t was over this
pass that the Barbarians swept down in their invasions of the country.
The Apennines, which are a continuation of the Alps, extend through
the whole of the peninsula. Starting in the Maritime Alps, they extend
easterly towards the Adriatic coast, and turn southeasterly hugging the
coast through its whole extent. This conformation of the country causes
the rivers of any size below the basin of the Po to flow into the
Tyrrhenian (Tuscan) Sea, rather than into the Adriatic.

Northern Italy, between the Alps and the Apennines, is drained by the
Padus (Po) and its tributaries. It was called GALLIA CISALPINA (Gaul
this side of the Alps), and corresponds in general to modern Lombardy.
The little river Athesis, north of the Padus, flows into the Adriatic.
Of the tributaries of the Padus, the Ticinus on the north, and the
Trebia on the south, are of historical interest.

The portion of Northern Italy bordering on the Mediterranean is a
mountainous district, and was called LIGURIA. In this district on the
coast were Genua and Nicaea. The district north of the Athesis, between
the Alps and the Adriatic, was called VENETIA, from which comes the name
Venice. Here were located Patavium (Padua), Aquileia, and Forum Julii.

Gallia Cisalpina contained many flourishing towns. North of the Padus
were Verona, Mediolanum (Milan), Cremona, Mantua, Andes, and Vercellae,
a noted battle-field. South of this river were Augusta Taurinorum
(Turin), Placentia, Parma, Mutina, and Ravenna. The Rubicon, a little
stream flowing into the Adriatic, bounded Gallia Cisalpina on the
southeast. The Mucra, another little stream, was the southern boundary
on the other side of Italy.

CENTRAL ITALY, _Italia Propria_, or Italy Proper, included all of the
peninsula below these rivers as far down as Apulia and Lucania. In this
division are the rivers Tiber, Arnus, Liris, and Volturnus, which empty
into the Mediterranean, and the Metaurus, Aesis, and Aternus, which
empty into the Adriatic.

The most important subdivision of Central Italy was LATIUM, bordering
on the Tyrrhenian Sea. North of it on the same coast was ETRURIA, and to
the south was CAMPANIA. On the Adriatic coast were UMBRIA, PICENUM, and
SAMNIUM.

The cities of Latium were Rome, on the Tiber, and its seaport, Ostia,
near the mouth of the same river. Ten miles northwest of Rome was Veii,
an Etruscan city, and about the same distance southeast was Alba Longa.
Nearly the same dista