τὴν δʼ ὑπερκειμένην αὐτῆς χώραν μάλιστα γεωγραφεῖ τά τε ὄρη τὰ περικείμενα καὶ οἱ ποταμοί, διαφερόντως δὲ ὁ Ῥοδανὸς μέγιστός τε ὢν καὶ πλεῖστον ἀνάπλουν ἔχων ἐκ πολλῶν πληρούμενος ῥευμάτων· λεκτέον οὖν ἐφεξῆς περὶ τούτων. ἀπὸ Μασσαλίας τοίνυν ἀρξαμένοις καὶ προϊοῦσιν ἐπὶ τὴν μεταξὺ χώραν τῶν τε Ἄλπεων καὶ τοῦ Ῥοδανοῦ μέχρι μὲν τοῦ Δρουεντία ποταμοῦ Σάλυες οἰκοῦσιν ἐπὶ πεντακοσίους σταδίους· πορθμείῳ δὲ διαβᾶσιν εἰς Καβαλλίωνα πόλιν ἡ ἐφεξῆς χώρα πᾶσα Καουάρων ἐστὶ μέχρι τῶν τοῦ Ἴσαρος συμβολῶν πρὸς τὸν Ῥοδανόν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ τὸ Κέμμενον συνάπτει πως τῷ Ῥοδανῷ· μῆκος τὸ μέχρι δεῦρο ἀπὸ τοῦ Δρουεντία σταδίων ἐστὶν ἑπτακοσίων. οἱ μὲν οὖν Σάλυες ἐν αὐτοῖς τά τε πεδία καὶ τὰ ὑπερκείμενα ὄρη κατοικοῦσι, τῶν δὲ Καουάρων ὑπέρκεινται Ὀυοκόντιοί τε καὶ Τρικόριοι καὶ Ἰκόνιοι καὶ Μέδυλλοι. μεταξὺ δὲ τοῦ Δρουεντία καὶ τοῦ Ἴσαρος καὶ ἄλλοι ποταμοὶ ῥέουσιν ἀπὸ τῶν Ἄλπεων ἐπὶ τὸν Ῥοδανόν, δύο μὲν οἱ περιρρέοντες πόλιν Καουάρων α κοινῷ ῥείθρῳ συμβάλλοντες εἰς τὸν Ῥοδανόν, τρίτος δὲ Σούλγας ὁ κατὰ Οὔνδαλον πόλιν μισγόμενος τῷ Ῥοδανῷ, ὅπου Γναῖος Ἀηνόβαρβος μεγάλῃ μάχῃ πολλὰς ἐτρέψατο Κελτῶν μυριάδας. εἰσὶ δὲ ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ πόλεις καὶ Αὐενιὼν καὶ Ἀραυσίων καὶ Ἀερία, τῷ ὄντι (φησὶν Ἀρτεμίδωρος) ἀερία διὰ τὸ ἐφʼ ὕψους ἱδρῦσθαι μεγάλου. ἡ μὲν οὖν ἄλλη πᾶσά ἐστι πεδιὰς καὶ εὔβοτος, ἡ δʼ ἐκ τῆς Ἀερίας εἰς τὴν Αὐενιῶνα ὑπερθέσεις ἔχει στενὰς καὶ ὑλώδεις. καθʼ ὃ δὲ συμπίπτουσιν ὁ Ἴσαρ ποταμὸς καὶ ὁ Ῥοδανὸς καὶ τὸ Κέμμενον ὄρος, Κόιντος Φάβιος Μάξιμος Αἰμιλιανὸς οὐχ ὅλαις τρισὶ μυριάσιν εἴκοσι μυριάδας Κελτῶν κατέκοψε, καὶ ἔστησε τρόπαιον αὐτόθι λευκοῦ λίθου καὶ νεὼς δύο, τὸν μὲν Ἄρεως τὸν δʼ Ἡρακλέους. ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ Ἴσαρος εἰς Ὀυίενναν τὴν τῶν Ἀλλοβρίγων μητρόπολιν κειμένην ἐπὶ τῷ Ῥοδανῷ στάδιοί εἰσι τριακόσιοι εἴκοσι. πλησίον δʼ ὑπέρκειται τῆς Ὀυιέννης τὸ Λούγδουνον, ἐφʼ οὗ συμμίσγουσιν ἀλλήλοις ὅ τε Ἄραρ καὶ ὁ Ῥοδανός· στάδιοι δʼ εἰσὶν ἐπʼ αὐτὸ πεζῇ μὲν περὶ διακοσίους διὰ τῆς Ἀλλοβρίγων, ἀνάπλῳ δὲ μικρῷ πλείους. Ἀλλόβριγες δὲ μυριάσι πολλαῖς πρότερον μὲν ἐστράτευον, νῦν δὲ γεωργοῦσι τὰ πεδία καὶ τοὺς αὐλῶνας τοὺς ἐν ταῖς Ἄλπεσι· καὶ οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι κωμηδὸν ζῶσιν, οἱ δʼ ἐπιφανέστατοι τὴν Ὀυίενναν ἔχοντες, κώμην πρότερον οὖσαν μητρόπολιν δʼ ὅμως τοῦ ἔθνους λεγομένην, κατεσκευάκασι πόλιν· ἵδρυται δʼ ἐπὶ τῷ Ῥοδανῷ. φέρεται δʼ ἀπὸ τῶν Ἄλπεων οὗτος πολὺς καὶ σφοδρός, ὅς γε καὶ διὰ λίμνης ἐξιὼν τῆς Λημέννης φανερὸν δείκνυσι τὸ ῥεῖθρον ἐπὶ πολλοὺς σταδίους. κατελθὼν δὲ εἰς τὰ πεδία τῆς χώρας τῆς Ἀλλοβρίγων καὶ Σεγοσιανῶν συμβάλλει τῷ Ἄραρι κατὰ Λούγδουνον πόλιν τῶν Σεγοσιανῶν. ῥεῖ δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἄραρ ἐκ τῶν Ἄλπεων ὁρίζων Σηκοανούς τε καὶ Αἰδούους καὶ Λιγκασίους, παραλαβὼν δʼ ὕστερον τὸν Δοῦβιν ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν ὀρῶν φερόμενον πλωτόν, ἐπικρατήσας τῷ ὀνόματι καὶ γενόμενος ἐξ ἀμφοῖν Ἄραρ συμμίσγει τῷ Ῥοδανῷ. πάλιν δʼ ἐπικρατήσας ὁ Ῥοδανὸς εἰς τὴν Ὀυίενναν φέρεται. συμβαίνει δὴ κατʼ ἀρχὰς μὲν τοὺς τρεῖς ποταμοὺς φέρεσθαι πρὸς ἄρκτον, εἶτα πρὸς δύσιν· εἰς ἓν δʼ ἤδη συμπεσὸν ῥεῖθρον πάλιν ἄλλην καμπὴν λαβὸν νότιον φέρεται τὸ ῥεῦμα μέχρι τῶν ἐκβολῶν, δεξάμενον καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ποταμούς, κἀκεῖθεν ἤδη τὴν λοιπὴν ποιεῖται μέχρι τῆς θαλάττης ῥύσιν. ἡ μὲν οὖν μεταξὺ τῶν Ἄλπεων καὶ τοῦ Ῥοδανοῦ τοιαύτη τις.
