gress. Then to Sigovesus the Hercynian forest was assigned by the
oracle: to Bellovesus the gods marked out a much more cheering route
into Italy. He carried out with him from the Biturigians, the
Arvernians, the Senonians, the AEduans, the Ambarrians, the Carnutians,
and the Aulercians, all that was superfluous in their population. Having
set out with an immense force of horse and foot, he arrived in the
country of the Tricastinians. Next the Alps were opposed [to their
progress], and I am not surprised that they should seem impassable, as
they had never been climbed over through any path as yet, as far at
least as tradition can extend, unless we are disposed to believe the
stories regarding Hercules. When the height of the mountains kept the
Gauls there penned up as it were, and they were looking around [to
discover] by what path they might pass into another world between the
summits, which joined the sky, a religious scruple detained them, it
having been announced to them that strangers in search of lands were
attacked by the nation of the Salyans. These were the Massilians, who
had come by sea from Phocaea. The Gauls considering this an omen of their
own fortune, assisted them in fortifying the ground which they had taken
possession of on their first landing, covered with spacious woods. They
themselves crossed the Alps through the Taurinian and pathless forests;
and having defeated the Etrurians not far from the Ticinus, on hearing
that the land in which they had posted themselves was called Insubria,
the same name as the Insubres, a canton of the AEdui: embracing the omen
of the place, they built a city there, and called it Mediolanum.

35. Some time after another body, consisting of Cenomanians, having
followed the tracks of the former under the conduct of Elitovius,
crossed the Alps through the same forest, with the aid of Bellovesus,
and settle themselves where the cities of Brixia and Verona now stand
(the Libuans then possessed these places). After these came the
Salluvians, who fix themselves near the ancient canton of the Ligurians
called Laevi, inhabiting the banks of the Ticinus. Next the Boians and
Lingonians, having made their way over through the Penine pass, all the
tract between the Po and the Alps being occupied, crossed the Po on
rafts, and drove out of the country not only the Etrurians, but the
Umbrians also: they confined themselves however within the Apennines.
Then the Senonians, the latest of