LIGURIA, in Ancient Geography, a region of Northern Italy, stretching along the N. coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Considered in its primitive meaning as "the country of the Ligurians," it is mentioned by the early Greek authors as extending as far westward as the mouths of the Rhone; while, according to Polybius, its eastern boundary was Pisa, and its northern the country of the Arretines. Strabo, however, and other ancient geographers, considered it as bounded on the N. by the Padus, on the W. by the Varus, and on the E. by the Trebia; and these same limits were fixed by Augustus, when he constituted Liguria the ninth region of Italy. The Ligurians were among the first settlers in Italy. Of their origin nothing certain is known, except that they were generally held by ancient writers to be distinct from the Celtic race, an opinion, however, which some moderns have opposed. The principal tribes on the S. side of the Apennines were the Apuani, the most formidable to the Romans; the Briniates; the Genuates, dwelling around Genua; the Veturii; the Ingauni, occupying the environs of Albium Ingaunum; the Intemelii; and the Vediantii. On the N. of the Apennines were the Epanterii; the Eburiates; the Taurini, dwelling around their capital, Augusta Taurinorum; the Statielli, near Aqua Statiella; and the Vagienni, in the neighbourhood of Augusta Vagiennorum. The distinctive positions of all these, as well as of the other inferior tribes mentioned by Pliny and Livy, have never been accurately defined. The following are the sea-coast towns enumerated by Pliny and Ptolemy:—Nicæa (Nice), Cemenelium (Cuneo), Portus Herculis Monaci (Monaco), Albium Intemelium (Vintimiglia), Albium Ingaunum (Albenga), Vada Sabbata (Vado), Genua, Portus Delphini (Porto Fino), Tigullia (Tregoso), Segesta (Sestri), Portus Veneris
(Porto Venere), and Portus Luna. The principal towns on the N. side of the Apennines, which latterly rose to great importance, and are styled by Pliny "nobilis oppida," were,—Dertona (Tortona), Iria (Voghera), Asta (Asti), Pollentia (Polenza), Valentinum (Valenza), Augusta Vagiennorum (Bene), Alba Pompeia (Alba), Aqua Statiella (Acqui), Augusta Taurinorum (Turin), Bardera, Industria, Carrea Potentia, Clastidium (Casteggio), Ceba (Ceva), and Libarra. The Ligurians, so often praised by ancient authors for their hardihood and bravery, are generally understood to be those on the S. side of the Apennines exclusively. In the time of Strabo, these eked out the scanty produce of their stony and sterile soil by hunting and feeding flocks, and thus fostered that vigour of frame and ferocity of disposition which long rendered them the indomitable foes and plunderers of the Romans. They were renowned as slingers and light infantry in the armies of the Carthaginians, and afterwards in those of the Romans. The most remarkable natural product was a mineral resembling amber, called λῆγγοιον. Their chief export was timber, and their principal emporium Genua. For the physical geography of Liguria, see ITALY.