οἱ δὲ Τεκτόσαγες καλούμενοι τῇ Πυρήνῃ πλησιάζουσιν, ἐφάπτονται δὲ μικρὰ καὶ τοῦ προσαρκτίου πλευροῦ τῶν Κεμμένων, πολύχρυσόν τε νέμονται γῆν. ἐοίκασι δὲ καὶ δυναστεῦσαί ποτε καὶ εὐανδρῆσαι τοσοῦτον ὥστε στάσεως ἐμπεσούσης ἐξελάσαι πολὺ πλῆθος ἐξ ἑαυτῶν ἐκ τῆς οἰκείας· κοινωνῆσαι δὲ τούτοις καὶ ἄλλους ἐξ ἄλλων ἐθνῶν· τούτων δʼ εἶναι καὶ τοὺς κατασχόντας τὴν Φρυγίαν τὴν ὅμορον τῇ Καππαδοκίᾳ καὶ τοῖς Παφλαγόσι· τούτου μὲν οὖν ἔχομεν τεκμήριον τοὺς ἔτι καὶ νῦν λεγομένους Τεκτόσαγας. τριῶν γὰρ ὄντων ἐθνῶν, ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν τὸ περὶ Ἄγκυραν πόλιν Τεκτοσάγων λέγεται, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ δύο ἐστὶ Τρόκμοι καὶ Τολιστοβώγιοι· τούτους δʼ ὅτι μὲν ἐκ τῆς Κελτικῆς ἀπῳκίσθησαν μηνύει τὸ πρὸς τοὺς Τεκτόσαγας σύμφυλον, ἐξ ὧν δὲ χωρίων ὡρμήθησαν οὐκ ἔχομεν φράζειν· οὐ γὰρ παρειλήφαμεν οἰκοῦντάς τινας νυνὶ Τρόκμους ἢ Τολιστοβωγίους ἐκτὸς τῶν Ἄλπεων οὔτʼ ἐν αὐταῖς οὔτʼ ἐντός· εἰκὸς δʼ ἐκλελοιπέναι διὰ τὰς ἀθρόας ἀπαναστάσεις, καθάπερ καὶ ἐπʼ ἄλλων συμβαίνει πλειόνων· ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸν ἄλλον Βρέννον τὸν ἐπελθόντα ἐπὶ Δελφοὺς Πραῦσον τινές φασιν· οὐδὲ τοὺς Πραύσους δʼ ἔχομεν εἰπεῖν ὅπου γῆς ᾤκησαν πρότερον. καὶ τοὺς Τεκτόσαγας δέ φασι μετασχεῖν τῆς ἐπὶ Δελφοὺς στρατείας, τούς τε θησαυροὺς τοὺς εὑρεθέντας παρʼ αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ Καιπίωνος τοῦ στρατηγοῦ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐν πόλει Τολώσσῃ τῶν ἐκεῖθεν χρημάτων μέρος εἶναί φασι, προσθεῖναι δὲ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων οἴκων ἀνιεροῦντας καὶ ἐξιλασκομένους τὸν θεόν· προσαψάμενον δʼ αὐτῶν τὸν Καιπίωνα διὰ τοῦτο ἐν δυστυχήμασι καταστρέψαι τὸν βίον, ὡς ἱερόσυλον ἐκβληθέντα ὑπὸ τῆς πατρίδος, διαδόχους δʼ ἀπολιπόντα παῖδας, ἃς συνέβη καταπορνευθείσας, ὡς εἴρηκε Τιμαγένης, αἰσχρῶς ἀπολέσθαι. πιθανώτερος δʼ ἐστὶν ὁ Ποσειδωνίου λόγος· τὰ μὲν γὰρ εὑρεθέντα ἐν τῇ Τολώσσῃ χρήματα μυρίων που καὶ πεντακισχιλίων ταλάντων γενέσθαι φησί, τὰ μὲν ἐν σηκοῖς ἀποκείμενα τὰ δʼ ἐν λίμναις ἱεραῖς, οὐδεμίαν κατασκευὴν ἔχοντα, ἀλλʼ ἀργὸν χρυσίον καὶ ἄργυρον· τὸ δʼ ἐν Δελφοῖς ἱερὸν κατʼ ἐκείνους ἤδη τοὺς χρόνους ὑπάρξαι κενὸν τῶν τοιούτων, σεσυλημένον ὑπὸ τῶν Φωκέων κατὰ τὸν ἱερὸν πόλεμον· εἰ δὲ καί τι ἐλείφθη, διανείμασθαι πολλούς· οὐδὲ σωθῆναι δὲ αὐτοὺς εἰκὸς εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν, ἀθλίως ἀπαλλάξαντας μετὰ τὴν ἐκ Δελφῶν ἀποχώρησιν καὶ σκεδασθέντας ἄλλους ἐπʼ ἄλλα μέρη κατὰ διχοστασίαν. ἀλλʼ, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνός τε εἴρηκε καὶ ἄλλοι πλείους, ἡ χώρα πολύχρυσος οὖσα καὶ δεισιδαιμόνων ἀνθρώπων καὶ οὐ πολυτελῶν τοῖς βίοις πολλαχοῦ ἔσχε θησαυρούς· μάλιστα δʼ αὐτοῖς αἱ λίμναι τὴν ἀσυλίαν παρεῖχον, εἰς ἃς καθίεσαν ἀργύρου ἢ καὶ χρυσοῦ βάρη. οἱ γοῦν Ῥωμαῖοι κρατήσαντες τῶν τόπων ἀπέδοντο τὰς λίμνας δημοσίᾳ καὶ τῶν ὠνησαμένων πολλοὶ μύλους εὗρον σφυρηλάτους ἀργυροῦς. ἐν δὲ τῇ Τολώσσῃ καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν ἦν ἅγιον, τιμώμενον σφόδρα ὑπὸ τῶν περιοίκων, καὶ τὰ χρήματα ἐπλεόνασε διὰ τοῦτο πολλῶν ἀνατιθέντων καὶ μηδενὸς προσάπτεσθαι θαρροῦντος.
But the Tectosages dwell near to the Pyrenees, bordering for a small space the northern side of the Cevennes; the land they inhabit is rich in gold. It appears that formerly they were so powerful and numerous, that dissensions having arisen amongst them, they drove a vast multitude of their number from their homes; and that these men associating with others of different nations took possession of Phrygia, next to Cappadocia, and the Paphlagonians. Of this those who are now called the Tectosages afford us proof, for [Phrygia contains] three nations, one of them dwelling near to the city of Ancyra, being called the Tectosages; the remaining two, the Trocmi and Tolistobogii. The resemblance these nations bear to the Tectosages is evidence of their having immigrated from Keltica, though we are unable to say from which district they came, as there does not appear to be any people at the present time bearing the name of Trocmi or Tolistobogii, who inhabit either beyond the Alps, the Alps themselves, or on this side the Alps. It would seem that continual emigration has drained them completely from their native country, a circumstance which has occurred to many other nations, as some say that the Brennus, who led an expedition to Delphi, was a leader of the Prausi; but we are unable to say where the Prausi formerly inhabited. It is said that the Tectosages took part in the expedition to Delphi, and that the treasures found in the city of Toulouse by the Roman general Caepio formed a portion of the booty gained there, which was afterwards increased by offerings which the citizens made from their own property, and consecrated in order to conciliate the god. And that it was for daring to touch these that Caepio terminated so miserably his existence, being driven from his country as a plunderer of the temples of the gods, and leaving behind him his daughters, who, as Timagenes informs us, having been wickedly violated, perished miserably. However, the account given by Posidonius is the more credible. He tells us that the wealth found in Toulouse amounted to somewhere about 15,000 talents, a part of which was hidden in the chapels, and the remainder in the sacred lakes, and that it was not coined [money], but gold and silver in bullion. But at this time the temple of Delphi was emptied of these treasures, having been pillaged by the Phocaeans at the period of the Sacred war and supposing any to have been left, it would have been distributed amongst many. Nor is it probable that the Tectosages returned home, since they came off miserably after leaving Delphi, and owing to their dissensions were scattered here and there throughout the country; there is much more likelihood in the statement made by Posidonius and many others, that the country abounding in gold, and the inhabitants being superstitious, and not living expensively, they hid their treasures in many different places, the lakes in particular affording them a hiding-place for depositing their gold and silver bullion. When the Romans obtained possession of the country they put up these lakes to public sale, and many of the purchasers found therein solid masses of silver. In Toulouse there was a sacred temple, held in great reverence by the inhabitants of the surrounding country, and on this account loaded with riches, inasmuch as there were many who offered gifts, and no one dared to touch them.
