CHAP. VII. FROM THE TIME OF AUGUSTUS. 169 



Romani census populi, quem Punica bella, 

 Quern dederat Perses, quem victi praeda Philippi, 

 Quod tibi, Roma, fuga Pyrrhus trepidante reliquit ; 

 Quod te Fabricius regi non vendidit auro ; 

 Quidquid parcorum mores servastis avorum ; 

 Quod dites Asiae populi misere tributum, 

 Victorique dedit Minoia Greta Metello ; 

 Quod Cato longinqua vexit super equora Cypro. 

 Tune Orientis opes, captorumque ultima regum, 

 Quae Pompejanis praelata est, gaza, triumphis, 

 Egeritur : tristi spoliantur templa rapina ; 

 Pauperiorque fuit tune primum Caesare Roma. 



The treasure which Caesar had thus rudely seized 

 was speedily returned to the treasury, as has 

 been already noticed in this inquiry, and with 

 very large additions. The events which followed 

 his death, though at first partaking of the nature 

 of civil war, do not appear to have diminished 

 the store ; and it was amply replenished by his 

 successor Augustus, in part by conquest, but in 

 a great degree by the systematic regularity 

 which he gradually introduced into every de- 

 partment of his extended government, but more 

 especially into the finances. 



A succession of favourable events had brought 

 to Rome the accumulated fruits of the labours 

 of mankind during a course of thousands of 

 years. There had been a constant production, 

 and but little consumption, of gold and silver. 

 Although those metals had flowed to Rome as 

 to the centre of the world, yet the arts and in- 

 dustry of the provinces had regularly received 



