CAS. 226] the Via Flaminia, lying between Ocricli1752 and Rome. Below Mount Soracte1753 is the city of Feronia, having the same name as a certain goddess of the country, highly reverenced by the surrounding people: here is her temple, in which a remarkable ceremony is performed, for those possessed by the divinity pass over a large bed of burning coal and ashes barefoot, unhurt. A great concourse of people assemble to assist at the festival, which is celebrated yearly, and to see the said spectacle. Arretium,1754 near the mountains, is the most inland city: it is distant from Rome 1200 stadia: from Clusium1755 [to Rome] is 800 stadia. Near to these [two cities] is Perusia.1756 The large and numerous lakes add to the fertility of this country,1757 they are navigable, and stocked with fish and aquatic birds. Large quantities of typha,1758 papyrus, and anthela1759 are transported to Rome, up the rivers which flow from these lakes to the Tiber. Among these are the lake Ciminius,1760 and those near the Volsinii,1761 and Clusium,1762 and Sabatus,1763 which is nearest to Rome and the sea, and the farthest Trasumennus,1764 near Arretium. Along this is the pass by which armies can proceed from [Cisalpine] Keltica into Tyrrhenia; this is the one followed by Hannibal. There are two; the other leads towards Ariminum across Ombrica, and is preferable as the mountains are considerably lower; however, as this was carefully guarded, Hannibal was compelled to take the more difficult, which he succeeded in forcing after having vanquished Flaminius in a decisive engagement. There are likewise in Tyrrhenia numerous hot springs, which on account of their proximity to Rome, are not less frequented than those of Baiæ, which are the most famous of all.