̔́ιδρυται δʼ ἡ Τολῶσσα κατὰ τὸ στενώτατον τοῦ ἰσθμοῦ τοῦ διείργοντος ἀπὸ τῆς κατὰ Νάρβωνα θαλάττης τὸν ὠκεανόν, ὅν φησι Ποσειδώνιος ἐλάττω τῶν τρισχιλίων σταδίων. ἄξιον δʼ ἀντὶ πάντων ἐπισημήνασθαι πάλιν ὅπερ εἴπομεν πρότερον, τὴν ὁμολογίαν τῆς χώρας πρός τε τοὺς ποταμοὺς καὶ τὴν θάλατταν τήν τʼ ἐκτὸς ὁμοίως καὶ τὴν ἐντός· εὕροι γὰρ ἄν τις ἐπιστήσας οὐκ ἐλάχιστον μέρος τοῦθʼ ὑπάρχον τῆς τῶν τόπων ἀρετῆς, λέγω δὲ τὸ τὰς χρείας ἐπιπλέκεσθαι τὰς τοῦ βίου μετὰ ῥᾳστώνης ἅπασι πρὸς ἅπαντας καὶ τὰς ὠφελείας ἀνεῖσθαι κοινάς, μάλιστα δὲ νῦν, ἡνίκα ἄγοντες σχολὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ὅπλων ἐργάζονται τὴν χώραν ἐπιμελῶς, καὶ τοὺς βίους κατασκευάζονται πολιτικούς· ὥστε ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων κἂν τὸ τῆς προνοίας ἔργον ἐπιμαρτυρεῖσθαί τις ἂν δόξειεν, οὐχ ὅπως ἔτυχεν, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἂν μετὰ λογισμοῦ τινος διακειμένων τῶν τόπων. ὁ μέν γε Ῥοδανὸς πολύν τε ἔχει τὸν ἀνάπλουν καὶ μεγάλοις φορτίοις καὶ ἐπὶ πολλὰ μέρη τῆς χώρας διὰ τὸ τοὺς ἐμπίπτοντας εἰς αὐτὸν ποταμοὺς ὑπάρχειν πλωτοὺς καὶ διαδέχεσθαι τὸν φόρτον πλεῖστον. ὁ δʼ Ἄραρ ἐκδέχεται καὶ ὁ Δοῦβις ὁ εἰς τοῦτον ἐμβάλλων, εἶτα πεζεύεται μέχρι τοῦ Σηκοάνα ποταμοῦ, κἀντεῦθεν ἤδη καταφέρεται εἰς τὸν ὠκεανὸν καὶ τοὺς Ληξοβίους καὶ Καλέτους, ἐκ δὲ τούτων εἰς τὴν Βρεττανικὴν ἐλάττων ἢ ἡμερήσιος δρόμος ἐστίν. ἐπεὶ δʼ ἐστὶν ὀξὺς καὶ δυσανάπλους ὁ Ῥοδανός, τινὰ τῶν ἐντεῦθεν φορτίων πεζεύεται μᾶλλον ταῖς ἁρμαμάξαις, ὅσα εἰς Ἀρουέρνους κομίζεται καὶ τὸν Λίγηρα ποταμόν, καίπερ τοῦ Ῥοδανοῦ καὶ τούτοις πλησιάζοντος ἐκ μέρους· ἀλλʼ ἡ ὁδὸς πεδιὰς οὖσα καὶ οὐ πολλὴ περὶ ὀκτακοσίους σταδίους ἐπάγεται μὴ χρήσασθαι τῷ ἀνάπλῳ διὰ τὸ πεζεύεσθαι ῥᾷον· ἐντεῦθεν δʼ ὁ Λίγηρ εὐφυῶς ἐκδέχεται· ῥεῖ δὲ ἐκ τῶν Κεμμένων εἰς τὸν ὠκεανόν. ἐκ δὲ Νάρβωνος ἀναπλεῖται μὲν ἐπὶ μικρὸν τῷ Ἄτακι, πεζεύεται δὲ πλέον ἐπὶ τὸν Γαρούναν ποταμόν, καὶ τοῦθʼ ὅσον ὀκτακοσίων ἢ ἑπτακοσίων σταδίων· ῥεῖ δὲ καὶ ὁ Γαρούνας εἰς τὸν ὠκεανόν. ταῦτα μὲν ὑπὲρ τῶν νεμομένων τὴν Ναρβωνῖτιν ἐπικράτειαν λέγομεν, οὓς οἱ πρότερον Κέλτας ὠνόμαζον· ἀπὸ τούτων δʼ οἶμαι καὶ τοὺς σύμπαντας Γαλάτας Κελτοὺς ὑπὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων προσαγορευθῆναι διὰ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν, ἢ καὶ προσλαβόντων πρὸς τοῦτο καὶ τῶν Μασσαλιωτῶν διὰ τὸ πλησιόχωρον.
