the story of mankind-第17节

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all　the　land　from　the　Gates　of　Hercules　to　Mount　Taurus。''



Rome　produced　famous　generals　and　equally　distinguished

statesmen　and　cut…throats；　and　Roman　armies　fought　all　over

the　world。　But　the　Roman　empire…making　was　done　without

a　preconceived　plan。　The　average　Roman　was　a　very　matter…

of…fact　citizen。　He　disliked　theories　about　government。　When

someone　began　to　recite　‘‘eastward　the　course　of　Roman　Empire；

etc。；　etc。；''　he　hastily　left　the　forum。　He　just　continued

to　take　more　and　more　land　because　circumstances　forced　him

to　do　so。　He　was　not　driven　by　ambition　or　by　greed。　Both

by　nature　and　inclination　he　was　a　farmer　and　wanted　to　stay

at　home。　But　when　he　was　attacked　he　was　obliged　to　defend

himself　and　when　the　enemy　happened　to　cross　the　sea　to　ask

for　aid　in　a　distant　country　then　the　patient　Roman　marched

many　dreary　miles　to　defeat　this　dangerous　foe　and　when　this

had　been　accomplished；　he　stayed　behind　to　adminster｛sic｝　his

newly　conquered　provinces　lest　they　fall　into　the　hands　of

wandering　Barbarians　and　become　themselves　a　menace　to

Roman　safety。　It　sounds　rather　complicated　and　yet　to　the

contemporaries　it　was　so　very　simple；　as　you　shall　see　in　a　moment。



In　the　year　203　B。C。　Scipio　had　crossed　the　African　Sea

and　had　carried　the　war　into　Africa。　Carthage　had　called　Hannibal

back。　Badly　supported　by　his　mercenaries；　Hannibal

had　been　defeated　near　Zama。　The　Romans　had　asked　for　his

surrender　and　Hannibal　had　fled　to　get　aid　from　the　kings　of

Macedonia　and　Syria；　as　I　told　you　in　my　last　chapter。



The　rulers　of　these　two　countries　（remnants　of　the　Empire

of　Alexander　the　Great）　just　then　were　contemplating　an

expedition　against　Egypt。　They　hoped　to　divide　the　rich　Nile

valley　between　themselves。　The　king　of　Egypt　had　heard　of

this　and　he　had　asked　Rome　to　come　to　his　support。　The　stage

was　set　for　a　number　of　highly　interesting　plots　and　counter…

plots。　But　the　Romans；　with　their　lack　of　imagination；　rang

the　curtain　down　before　the　play　had　been　fairly　started。

Their　legions　completely　defeated　the　heavy　Greek　phalanx

which　was　still　used　by　the　Macedonians　as　their　battle　formation。

That　happened　in　the　year　197　B。C。　at　the　battle　in　the

plains　of　Cynoscephalae；　or　‘‘Dogs'　Heads；''　in　central　Thessaly。



The　Romans　then　marched　southward　to　Attica　and　informed

the　Greeks　that　they　had　come　to　‘‘deliver　the　Hellenes

from　the　Macedonian　yoke。''　The　Greeks；　having　learned

nothing　in　their　years　of　semi…slavery；　used　their　new　freedom

in　a　most　unfortunate　way。　All　the　little　city…states　once　more

began　to　quarrel　with　each　other　as　they　had　done　in　the　good

old　days。　The　Romans；　who　had　little　understanding　and　less

love　for　these　silly　bickerings　of　a　race　which　they　rather　despised；

showed　great　forebearance。　But　tiring　of　these　endless

dissensions　they　lost　patience；　invaded　Greece；　burned　down

Corinth　（to　‘‘encourage　the　other　Greeks''）　and　sent　a　Roman

governor　to　Athens　to　rule　this　turbulent　province。　In　this

way；　Macedonia　and　Greece　became　buffer　states　which　protected

Rome's　eastern　frontier。



Meanwhile　right　across　the　Hellespont　lay　the　Kingdom　of

Syria；　and　Antiochus　III；　who　ruled　that　vast　land；　had　shown

great　eagerness　when　his　distinguished　guest；　General　Han…

nibal；　explained　to　him　how　easy　it　would　be　to　invade　Italy

and　sack　the　city　of　Rome。



Lucius　Scipio；　a　brother　of　Scipio　the　African　fighter　who

had　defeated　Hannibal　and　his　Carthaginians　at　Zama；　was

sent　to　Asia　Minor。　He　destroyed　the　armies　of　the　Syrian

king　near　Magnesia　（in　the　year　190　B。C。）　Shortly　afterwards；

Antiochus　was　lynched　by　his　own　people。　Asia　Minor

became　a　Roman　protectorate　and　the　small　City…Republic　of

Rome　was　mistress　of　most　of　the　lands　which　bordered　upon

the　Mediterranean。







THE　ROMAN　EMPIRE



HOW　THE　REPUBLIC　OF　ROME　AFTER　CENTURIES

OF　UNREST　AND　REVOLUTION　BECAME

AN　EMPIRE





WHEN　the　Roman　armies　returned　from　these　many　victorious

campaigns；　they　were　received　with　great　jubilation。

Alas　and　alack！　this　sudden　glory　did　not　make　the　country　any

happier。　On　the　contrary。　The　endless　campaigns　had　ruined

the　farmers　who　had　been　obliged　to　do　the　hard　work　of　Empire

making。　It　had　placed　too　much　power　in　the　hands　of　the

successful　generals　（and　their　private　friends）　who　had　used

the　war　as　an　excuse　for　wholesale　robbery。



