▁He ▁also ▁gives ▁us ▁some ▁dram atic ised ▁description ▁of ▁its ▁composition , ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁close ▁proxim ity ▁of ▁the ▁forest ▁trees ▁causes ▁compet itive ▁struggle ▁among ▁them ▁( inter ▁se ▁r ix antes ). ▁He ▁mentions ▁its ▁gig antic ▁o aks . ▁But ▁even ▁he — if ▁the ▁passage ▁in ▁question ▁is ▁not ▁an ▁interpol ated ▁marg inal ▁gl oss — is ▁subject ▁to ▁the ▁leg ends ▁of ▁the ▁glo omy ▁forest . ▁He ▁mentions ▁unusual ▁birds , ▁which ▁have ▁fe athers ▁that ▁" sh ine ▁like ▁fires ▁at ▁night ". ▁Med ieval ▁best i aries ▁named ▁these ▁birds ▁the ▁Er c ine e . ▁The ▁im pen et rable ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁Her c yn ian ▁Silva ▁h inder ed ▁the ▁last ▁concert ed ▁Roman ▁for ay ▁into ▁the ▁forest , ▁by ▁Dr us us , ▁during ▁ 1 2 – 9   BC : ▁Flor us ▁as ser ts ▁that ▁Dr us us ▁in vis um ▁at que ▁in access um ▁in ▁id ▁temp us ▁Her c yn ium ▁salt um ▁( H erc yn ia ▁salt us , ▁the ▁" H erc yn ian ▁rav ine - land ") ▁p ate f ec it . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁Roman ▁con quest ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁this ▁area ▁known ▁to ▁history ▁were ▁the ▁P annon ii ▁( P ann oni ans ), ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Ind o - Europe an ▁tribes ▁a kin ▁to ▁Il ly ri ans . ▁From ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁century ▁BC