© Underwood & Underwood 

 A FAMILY OF FAMINE SUFFERERS IN INDIA 



In twenty-three famines which occurred in India between 1769 and 1900 more than 25,000,- 

 000 natives perished. Some of the most terrible periods of distress have befallen the empire 

 at times when the British Government believed that it had solved the problem of famine relief. 



SHIPS AND MILITARY HIGHWAYS SAFE- 

 GUARDED ROME FROM FAMINE 



From the time of Augustus, through- 

 out the days of the empire, Rome seldom 

 suffered from famine — a striking con- 

 trast to the frequency of this affliction in 

 the days of the infant republic. The na- 

 tion's sources of supply were now so 

 numerous and her far-flung provinces so 

 fruitful that when crops failed in one 

 quarter there was sure to be a bountiful 

 harvest in some other part of the Roman 

 world. Two other factors which con- 

 tributed materially toward preventing 

 shortage in food supplies throughout the 

 empire were the excellence of the mili- 

 tary highways and the splendid fleets 

 which sailed the Mediterranean. 



In striking proof of the manner in 

 which the empire's transportation system 

 served to check the ravages of famine, 

 Pliny relates that when, during Trajan's 

 reign, Egypt experienced a low Nile 

 which threatened a great dearth, imme- 



diately corn ships were dispatched from 

 other provinces and wide-spread suffer- 

 ing was prevented. 



"This vain and proud nation," writes 

 the Roman historian, "boasted that 

 though it was conquered it nevertheless 

 fed its conquerors. But this most fruit- 

 ful province would now have been ruined 

 had it not worn Roman chains." 



Of course, there were some exceptions 

 to this general rule. There was, for ex- 

 ample, that terrible period of suffering 

 from 79 to 88 A. D., when the Roman 

 world seemed to be shaken to its physical 

 foundations. In addition to the devas- 

 tating drought and famine which swept 

 over the Italian peninsula, during which 

 10,000 citizens are said to have died in 

 one day at Rome, there followed the 

 shock of earthquakes and the cataclysmic 

 eruption of volcanoes. Herculaneum and 

 Pompeii were overwhelmed with volcanic 

 ash and lava at this time, and Syria and 

 Africa were blighted by pestilence and 

 famine. 



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