The　old　Roman　Republic　had　been　proud　of　the　simplicity

which　had　characterised　the　lives　of　her　famous　men。　The

new　Republic　felt　ashamed　of　the　shabby　coats　and　the　high

principles　which　had　been　fashionable　in　the　days　of　its　grandfathers。

It　became　a　land　of　rich　people　ruled　by　rich　people

for　the　benefit　of　rich　people。　As　such　it　was　doomed　to

disastrous　failure；　as　I　shall　now　tell　you。



Within　less　than　a　century　and　a　half。　Rome　had　become

the　mistress　of　practically　all　the　land　around　the　Mediterranean。

In　those　early　days　of　history　a　prisoner　of　war　lost

his　freedom　and　became　a　slave。　The　Roman　regarded　war　as

a　very　serious　business　and　he　showed　no　mercy　to　a　conquered

foe。　After　the　fall　of　Carthage；　the　Carthaginian　women　and

children　were　sold　into　bondage　together　with　their　own　slaves。

And　a　like　fate　awaited　the　obstinate　inhabitants　of　Greece　and

Macedonia　and　Spain　and　Syria　when　they　dared　to　revolt

against　the　Roman　power。



Two　thousand　years　ago　a　slave　was　merely　a　piece　of

machinery。　Nowadays　a　rich　man　invests　his　money　in　factories。

The　rich　people　of　Rome　（senators；　generals　and　war…

profiteers）　invested　theirs　in　land　and　in　slaves。　The　land

they　bought　or　took　in　the　newly…acquired　provinces。　The

slaves　they　bought　in　open　market　wherever　they　happened　to

be　cheapest。　During　most　of　the　third　and　second　centuries

before　Christ　there　was　a　plentiful　supply；　and　as　a　result　the

landowners　worked　their　slaves　until　they　dropped　dead　in　their

tracks；　when　they　bought　new　ones　at　the　nearest　bargain…counter

of　Corinthian　or　Carthaginian　captives。



And　now　behold　the　fate　of　the　freeborn　farmer！



He　had　done　his　duty　toward　Rome　and　he　had　fought　her

battles　without　complaint。　But　when　he　came　home　after　ten；

fifteen　or　twenty　years；　his　lands　were　covered　with　weeds　and

his　family　had　been　ruined。　But　he　was　a　strong　man　and

willing　to　begin　life　anew。　He　sowed　and　planted　and　waited

for　the　harvest。　He　carried　his　grain　to　the　market　together

with　his　cattle　and　his　poultry；　to　find　that　the　large　landowners

who　worked　their　estates　with　slaves　could　underbid　him　all

along　the　line。　For　a　couple　of　years　he　tried　to　hold　his　own。

Then　he　gave　up　in　despair。　He　left　the　country　and　he　went

to　the　nearest　city。　In　the　city　he　was　as　hungry　as　he　had　been

before　on　the　land。　But　he　shared　his　misery　with　thousands

of　other　disinherited　beings。　They　crouched　together　in　filthy

hovels　in　the　suburbs　of　the　large　cities。　They　were　apt

to　get　sick　and　die　from　terrible　epidemics。　They　were　all

profoundly　discontented。　They　had　fought　for　their　country　and

this　was　their　reward。　They　were　always　willing　to　listen　to

those　plausible　spell…binders　who　gather　around　a　public

grievance　like　so　many　hungry　vultures；　and　soon　they　became　a

grave　menace　to　the　safety　of　the　state。



But　the　class　of　the　newly…rich　shrugged　its　shoulders。

‘‘We　have　our　army　and　our　policemen；''　they　argued；　‘‘they

will　keep　the　mob　in　order。''　And　they　hid　themselves　behind

the　high　walls　of　their　pleasant　villas　and　cultivated　their

gardens　and　read　the　poems　of　a　certain　Homer　which　a　Greek

slave　had　just　translated　into　very　pleasing　Latin　hexameters。



In　a　few　families　however　the　old　tradition　of　unselfish

service　to　the　Commonwealth　continued。　Cornelia；　the　daughter

of　Scipio　Africanus；　had　been　married　to　a　Roman　by　the

name　of　Gracchus。　She　had　two　sons；　Tiberius　and　Gaius。

When　the　boys　grew　up　they　entered　politics　and　tried　to　bring

about　certain　much…needed　reforms。　A　census　had　shown

that　most　of　the　land　of　the　Italian　peninsula　was　owned　by

two　thousand　noble　families。　Tiberius　Gracchus；　having　been

elected　a　Tribune；　tried　to　help　the　freemen。　He　revived　two

ancient　laws　which　restricted　the　number　of　acres　which　a　single

owner　might　possess。　In　this　way　he　hoped　to　revive　the

valuable　old　class　of　small　and　independent　freeholders。　The

newly…rich　called　him　a　robber　and　an　enemy　of　the　state。

There　were　street　riots。　A　party　of　thugs　was　hired　to　kill　the

popular　Tribune。　Tiberius　Gracchus　was　attacked　when　he

entered　the　assembly　and　was　beaten　to　death。　Ten　years　later

his　brother　Gaius　tried　the　experiment　of　reforming　a　nation

against　the　expressed　wishes　of　a　strong　privileged　class。　He

passed　a　‘‘poor　law''　which　was　meant　to　help　the　destitute

farmers。　Eventually　it　made　the　greater　part　of　the　Roman

citizens　into　professional　beggars。



He　established　coloni