. 



ROME 



338 



I BMf bj Ik* nmn* of the northern barbarian*. The 

 1 .1 UM capture oT UM city by Almrio wot. near the 

 ____ UM enemy eoUred. There are in thta put still 

 _* of U>. booM of Sellnat which KM desUoyed on that 

 A kard'r fate brf.ll the city in 485. when it was Uken by 

 th* VaodaK who tacked it for fourteen dajs ; but the buildings Mem 

 la km Mdbred littlt, UM precioa* metal* being tlie main object of 

 IB* cnpMity of UMM barbarian*, a well u of the followers of AUric. 

 TtModorie Md hi. immediate eoooeosors not only took the greatest 

 nn to preesrve what remained, but even exerted theawelve* to restore 

 UM public bnflding* which bad suffered or were beginning to decay. 

 Tb>>pu.tion howerer rapidly decreased during the 6th century, 

 and bwwoe impoverished, so that towards the end of the century the 

 around Home a 



to bare no longer existed, with the 



raorptioa of that which bad arucn between the northern extremity of 

 the Janicnlum and UM Vatican. Rome was thus confined to the walla 

 of Aoreban MM! their restoration by Honorius, and even within iU 

 ineeinnl* extensive districts were uninhabited. The most remarkable 

 IrtVUrr* of former days indeed still existed, but after the reign of 

 Deodata* they were entirely neglected ; and thus one after another 

 they fell into decay and rain. 



Uuioritol St*cL The history of Rome is not a fit appendage to a 



abort topographical article : no more can be done here than merely 

 Mamie a few of th<- chief datre and occurrences. Rome, founded 

 by Romnlua on the Palatine Hill, B.C. 753 or 752, was governed by 

 kion in the intern! between the yrar just mentioned and B.C. S10. The 

 wren kings were Romulus, B.C. 75S-714 ; Kama PompUiun, 715-678 ; 

 Tullns Hostilius, 673-641; Ancus Harcius, 641-616; L. Tarquinius 

 Prison*, 618-678; Serous Tullius, 678-534; Tarquinius Superbus, 

 iSI-510. Daring the regal government, the history of which rests 

 mainly on the authority of popular traditions, the foundations of the 

 moat valuable institutions of Rome were laid the senate, military 

 organisation, assemblies of the burghers (who bad the power to accept 

 or reject the laws passed by the senate), a respect for law, and a 

 system of colonisation were established. At the close of the kingly 

 period Rome was mistress of nearly all the tribes of Latiuiu and of a 

 part of the Sahine territory. In the territory of the Volsci, the first 

 two Roman colonies, Signia and Circeii, were founded, though Ostia, 

 founded by Ancus Marciun, is alra sometimes called a Roman colony. 

 On the Etruscan side of the Tiber, Rome was in possession of the 

 Juiiculum. which was probably fortified. From the first treaty of 

 Rome with Carthage, which was concluded in the first year of the 

 Republic in B.C. 609, we must conclude that the Romans had 

 already formed important mercantile connections with foreign nations. 

 (Polyb., iii. 2i) 



The abolition of the kingly power and the establishment of the 

 republic did not produce any other material change in the constitution 

 of Rome. The plebeians derived scarcely any benefit from it, but 

 the patricians extended their power, inasmuch as they appointed, in 

 the place of a king, two magistrates, originally called Praetors and 

 afterwards Consuls, who were proposed by the senate and appointed 

 in the eomitia centuriata. Patricians only were eligible to this and 

 the other great offices of the state. With the exception of the office 

 of hub-priest (pontifex maxima*), which was transferred to the rex 

 aaeruiculus, the consuls possessed all the rights and privileges as well 

 as moat of the insignia of the former kings ; but their office was only 

 annual, and upon its expiration they might be called to account for 

 their conduct. On the termination of their office, they returned 

 indeed to a private station, but as members of the senate they still 

 retained tome influence in the administration of the republic. 



The principal event after the banishment of the Tarquins was the 

 war with the Etruicans under Porsena, in which the Romans suffered 

 r*ry severely. The war with the revolted Latin cities followed (B.C. 

 6MMM), and ended with the battle of the Lake Regillus, when the 

 Romans again became masters of Latium. The contests between the 

 patricians and the plebeians, who had never been allowed to exercise 

 tb righu conferred upon them by the constitution of Servius Tullius, 

 broke out at the commencement of the Latin war, when they refused 

 to take up arm*. The struggle was afterwards embittered by disputes 

 about the pablie lands taken from the conquered people which the 

 r*trician* Leld in their exclusive poraesMon. At last B.C. 493, the 

 pMxsan*. exasperated by the oppression under which they lived, 

 eeteded from Koine, and took up a fortified and threatening position 

 on tb* MOD* Hacer. The senate in great alarm granted their demands : 

 two, or according to others, five plebeian tribunes (tribuni plcbei) 

 van errmted to protect their order, and two other plebeian magistrates 

 cmlUd vlilea. The most important conceraion however was that 

 UM nlebeian* shortly afterwards obtained, the right of sum- 

 -\ before their own cnmitia (eomitia tribute) any one who 

 I UM rights of their order, and in the year n.c. 471 the tribune 

 Pablilins Volero succeeded in procuring for the plebeian* the right to 

 elect their own magistrates without ny interference on the part of 



patrician*, to deliberate and make law* in their own eomitia 

 (pUbi-ciU), which indeed were not binding as leges, bat still must 

 bar* bad a considerable influence, being the declared will of the 

 commonalty. In B.C. 461-8 the law* of the Twelve Tables, the ba-is of 

 Roman law, were promulgated. The connubium, or right of inter- 

 marriage with the patricians, was obtained by the plebeian* in B.C. 446 



through the tribune Canuleius, who also made an attempt to divide 

 the consulship between the two estates. But the plebeians were not 

 admitted to the consulship till ac. 866, and between this time and 

 &c. 800, all the other great civil and religious offices were open to 

 them. 