Toulouse is situated upon the narrowest part of the isthmus which separates the ocean from the sea of Narbonne; the breadth of the [isthmus], according to Posidonius, being less than 3000 stadia. The perfect similarity maintained throughout this country both in respect to its rivers, and to the exterior and interior sea, appears to us worthy of especial notice, as we have said before. This, on reflection, will prove to be one main cause of the excellence of this country, since the inhabitants are enabled mutually to communicate, and to procure from each other the necessaries of life; this is peculiarly the case at the present time, when on account of their leisure from war they are devoting themselves to agriculture and the pursuits of social life. In this we are persuaded that we behold the work of Providence; such a disposition of these regions not resulting from chance, but from the thought of some [intelligence]. The Rhone, for instance, is navigable to a considerable distance for vessels of heavy burden, which it is capable of transmitting through various districts of the country by means of other rivers which fall into it, and are likewise fitted for the navigation of large vessels. To the Rhone succeeds the Saone, and into this latter river falls the Doubs; thence the merchandise is carried by land to the river Seine; whence it is transported to the ocean and the [countries of the] Lexovii and Caleti, the distance thence to Britain being less than a day’s journey. The navigation of the Rhone being difficult on account of the rapidity of its current, the merchants prefer to transport in waggons certain of their wares, which are destined for the Arverni, and the river Loire, notwithstanding the vicinity of the Rhone in some places, but the road being level and the distance not far, (about 800 stadia,) they do not make use of water carriage on account of the facility of the transport by land, from thence the merchandise is easily conveyed by the Loire. This river flows from the Cevennes into the ocean. From Narbonne the voyage to the Aude is short, but the journey by land to the river Garonne longer, being as much as 700 or 800 stadia. The Garonne likewise flows into the ocean. Such is what we have to say concerning the inhabitants of the Narbonnaise, who were formerly named Kelts. In my opinion the celebrity of the Kelts induced the Grecians to confer that name on the whole of the Galatae; the vicinity of the Massilians may also have had something to do with it.
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