inhabitants of Campa’nia, were the Auso’nes and Op’ici or Osci, the most ancient of the native Italian tribes.  The Tyrrhenian Pelas’gi made several settlements on the coast, and are supposed to have founded Cap’ua.  The Etruscans were afterwards masters of the country, but their dominion was of brief duration, and left no trace behind.  Campa’nia was subdued by the Romans after the Volscian war.

23.  The soil of Campa’nia is the most fruitful, perhaps, in the world, but it is subject to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.  Mount Vesu’vius in the early ages of Italy was not a volcano; its first eruption took place A.D. 79.

24.  UM’BRIA extended along the middle and east of Italy, from the river Rubicon in the north, to the AE’sis, Gesano, dividing it from Pise’num, and the Nar, Nera, separating it from Sam’nium in the south.  The Umbrians were esteemed one of the most ancient races in Italy, and were said to have possessed the greater part of the northern and central provinces.  They were divided into several tribes, which seem to have been semi-barbarous, and they were subject to the Gauls before they were conquered by the Romans.  Their chief towns were Arimi’nium, Rimini; Spole’tium, Spoleto; Nar’nia, Narni; and Ocricu’lum, Otriculi.

25.  PICE’NUM was the name given to the fertile plain that skirts the Adriatic, between the AE’sis, Gesano, and the Atar’nus, Pescara.  The chief cities were Anco’na and Asc’ulum Pice’num, Ascoli.  The Picentines were descended from the Sabines, and observed the strict and severe discipline of that warlike race, but they were destitute of courage or vigour.

26.  SAM’NIUM included the mountainous tract which stretches from the Atar’nus in the north, to the Fren’to in the south.  It was inhabited by several tribes descended from the Sabines[3] and Ma’rsi, of which the Samnites were the most distinguished; the other most remarkable septs were the Marruci’ni and Pelig’ni in the north, the Frenta’ni in the east, and the Hirpi’ni in the south.

27.  The Samnites were distinguished by their love of war, and their unconquerable attachment to liberty; their sway at one time extended over Campa’nia, and the greater part of central Italy; and the Romans found them the fiercest and most dangerous of their early enemies.  The chief towns in the Samnite territory were Alli’fae, Beneventum, and Cau’dium.

28.  Lower Italy was also called Magna Grae’cia, from the number of Greek[4] colonies that settled on the coast; it comprised four countries; Luca’nia and Brut’tium on the west, and Apu’lia and Cala’bria on the east.

29.  LUCA’NIA was a mountainous country between the Sil’arus, Selo, on the north, and the Lae’us, Lavo, on the south.  The Lucanians were of Sabine origin, and conquered the Oenotrians, who first possessed the country:  they also subdued several Greek cities on the coast.  The chief cities were Posido’nia or Paestum, He’lia or Ve’lia, Sib’aris and Thu’rii.