But in winter the ground, caked with ice, and as it were polished and therefore slippery, drives men headlong in their gait and the spreading valleys in level places, made treacherous by ice, sometimes swallow up the traveller. Therefore those that know the country well drive projecting wooden stakes along the safer spots, in order that their line may guide the traveller in safety. But if these are covered with snow and hidden, or are overturned by the streams running down from the mountains, the paths are difficult to traverse even with natives leading the way.

But from the peak of this Italian slope a plateau extends for seven miles, as far as the post named from MarsModern Oulx, in the called mansio Martis; in the Amm. uses statio both of a military post, and of a station on the cursus publicus, but see Hyde, , p. 59. ; from there on another loftier height, equally difficult to surmount, reaches to the peak of the Matrona,Mont Genèvre. so called from an accident to a noble lady. After that a route, steep to be sure, but easier to traverse extends to the fortress of Briançon.

The tomb of the prince, who, as we said, built these roads, is at Susa next to the walls, and his shades are devoutly venerated for a double reason: because he had ruled his subjects with a just government, and when admitted to alliance with the Roman state, procured eternal peace for his nation.

And although this road which I have described is the middle one, the short cut, and the more frequented, yet there are also others, constructed long before at various times.

Now the first of these the Theban Hercules,See note, p. 176. when travelling leisurely to destroy Geryon and Tauriscus, constructed near the Maritime Alps and gave them the name of the GraianGrecian, but see Hyde, , p. 59. Alps. And in like manner he consecrated the castle and harbour of Monaco to his lasting memory. Then, later, after the passage of many centuries, the name Pennine was devised for these Alps for the following reason.