in Ancient Geography, a country of Italy, bounded on the south by the Mediterranean sea, on the north by the Apennine mountains, on the west by part of Transalpine Gaul, and on the east by Etruria. There is a great disagreement among authors concerning the origin of the Ligurians, though most probably they were descended from the Gauls. Some carry up their origin as far as the fabulous heroes of antiquity; while others trace them from the Ligyes, a people mentioned by Herodotus as attending Xerxes in his expeditions against Greece. These Ligyes are by some ancient geographers placed in Colchis; by others in Albania.—According to Diodorus Siculus, the Ligurians led a very wretched life; their country being entirely overgrown with woods, which they were obliged to pull up by the root, in order to cultivate their land, which was also encumbered with great stones, and, being naturally barren, made but very poor returns for all their labour. They were much addicted to hunting; and, by a life of continual exercise and labour, became so strong, that the weakest Ligurian was generally an overmatch for the strongest and most robust among the Gauls. The women are said to have been almost as strong as the men, and to have borne an equal share in all laborious enterprises. With all their bravery, however, they were not able to resist the Roman power; but were subdued by that warlike nation about 211 B.C.