The country above this is bounded principally by the surrounding mountains and rivers. Of these the Rhone is the most remarkable, being both the largest, and capable of being navigated farther than any of the others, and also receiving into it a greater number of tributaries; of these we must speak in order. Commencing at Marseilles, and proceeding to the country between the Alps and the Rhone, to the river Durance, dwell the Salyes for a space of 500 stadia. From thence you proceed in a ferry-boat to the city of Caballio; beyond this the whole country belongs to the Cavari as far as the junction of the Isère with the Rhone; it is here too that the Cevennes approach the Rhone. From the Durance to this point is a distance of 700 stadia. The Salyes occupy the plains and mountains above these. The Vocontii, Tricorii, Icomi, and Medylli, lie above the Cavari. Between the Durance and the Isère there are other rivers which flow from the Alps into the Rhone; two of these, after having flowed round the city of the Cavari, discharge themselves by a common outlet into the Rhone. The Sulgas, which is the third, mixes with the Rhone near the city of Vindalum, where Cnaeus Aenobarbus in a decisive engagement routed many myriads of the Kelts. Between these are the cities of Avenio, Arausio, and Aëria, which latter, remarks Artemidorus, is rightly named aërial, being situated in a very lofty position. The whole of this country consists of plains abounding in pasturage, excepting on the route from Aëria to Avenio, where there are narrow defiles and woods to traverse. It was at the point where the river Isère and the Rhone unite near the Cevennes, that Quintus Fabius Maximus Aemilianus, with scarcely 30,000 men, cut to pieces 200,000 Kelts. Here he erected a white stone as a trophy, and two temples, one to Mars, and the other to Hercules. From the Isère to Vienne, the metropolis of the Allobroges, situated on the Rhone, the distance is 320 stadia. Lugdunum is a little above Vienne at the confluence of the Saone and the Rhone. The distance by land [from this latter city] to Lugdunum, passing through the country of the Allobroges, is about 200 stadia, and rather more by water. Formerly the Allobroges engaged in war, their armies consisting of many myriads; they now occupy themselves in cultivating the plains and valleys of the Alps. They dwell generally in villages, the most notable of them inhabiting Vienne, which was merely a village, although called the metropolis of their nation; they have now improved and embellished it as a city; it is situated on the Rhone. So full and rapid is the descent of this river from the Alps, that the flow of its waters through Lake Leman may be distinguished for many stadia. Having descended into the plains of the countries of the Allobroges, and Segusii, it falls into the Saone, near to Lugdunum, a city of the Segusii. The Saone rises in the Alps, and separates the Sequani, the Aedui, and the Lincasii. It afterwards receives the Doubs, a navigable river which rises in the same mountains, still however preserving its own name, and consisting of the two, mingles with the Rhone. The Rhone in like manner preserves its name, and flows on to Vienne. At their rise these three rivers flow towards the north, then in a westerly direction, afterwards uniting into one they take another turn and flow towards the south, and having received other rivers, they flow in this direction to the sea. Such is the country situated between the Alps and the Rhone.
τὴν δʼ ἐπὶ θάτερα μέρη τοῦ ποταμοῦ Ὀυόλκαι νέμονται τὴν πλείστην, οὓς Ἀρηκομίσκους προσαγορεύουσι. τούτων δʼ ἐπίνειον ἡ Νάρβων λέγεται, δικαιότερον δʼ ἂν καὶ τῆς ἄλλης Κελτικῆς λέγοιτο· τοσοῦτον ὑπερβέβληται τῷ πλήθει τῶν χρωμένων τῷ ἐμπορίῳ. οἱ μὲν οὖν Ὀυόλκαι γειτονεύουσι τῷ Ῥοδανῷ, τοὺς Σάλυας ἔχοντες ἀντιπαρήκοντας αὐτοῖς ἐν τῇ περαίᾳ καὶ τοὺς Καουάρους. ἐπικρατεῖ δὲ τὸ τῶν Καουάρων ὄνομα, καὶ πάντας οὕτως ἤδη προσαγορεύουσι τοὺς ταύτῃ βαρβάρους, οὐδὲ βαρβάρους ἔτι ὄντας, ἀλλὰ μετακειμένους τὸ πλέον εἰς τὸν τῶν Ῥωμαίων τύπον καὶ τῇ γλώττῃ καὶ τοῖς βίοις, τινὰς δὲ καὶ τῇ πολιτείᾳ. ἄλλα δʼ ἔστιν ἄδοξα ἔθνη καὶ μικρά, παρακείμενα τοῖς Ἀρηκομίσκοις μέχρι Πυρήνης. μητρόπολις δὲ τῶν Ἀρηκομίσκων ἐστὶ Νέμαυσος, κατὰ μὲν τὸν ἀλλότριον ὄχλον καὶ τὸν ἐμπορικὸν πολὺ Νάρβωνος λειπομένη, κατὰ δὲ τὸν πολιτικὸν ὑπερβάλλουσα· ὑπηκόους γὰρ ἔχει κώμας τέτταρας καὶ εἴκοσι τῶν ὁμοεθνῶν εὐανδρίᾳ διαφερούσας, συντελούσας εἰς αὐτήν, ἔχουσα καὶ τὸ καλούμενον Λάτιον, ὥστε τοὺς ἀξιωθέντας ἀγορανομίας καὶ ταμιείας ἐν Νεμαύσῳ Ῥωμαίους ὑπάρχειν· διὰ δὲ τοῦτο οὐδʼ ὑπὸ τοῖς προστάγμασι τῶν ἐκ τῆς Ῥώμης στρατηγῶν ἐστι τὸ ἔθνος τοῦτο. ἵδρυται δʼ ἡ πόλις κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ἐκ τῆς Ἰβηρίας εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν, θέρους μὲν εὔβατον οὖσαν χειμῶνος δὲ καὶ ἔαρος πηλώδη καὶ ποταμόκλυστον. τινὰ μὲν οὖν τῶν ῥευμάτων πορθμείοις περᾶται, τινὰ δὲ γεφύραις ταῖς μὲν ξύλων πεποιημέναις ταῖς δὲ λίθων. ποιοῦσι δὲ τὰς ἐκ τῶν ὑδάτων δυσκολίας οἱ χείμαρροι καὶ μέχρι τοῦ θέρους ἔσθʼ ὅτε ἐκ τῶν Ἄλπεων καταφερόμενοι μετὰ τὴν ἀπότηξιν τῶν χιόνων. τῆς δʼ ὁδοῦ τῆς λεχθείσης ἡ μὲν εὐθὺς ἐπὶ τὰς Ἄλπεις ἐστί, καθάπερ εἴπομεν, ἡ σύντομος διὰ Ὀυοκοντίων· ἡ δὲ διὰ τῆς παραλίας τῆς Μασσαλιωτικῆς καὶ τῆς Λιγυστικῆς μακροτέρα μέν, τὰς δʼ ὑπερθέσεις τὰς εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν εὐμαρεστέρας ἔχει, ταπεινουμένων ἐνταῦθα ἤδη τῶν ὀρῶν. διέχει δʼ ἡ Νέμαυσος τοῦ μὲν Ῥοδανοῦ περὶ ἑκατὸν σταδίους, καθʼ ὃ ἐν τῇ περαίᾳ πολίχνιον ἔστι Ταρούσκων, τῆς δὲ Νάρβωνος ἑπτακοσίους εἴκοσι. πρὸς δὲ τὸ Κέμμενον ὄρος συνάπτοντες, ἐπιλαμβάνοντες δὲ καὶ τὸ νότιον πλευρὸν αὐτοῦ μέχρι τῶν ἀκρωτηρίων οἰκοῦσι τῶν τε Ὀυολκῶν οἱ Τεκτόσαγες καλούμενοι καὶ ἄλλοι τινές. περὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν ἄλλων ἐροῦμεν ὕστερον.
The main part of the country on the other side of the Rhone is inhabited by the Volcae, surnamed Arecomisci. Their naval station is Narbonne, which may justly be called the emporium of all Gaul, as it far surpasses every other in the multitude of those who resort to it. The Volcae border on tile Rhone, the Salyes and Cavari being opposite to them on tile other side of the river. However, the name of the Cavari has so obtained, that all the barbarians inhabiting near now go by that designation; nay, even those who are no longer barbarians, but follow the Roman customs, both in their speech and mode of life, and some of those even who have adopted the Roman polity. Between the Arecomisci and the Pyrenees there are some other small and insignificant nations. Nemausus is the metropolis of the Arecomisci; though far inferior to Narbonne both as to its commerce, and the number of foreigners attracted thither, it surpasses that city in the number of its citizens; for it has under its dominion four and twenty different villages all well inhabited, and by the same people, who pay tribute; it likewise enjoys the rights of the Latin towns, so that in Nemausus you meet with Roman citizens who have obtained the honours of the aedile and quaestorship, wherefore this nation is not subject to the orders issued by the praetors from Rome. The city is situated on the road from Iberia to Italy; this road is very good in the summer, but muddy and overflowed by the rivers during winter and spring. Some of these streams are crossed in ferry-boats, and others by means of bridges constructed either of wood or stone. The inundations which destroy the roads are caused by the winter torrents, which sometimes pour down from the Alps even in summer-time after the melting of the snows. To perform the route before mentioned, the shortest way is, as we have said, across the territory of the Vocontii direct to the Alps; the other, along the coast of Marseilles and Liguria, is longer, although it offers an easier passage into Italy, as the mountains are lower. Nemausus is about 100 stadia distant from the Rhone, situated opposite to the small town of Tarascon, and about 720 stadia from Narbonne. The Tectosages, and certain others whom we shall mention afterwards, border on the range of the Cevennes, and inhabit its southern side as far as the promontory of the Volcae. Respecting all the others we will speak hereafter.
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