During the long struggle between the patricians and the plebeians 

 the arms of Rome were kept in constant activity by the wars with 

 Fideim, which was destroyed in B.C. 426, and with the -lEquians, who 

 were defeated in n.c. 418 at the foot of Mount Algidus. The war with 

 Vrii lasted for several years, and in B.C. 396 this wealthy city was taken 

 by M. Furius Camillas. The Gauls, in B.C. 390, completely defeated a 

 Roman army on the small river Allia. They then advanced upon Rome, 

 took and burned the city, and laid siege to the Capitol, but were 

 induced, by nn inroad of the Veneti into their own territory, to return 

 home. Though the city was soon rebuilt, its weakness encouraged 

 the JEquiscnt, Volscians, and Etruscans to renew their hostilities ; but 

 they were conquered by Camillus. The Hernicans and Latins also 

 endeavoured to shake off their alliance with Rome. Tho former, after 

 a series of campaigns and reverses, were completely eubdued in B.C. 306 ; 

 while the Latins, induced by the repeated incursions of the Gauls, 

 soon renewed their alliance with Rome. 



The treaty with Carthage was renewed in B.C. 348, probably on 

 account of the Greek pirates, who about this time infested the coasts of 

 Latium. (Livy, vii. 27.) The great power which the Romans had 

 gradually acquired and shown in the various contests with their imme- 

 diate neighbours, now began to be displayed in the war against the 

 Samnites, which lasted from 313 to 341 B.C., and ended in a treaty with 

 Rome, whose power now began to raise apprehension throughout 

 Italy. The Latins were the first who showed this feeling; a war 

 with the Latins was the consequence, and a continuation of that 

 against Samnium. The Romans were successful against both, and in 

 B.C. 338 all Latium was subdued. 



In the second Samnite war, which lasted from 326 to 315 B.C., a Roman 

 army inarched into Campania, Palasopolis fell in B.C. 326 by treason, and 

 Neapolis opened its gates to the enemy. Appulia submitted to Rome 

 in B.C. 318. The Etruscans, Umbrians, and Gauls now rose successively 

 against Rome, and the Marsians, Pelignians, .Kquians, and Hernicans 

 made common cause with them. Cut the Romans subdued them all. 

 The Samnites in the meanwhile entered into an alliance with the 

 Etruscans, Umbrians, and Gauls, against Rome, and thus commenced 

 their third war, which lasted from B.c. 295 to 290, when they were com- 

 pelled by M. Curius Dentatus to make peace. All Latium, Etruria, 

 Campania, Samnium, a great part of Appulia, and several other 

 Italian nations now submitted to the overwhelming power of Rome. 



The war with Pyrrhusand the Tarentines lasted from 281 to 275 B.C., 

 and three years afterwards Tarentum surrendered to the Romans, 

 and Rhegium also soon fell into their hands. The war with Tarentuin 

 made the Romans masters of the whole of the southern peninsula ; 

 and all Italy, from the Sicilian Straits to the river Macra in the north 

 of Etruria, now recognised the supremacy of Rome in B.C. 265. Colonies, 

 chiefly Latin, that is, colonies which had inferior rights to the Roman 

 colonies, were established in various parts to ensure the submission of 

 the conquered nations, and the Italian states and towns either received 

 new constitutions or retained their old ones, modified according to 

 the circumstances under which they had submitted to Rome. Some 

 towns however, such as Capua, seem to have remained almost inde- 

 pendent states. 



The first Punic war lasted from 264 till 241 B.C. At its termination 

 Rome had gained possession of Sicily and the adjacent islands ; and 

 Sicily became the first Roman province. In B.C. 238 the Romans took 

 possession of Sardinia, and soon after Corsica was subdued. Between 

 238 and 222 B.C. the Cisalpine Gauls were subdued, Mediolanum taken, 

 and colonies planted in Cremona and Placentia. A year after this 

 event Istria was added to the Roman republic, and by B.C. 219, the 

 Romans were masters of the whole coast of Illyricum. 



The second Punic war, which was caused by the siege and capture 

 of Saguntum by Hannibal, lasted from 218 till 202 B.C. This period is 

 marked by the march of Hannibal across the Pyrenees into Gaul, his 

 passage of the Alps, and his victories on the Ticinus, the Trebia, and 

 the Lake Trasimene, the complete overthrow of the Romans at 

 Cannas (after which fortune forsook the great African leader, who 

 was henceforth held in check by Fabius Maxima* and Marcellus), the 

 destruction of Hasdrubal's army on the Metaurus in B.C. 207, the 

 invasion of Africa by Scipio, and the defeat of Hannibal at Zauia, which 

 closed the war (B.c. 202). To gain peace Carthage submitted to give up 

 her fleet; to pay 10,000 talents, to retain only her possessions in 

 Africa ; to make no war without the consent of Rome ; and to restore 

 to Masinissa all his hereditary possessions. 



Philip III., king of Macedonia, after the battle of Cannae, had 

 concluded a treaty with Hannibal. This led to the first Macedonian 

 war, which lasted from B.C. 214 till 205, and was carried on with little 

 vigour. A second war with Macedonia lasted from B.C. 200 till 197, and 

 was terminated by the battle of Cynoscephato, gained by Quiuctius 

 Flaminius, by which the power of Macedonia was broken, and Philip 

 became a vassal of Rome. Soon after followed the war witli Antiochus 

 (B.C. 192), which was carried on in Greece and in Asia; the battle of 

 Magnesia decided the victory, and the power of Syria was broken. 



Perseus, the successor of Philip III. in Macedonia, who had inherited 



