Before the Roman empire the sway of the Tuscans was much extended by land and by sea; how very powerful they were in the upper and lower seas, by which Italy is encompassed like an island, the names [of these seas] is a proof; the one of which the Italian nations have called the Tuscan sea, the general appellation of the people; the other the Hadriatic, from Hadria, a colony of Tuscans.

The Greeks call these same seas the Tyrrhenian and Hadriatic.

This people inhabited the country extending to both seas in twelve cities, colonies equal in number to the mother cities having been sent, first on this side the Apennines towards the lower sea, afterwards to the other side of the Apennines; who obtained possession of all the district beyond the Po, even as far as the Alps, except the corner of the Venetians, who dwell round the extreme point of the [Hadriatic] sea.

The Alpine nations also have this origin, more especially the Rhaetians; whom their very situation has rendered savage, so as to retain nothing of their original, except the accent of their language, and not even that without corruption.
34.

Concerning the passage of the Gauls into Italy we have heard as follows.