Alpibus aeriis, ubi Graio nomine, pulsæ Mons dedit, et tepidis fundamina subruit Austris, CLAUDIAN. DE BELL. GET. 345. It might be expected, that the classical authors of Rome would dwell with fondness on the peculiar advantages enjoyed by their favoured country. Accordingly we find a variety of passages, which Cluverius has collected in his fifth chapter De Natura cæli solique Italici ac laudibus ejus, where the happy qualities of its soil and climate, the variety and abundance of its productions, the resources of every kind which it possesses, are proudly and eloquently displayed. Those that seem principally deserving of notice are one from Pliny, (Hist. Nat. XXXVI. 13.) beginning with, "Ergo in toto orbe et 66 quacunque cœli convexitas vergit, pulcherrima est "omnium, rebusque merito principatum naturæ ob"tinens Italia, rectrix parensque mundi altera." Another from Strabo, VI. 286. This judicious writer looking to its political advantages, thinks it was designed to govern the world. "It is defended by the "sea and almost impassable mountains. Its harbours "are capacious and excellent. The variety of its "climate causes a corresponding diversity in its pro"ductions, both animal and vegetable: added to which "resources, its situation, with respect to Greece and "Asia, is most favourable for universal dominion." Every one is acquainted with the splendid passage of the Geórgics, II. 136. Sed neque Medorum silvæ, ditissima terra, Nec pulcher Ganges, atque auro turbidus Hermus, But no writer is so eloquent and enthusiastic in the praises of Italy as Dionysius of Halicarnassus; and I regret being obliged to give only a summary of the passage, instead of presenting it to the reader in the historian's own warm and animated language. Comparing Italy with other countries, he finds 66 66 none which unite so many important advantages. "The fertile fields of Campania bear three crops in "the year. The wines of Tuscany, Alba, and Fa"lernus are excellent, and require little trouble to 66 grow them. The olives of the Sabines, of Daunia, "and Messapia, are inferior to none. Rich pastures feed innumerable herds and flocks, of oxen and "horses, of sheep and goats. Its mountains are "clothed with the finest timber, and contain quar 66 ries of the choicest marbles and other kinds of "stone, together with metallic veins of every sort. Navigable rivers afford a constant communication "between all its parts. Its forests swarm with game of every description. Warm springs abound 66 66 throughout; and besides all these advantages, the "climate is the most mild and temperate, in every "season of the year, that can be imagined." (Antiq. Rom. I. 36.) It has been thought by some modern writers ", that the climate and temperature of Italy have undergone some change during the lapse of ages: that the neighbourhood of Rome, for instance, was colder than it is at present. This opinion seems founded on some passages of Horace, (Od. I. 9. Epist. I. 7. v. 10.) and Juvenal, (Sat. VI. 521.) in which mention is made of the Tiber as being frozen, and of the rest of the country as exhibiting all the severity of winter. But these are circumstances which happen as often in the present day as in the time of Horace, nor is it a very uncommon thing to see snow in the streets of Rome in March, or even April. Whatever change may have taken place in some districts, is probably owing to the clearing away of great forests, or the draining of marshes, as in Lombardy, which must be allowed to be a much better cultivated and more populous country than it was in the time of the Romans. On the other hand, great portions of land now remain uncultivated, which were once productive and thickly inhabited. The Campagna di Roma, part of Tuscany, and a great portion of Calabria, are instances of the latter change. The origin of the first inhabitants of Italy, is a question on which it is proper to state that we know but little. The information we derive on this point b L'Abbé du Bos, Reflex. sur la Poésie et sur la Peinture, t. ii. p. 298. L'Abbé Longuerue, cited by Gibbon, Miscellaneous Works, t. iii. p. 245. c I witnessed a fall of snow there on the 12th of April, 1817. from the writers of antiquity is so scanty and withal so confused, that it can hardly be expected we should, in the present day, arrive at any clear notions on the subject; even though it is allowed that in some respects we are better qualified than the ancients for investigating the matter, from being acquainted with the manner in which the earth was first divided and peopled; a knowledge which we derive from the earliest as well as most authentic records in exist ence. The difficulty, however, of the question has not deterred the learned, in different ages and countries, from engaging in it, and attempting to unfold its intricacies. But the want of sufficient data, on which to ground an argument, has been productive of this unsatisfactory result. Each inquirer has formed a system of his own, and, where no light was to be had from antiquity, has not scrupled to support it by reasons purely conjectural, or fancied etymological analogies: hence, so far from any new information having been gained for this subject by modern researches, it would rather appear, with the exception which I mean presently to notice, that it has become, if possible, more intricate and obscure. Such being the state of things as to this point, I conceive that the better course will be, to avoid any elaborate discussion on the general question of the early population of Italy, which would be tedious to most readers; but to present, in as concise and comprehensive a view as possible, the result of my inquiries into both ancient and modern authorities on the subject. I do not mean, however, to avoid altogether the proofs and developement of this inquiry, but to reserve them for the opportunity which will be afforded of discussing it in detail under the head of each separate nation or tribe, into which the population of ancient Italy is known to have been divided. But it may perhaps be proper, before I proceed further, to give a short account of those modern authors who have expressly treated of the subject now under consideration, that the truth of the opinion which I have expressed above may be more satisfactorily made out. Ryckius, in an elaborate dissertation, has been diligent in collecting all that antiquity has transmitted to us on the subject; but there is too little discrimination of what is fabulous from what is historical in his work, to allow of its being considered in any other light than as useful for reference only. Freret, a learned French academician, who seems to have directed his researches more particularly to remote and obscure points of history and chronology, has been at much pains to elucidate the question now before us: the result of his investigation, or rather I should say his system, is given in the Mémoires de l'Académie e He conceives that Italy was altogether peopled by land, and therefore rejects all the early colonies which, according to Dionysius of Halicarnassus, came by sea. He distinguishes three migrations of three separate nations; the Illyrians, Iberians, and Celts. There are some ingenious ideas in his scheme, but it is generally too bold and conjectural, and wants the support of history d Theodori Ryckii Dissertatio de primis Italiæ Colonis ad calcem Steph. Byz. de Urb. ed. Luc. Holst. Lugd. Bat. 1692. e Mém. de l'Acad. des Inscriptions, t. 18. Freret is in general so spar ing of his references, that it is not easy to distinguish whether he makes a statement founded on his own opinion merely, or on some ancient authority; instances of this will be noticed hereafter. 1 |