σαβῖνοι δὲ στενὴν οἰκοῦσι χώραν, ἐπὶ μῆκος δὲ διήκουσαν καὶ χιλίων σταδίων ἀπὸ τοῦ Τιβέρεως καὶ Νωμεντοῦ πολίχνης μέχρι Ὀυηστίνων. πόλεις δʼ ἔχουσιν ὀλίγας καὶ τεταπεινωμένας διὰ τοὺς συνεχεῖς πολέμους, Ἀμίτερνον καὶ Ῥεᾶτε, ᾧ πλησιάζει κώμη Ἰντεροκρέα καὶ τὰ ἐν Κωτιλίαις ψυχρὰ ὕδατα, ἀφʼ ὧν καὶ πίνουσι καὶ ἐγκαθίζοντες θεραπεύονται νόσους. Σαβίνων δʼ εἰσὶ καὶ οἱ Φόρουλοι, πέτραι πρὸς ἀπόστασιν μᾶλλον ἢ κατοικίαν εὐφυεῖς. Κύρις δὲ νῦν μὲν κωμίον ἐστίν, ἦν δὲ πόλις ἐπίσημος, ἐξ ἧς ὥρμηντο οἱ τῆς Ῥώμης βασιλεύσαντες Τίτος Τάτιος καὶ Νουμᾶς Πομπίλιος· ἐντεῦθεν δὲ καὶ Κυρίτας ὀνομάζουσιν οἱ δημηγοροῦντες τοὺς Ῥωμαίους. Τρήβουλά τε καὶ Ἠρητὸν καὶ ἄλλαι κατοικίαι τοιαῦται κῶμαι μᾶλλον ἢ πόλεις ἐξετάζοιντʼ ἄν. ἅπασα δʼ αὐτῶν ἡ γῆ διαφερόντως ἐλαιόφυτός ἐστι καὶ ἀμπελόφυτος, βάλανόν τε ἐκφέρει πολλήν· σπουδαία δὲ καὶ βοσκήμασι τοῖς τε ἄλλοις, καὶ δὴ τὸ τῶν ἡμιόνων γένος τῶν Ῥεατίνων διωνόμασται θαυμαστῶς. ὡς δʼ εἰπεῖν, ἅπασα ἡ Ἰταλία θρεμμάτων τε ἀρίστη τροφὸς καὶ καρπῶν ἐστιν, ἄλλα δʼ εἴδη κατὰ ἄλλα μέρη τῶν πρωτείων τυγχάνει. ἔστι δὲ καὶ παλαιότατον γένος οἱ Σαβῖνοι καὶ αὐτόχθονες· τούτων δʼ ἄποικοι Πικεντῖνοί τε καὶ Σαυνῖται, τούτων δὲ Λευκανοί, τούτων δὲ Βρέττιοι. τὴν δʼ ἀρχαιότητα τεκμήριον ἄν τις ποιήσαιτο ἀνδρείας καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἀρετῆς ἀφʼ ἧς ἀντέσχον μέχρι πρὸς τὸν παρόντα χρόνον. φησὶ δʼ ὁ συγγραφεὺς Φάβιος Ῥωμαίους αἰσθέσθαι τοῦ πλούτου τότε πρῶτον, ὅτε τοῦ ἔθνους τούτου κατέστησαν κύριοι. ἔστρωται δὲ διʼ αὐτῶν ἡ Σαλαρία ὁδὸς οὐ πολλὴ οὖσα, εἰς ἣν καὶ ἡ Νωμεντανὴ συμπίπτει κατὰ Ἠρητὸν τῆς Σαβίνης κώμην ὑπὲρ τοῦ Τιβέρεως κειμένην, ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς πύλης ἀρχομένη τῆς Κολλίνης.
THE Sabini occupy a narrow country, its length from the Tiber and the small city of Nomentum to the Vestini being 1000 stadia. They have but few cities, and these have suffered severely in their continual wars [with the Romans]. Such are Amiternum and Reate, which is near to the village of Interocrea and the cold waters at Cotyliae, which are taken by patients, both as drink and as baths, for the cure of various maladies. The rocks of Foruli, likewise, belong to the Sabini; fitted rather for rebellion than peaceable habitation. Cures is now a small village, although formerly a famous city: whence came Titus Tatius and Numa Pompilius, kings of Rome. From this place is derived the name of Quirites, which the orators give to the Romans when they address the people. Trebula, Eretum, and other similar places, must be looked upon rather as villages than cities. The whole land [of Sabina] is singularly fertile in olive-trees and vines, it produces also many acorns, and besides has excellent cattle: the mules bred at Reate are much celebrated. In one word, the whole of Italy is rich both in cattle and vegetable productions; although certain articles may be finer in some districts than in others. The race of the Sabini is extremely ancient, they are Autochthones. The Picentini and Samnitae descend from them, as do the Leucani from these latter, and the Bruttii again from these. A proof of their antiquity may be found in the bravery and valour which they have maintained till the present time. Fabius, the historian, says that the Romans first knew what wealth was when they became masters of this nation. The Via Salaria, which however does not extend far, runs through their country: the Via Nomentana, which commences likewise at the Porta Collina, falls in with the Via Salaria near to Eretum, a village of Sabina lying above the Tiber.
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