A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

Northern Italy 327
To the south of this range, which I said we must re- Jhe^^^Jl^y
gard as the base of the triangle, are the most northerly
plains of Italy, the largest and most fertile, so far as I
know, in all Europe. This is the district with which we
are at present concerned.
It is a superb plain variegated with fruitful hills. The Strabo v. i.
Po divides it almost through the midst; one side is called
Cispadana, and the other Transpadana. Cispadana includes
the part next to the Apennines, together with Liguria;
and Transpadana includes the remainder. The
Ligurians of the mountains and the Celts of the plain (Or Gauls.)
occupy Cispadana; the Celts and the Venetians inhabit
the other division.
The fertihty of the Po valley is proved by its population.
The prodthe
size of the cities, and its wealth; in all these respects
the Romans of this country surpass the rest of Italy. The Strabo v. i.
cultivated land produces fruits in abundance and of every
kind, and the woods contain so great a quantity of mast
that Rome is supplied chiefly from the swine fed there.
As it is well watered, it produces millet to perfection. This
condition affords the greatest security against famine, as
millet resists every severity of climate, and never fails
even when other grains are scarce. The pitch works are
amazing, and the casks prove the abundance of wine; for
the casks, formed of wood, are larger than houses, and
the great supply of pitch makes them inexpensive.
The soft wood, which is by far the best, is produced in
the country round Mutina (modern Modena) and the
Scultanna River. The coarse wool, on the other hand,
which forms the main article of clothing among the Italian
slaves, is grown in Liguria and the country of the Symbri.
A medium kind, grown about Patavium (modern Padua),
is used for the finer carpets, cassocks, and everything else