¬The¬ Cornice, the Grimsel and the Gries, the Bernardin and the Splugen, the Brenner, the Tende and the Argentière, and the Simplon.- (Illustrations of the passes of the Alps ; Vol. 2)
The earliest mention of the pass of the Brenner* is about thirteen years before Christ, when the Romans, under Augustus, extended their conquests beyond the Rhetian and the Noric Alps, and subdued and civilised the people who inhabited the Tyrol. Tranquillity for some time succeeded their conquest, until they were disturbed by the Markomanni, a people of the north of Europe, who invaded Italy by crossing the Brenner into the southern Tyrol, and struggled twelve years with the Roman power before
they were finally expelled. Early in the third century, the Allemanni and the Goths penetrated also by the Tyrol into Italy, but without establishing themselves at that time, as their retreat was purchased by the already degenerate Romans; but in the fourth century they again broke over the Tyrolese Alps. In the year 452, Attila poured into Italy his hordes from the north by the Brenner, ravaged Trent and the southern Tyrol, and, overwhelming Italy, destroyed the western empire. Odoacer, in 476
, invaded Italy by this pass, at the head of the Heruli and Rugii, and so completely established himself,' that he was crowned king at Pavia. Thirteen years later, Theodoric entered Italy with his Ostragoths, by the Brenner, expelled Odoacer, and founded an empire which extended from the Saint Gothard to the Black Sea. But this empire, in half a century, sunk from internal dissension ; and in its Italian portion arose the king dom of the Lombards, which included the ancient Brixentes and the Yenostes
