§2.15.1τῶν μυρίων σταδίων.
...ten thousand stades.
περί γε μὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς οὐδʼ εἰπεῖν ῥᾴδιον.
As for the fertility of the country, it is not even easy to describe.
σίτου τε γὰρ τοσαύτην ἀφθονίαν ὑπάρχειν συμβαίνει κατὰ τοὺς τόπους ὥστʼ ἐν τοῖς καθʼ ἡμᾶς καιροῖς πολλάκις τεττάρων ὀβολῶν εἶναι τῶν πυρῶν τὸν Σικελικὸν μέδιμνον, τῶν δὲ κριθῶν δυεῖν, τοῦ δʼ οἴνου τὸν μετρητὴν ἰσόκριθον. §2.15.2ἐλύμου γε μὴν καὶ κέγχρου τελέως ὑπερβάλλουσα δαψίλεια γίνεται παρʼ αὐτοῖς.
For there is such an abundance of corn in these regions that in our own times a Sicilian medimnus of wheat is often sold for four obols, one of barley for two, and a metretes of wine is exchanged at an equal price with the barley. Moreover, an absolutely extraordinary abundance of panic grass and millet is produced among them.
τὸ δὲ τῶν βαλάνων πλῆθος τὸ γινόμενον ἐκ τῶν κατὰ διάστημα δρυμῶν ἐν τοῖς πεδίοις ἐκ τούτων ἄν τις μάλιστα τεκμήραιτο· §2.15.3πλείστων γὰρ ὑϊκῶν ἱερείων κοπτομένων ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ διά τε τὰς εἰς τοὺς ἰδίους βίους καὶ τὰς εἰς τὰ στρατόπεδα παραθέσεις, τὴν ὁλοσχερεστάτην χορηγίαν ἐκ τούτων συμβαίνει τῶν πεδίων αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχειν. §2.15.4περὶ δὲ τῆς κατὰ μέρος εὐωνίας καὶ δαψιλείας τῶν πρὸς τὴν τροφὴν ἀνηκόντων οὕτως ἄν τις ἀκριβέστατα κατανοήσειεν· §2.15.5ποιοῦνται γὰρ τὰς καταλύσεις οἱ διοδεύοντες τὴν χώραν ἐν τοῖς πανδοκείοις, οὐ συμφωνοῦντες περὶ τῶν κατὰ μέρος ἐπιτηδείων, ἀλλʼ ἐρωτῶντες πόσου τὸν ἄνδρα δέχεται. §2.15.6ὡς μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ παρίενται τοὺς καταλύτας οἱ πανδοκεῖς, ὡς ἱκανὰ πάντʼ ἔχειν τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν, ἡμιασσαρίου· τοῦτο δʼ ἔστι τέταρτον μέρος ὀβολοῦ· σπανίως δὲ τοῦθʼ ὑπερβαίνουσι. §2.15.7τό γε μὴν πλῆθος τῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ τὸ μέγεθος καὶ κάλλος τῶν σωμάτων, ἔτι δὲ τὴν ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις τόλμαν ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν πράξεων σαφῶς ἔσται καταμαθεῖν.
As for the quantity of acorns produced from the oak-forests scattered at intervals over the plains, one can best estimate it from the following fact. For although a vast number of swine are slaughtered in Italy, both for private life and for the provisioning of the armies, the most complete supply is provided for them from these plains. One could understand most accurately the cheapness and abundance of articles of food in detail in the following way. For those who travel through the country make their stay at the inns, not agreeing on the price of individual items of provision, but asking for how much the innkeeper receives a man. Now as a general rule the innkeepers let their guests go for half an assarion—this is a quarter of an obol—as having everything sufficient for their needs; and they rarely exceed this price. The number of the men, and the size and beauty of their bodies, and further their daring in war, will be clearly seen from their actual deeds.
τῶν δʼ Ἄλπεων ἑκατέρας τῆς πλευρᾶς, §2.15.8τῆς ἐπὶ τὸν Ῥοδανὸν ποταμὸν καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τὰ προειρημένα πεδία νευούσης, τοὺς βουνώδεις καὶ γεώδεις τόπους κατοικοῦσι τοὺς μὲν ἐπὶ τὸν Ῥοδανὸν καὶ τὰς ἄρκτους ἐστραμμένους Γαλάται Τρανσαλπῖνοι προσαγορευόμενοι, τοὺς δʼ ἐπὶ τὰ πεδία Ταυρίσκοι καὶ Ἄγωνες καὶ πλείω γένη βαρβάρων ἕτερα. §2.15.9Τρανσαλπῖνοί γε μὴν οὐ διὰ τὴν τοῦ γένους, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τοῦ τόπου διαφορὰν προσαγορεύονται· τὸ γὰρ τρὰνς ἐξερμηνευόμενόν ἐστι πέραν, διὸ τοὺς ἐπέκεινα τῶν Ἄλπεων Τρανσαλπίνους καλοῦσι. §2.15.10τὰ δʼ ἄκρα διά τε τὴν τραχύτητα καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς ἐπι
Now, of the two sides of the Alps, the one sloping towards the river Rhone and the other towards the aforementioned plains, the hilly and fertile districts are inhabited, on the side turned towards the Rhone and the north, by those called Transalpine Galatae, and on the side facing the plains by the Taurisci, the Agones, and many other barbarian tribes. They are called Transalpine, however, not because of a difference in race, but because of a difference in locality; for "trans" translated means "beyond", and therefore they call those beyond the Alps Transalpines. But the heights, because of their ruggedness and the quantity of... on them,