Hearing about the Gauls, he went to
them and incited them to invade Italy.
XVI. They immediately made themselves masters of the country, which
reaches from the Alps down to the sea on both sides of Italy, which in
ancient times belonged to the Etruscans, as we see by the names, for the
upper sea is called the Adriatic from Adria, an Etruscan city, and the
lower is called the Etruscan Sea. It is a thickly wooded country, with
plenty of pasturage, and well watered. At that period it contained
eighteen fair and large cities, with a thriving commercial population.
The Gauls took these cities, drove out their inhabitants, and occupied
them themselves. This, however, took place some time previously to our
story.
XVII. The Gauls at this time marched against the Etruscan city of
Clusium and besieged it. The inhabitants appealed to the Romans to send
ambassadors and letters to the barbarians, and they sent three of the
Fabian family, men of the first importance in Rome. They were well
received, because of the name of Rome, by the Gauls, who desisted from
their siege and held a conference with them. The Romans inquired what
wrong the Gauls had suffered from the people of Clusium that they should
attack their city. To this Brennus, the king of the Gauls, answered with
a laugh, "The people of Clusium wrong us by holding a large territory,
although they can only inhabit and cultivate a small one, while they
will not give a share of it to us, who are numerous and poor.
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