HOME RULE OF ROME. 125 



tables were set out in the streets of Rome at which 

 candidates for office paid the people for their votes. 

 But at this time bribery was a capital offence at Rome. 

 It was a happy period in Roman history, the inter- 

 lude between two aristocracies. There had been a 

 time when a system of hereditary castes prevailed ; 

 when the plebeians were excluded from all share 

 in the public lands, and the higher offices of state ; 

 when they were often chained in the dungeons 

 of the nobles, and marked with scars upon their 

 backs : when Romans drew swords on Romans, and 

 the tents of the people whitened the Sacred Hill. 

 But the Licinian Laws were carried : the orders were 

 reconciled : plebeian Consuls were elected ; and two 

 centuries of prosperity, harmony and victory prepared 

 Rome for the prodigious contest in which she was now 

 engaged. 



To her subject people, Carthage acted as a tyrant. 

 She had even deprived the old Phoenician cities of 

 their liberty of trade. She would not allow them 

 to build walls for fear they should rebel, loaded them 

 with heavy burdens grievous to be borne, treated 

 the colonial provinces as conquered lands and sent 

 decayed nobles, as governors, to wring out of the 

 people all they could. If the enemies of Carthage 

 invaded Africa, they would meet with no resistance 

 except from Carthage herself; and they would be 

 joined by thousands of Berbers who longed to be 

 revenged on their oppressors. But if the enemies 

 of Rome invaded Italy they would find everywhere 

 walled cities ready to defend their liberties and 

 having liberties to defend. No tribute was taken 

 by Rome from her allies except that of military 

 service : which service was rewarded with a share of 

 the harvest that the war brought in. 



