A. D. 452. 219 



miferable remains of the Veneti, the noble and the plebeian reduced to 

 the common level of poverty, conftrufted fome poor huts, and fupport- 

 ed themfelves by fifhing, and by making fait, the lirft article of their 

 trade, which they carried in their boats to the neighbouring coafts, and 

 even into the interior regions, by means of the rivers ; and they receiv- 

 ed in exchange corn and other neceflaries ; for their own iflands afford- 

 ed them nothing at all but room for their huts. Such was the humble 

 and diflrefsful origin of the illuftrious commercial city of Venice. 



455 — Carthage, after being rebuilt by the Romans, was confidered 

 as the firft city of Africa *. But in every refpe6l it was far inferior to 

 its antient condition ; and in a commercial view the Roman Carthage 

 fcarcely deferved to be called the fhadow of the Phoenician Carthage, 

 Of its manufadures we know no more than that one of the gyn^tcia, or 

 factories wherein women were employed, had been eftabliihed in it 

 [Notitia imperii, § 42] ; and that its trade confifted in colleding the corn 

 from the induftrious farmers of Africa, and tranfporting it for the fup- 

 port of their idle Roman mafters. Genferic, the king of the Vandals, 

 was now mafter of Africa and Carthage ; and a numerous and power- 

 ful fleet was once more cbnduded out of its harbour to flrike terror 

 into Rome. Whatever the citizens of Rome had acquired during a re- 

 pofe of forty-five years, whatever the piety, the mercy, or the hafte, of 

 Alaric had fpared, was deliberately collefted in a fearch of fourteen days 

 by the Vandals, and, together with many thoufands of the wretched 

 Romans, was conveyed onboard the fleet, and landed in Carthage, the 

 fl:reets of which exhibited on this occafion the fpoils of the heathen and 

 Chrifl:ian temples of Rome, and thole of the temple of Jerufalem, which 

 had been carried off by Titus Vefpafian. Thus did Genferic in a fmall 

 meafure revenge the deflrudion of Carthage upon Rome. 



468 — Leo, the emperor of the Eafl:, fitted out a fleet of eleven hun- 

 dred and thirteen fliips f , carrying above one hundred thoufand men. 

 The expenfe of the expedition, which was no lefs than one hundred and 

 thirty thoufand pounds of gold, (above five millions fterling) exhaufled 

 the revenue, and ruined many of the cities. It was an effort difpropor- 

 tioned to the weak ftate of the empire, not yet recovered from the heavy 

 expenfe of the ufelefs fleet of Theodofius ; and it ended in ruin and dif- 

 grace. Genferic became the fovereign of the Mediterranean fea, and 

 as the poffeflion of the iflands mufl ever follow the dominion of the fea, 

 Sicily, Sardinia, &c. were added to the African dominions of Genferic, 

 and the weftern Roman empire was almofl flirunk to Italy. 



472 — Rome was taken and lacked by the Gothic chief Ricomer, the 

 mighty maker and deftroyer of many emperors of the Weft ; and in a 



* In ihofe days the name of Africa did not extend to Egypt. 



t This number, which is furely not too fmall, is enlarged by fome writers to a hundred thoufand 

 fliips. • 



E e 2 



