[20,15] Οἱ Βρέττιοι ἑκόντες ὑποταγέντες Ῥωμαίοις τὴν ἡμίσειαν τῆς ὀρεινῆς παρέδωκαν αὐτοῖς, ἣ καλεῖται μὲν Σίλα, μεστὴ δ´ ἐστὶν ὕλης εἰς οἰκοδομάς τε καὶ ναυπηγίας καὶ πᾶσαν ἄλλην κατασκευὴν εὐθέτου· πολλὴ μὲν γὰρ ἐλάτη πέφυκεν οὐρανομήκης ἐν αὐτῇ, πολλὴ δὲ αἴγειρος, πολλὴ δὲ πίειρα πεύκη ὀξύη τε καὶ πίτυς καὶ φηγὸς ἀμφιλαφὴς καὶ μελίαι ταῖς διαρρεούσαις λιβάσι πιαινόμεναι, καὶ πᾶσα ἄλλη βαθεῖα συνυφαινομένη τοῖς κλάδοις ὕλη σκιερὸν ἀποτελοῦσα δι´ ὅλης ἡμέρας τὸ ὄρος. Ἐξ ἧς ἡ μὲν ἔγγιστα θαλάττης καὶ ποταμῶν φυομένη τμηθεῖσα τὴν ἀπὸ ῥίζης τομὴν ὁλόκληρος ἐπὶ τοὺς λιμένας τοὺς ἔγγιστα κατάγεται, πάσῃ διαρκὴς Ἰταλίᾳ πρός τε τὰ ναυτικὰ καὶ πρὸς τὰς τῶν οἰκιῶν κατασκευάς· ἡ δὲ ἄνω θαλάττης καὶ ποταμῶν πρόσω κορμασθεῖσα κατὰ μέρη κώπας τε παρέχει καὶ κοντοὺς καὶ ὅπλα παντοῖα καὶ σκεύη τὰ κατοικίδια, φοράδην ὑπ´ ἀνθρώπων κομιζομένη· ἡ δὲ πλείστη καὶ πιοτάτη πιττουργεῖται καὶ παρέχει πασῶν ὧν ἴσμεν ἡμεῖς εὐωδεστάτην τε καὶ γλυκυτάτην τὴν καλουμένην Βρεττίαν πίτταν· ἀφ´ ἧς μεγάλας ὁ τῶν Ῥωμαίων δῆμος καθ´ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν ἐκ τῶν μισθώσεων λαμβάνει προσόδους.

[20,15] (20.5) The Bruttians, after submitting willingly to the Romans, delivered up to them one-half (p427) of their mountainous district, called Sila, which is full of timber suitable for the building of houses and ships and every other kind of construction. For much fir grows there, towering to the sky, much black poplar, much pitch pine, beech, stone pine, wide-spreading oak, ash trees enriched by the streams flowing through their midst, and every other kind of tree with densely-intertwined branches that keep the mountain in shadow throughout the whole day. 2 (6) Of this timber, that which grows nearest the sea and rivers is felled at the root and taken down in full lengths to the nearest harbours, sufficient in quantity to serve all Italy for shipbuilding and the construction of houses. That which grows inland from the sea and remote from rivers is cut up in sections for the making of oars, poles and all kinds of domestic implements and equipment, and is carried out on men's shoulders. But the largest and most resinous part of the timber is made into pitch, furnishing the most fragrant and sweetest pitch known to us, the kind called Bruttian, from the farming out of which the Roman people receive large revenues every year.