the greatness of cities-第1节

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The　Greatness　of　Cities

by　Giovanni　Botero




A　Treatise　Concerning　The　Causes　of　the　Magnificency　and　Greatness　of　Cities

Divided　into　three　books　by　Sig。　Giovanni　Botero　in　the　Italian　Tongue；　now　done　into　English　by　Robert　Peterson　1606

Book　One

　1。　What　a　city　is；　and　what　the　greatness　of　a　city　is　said　to　be

　　　　A　city　is　said　to　be　an　assembly　of　people；　a　congregation　drawn　together　to　the　end　they　may　thereby　the　better　live　at　their　ease　in　wealth　and　plenty。　And　the　greatness　of　a　city　is　said　to　be；　not　the　largeness　of　the　site　or　the　circuit　of　the　walls；　but　the　multitude　and　number　of　the　inhabitants　and　their　power。　Now　men　are　drawn　together　upon　sundry　causes　and　occasions　thereunto　them　moving：　some　by　authority；　some　by　force；　some　by　pleasure；　and　some　by　profit　that　proceedeth　of　it。

　2。　Of　authority

　　　　Cain　was　the　first　author　of　cities；　but　the　poets　（whom　Cicero　therein　followed）　fable　that　in　the　old　world　men　scattered　here　and　there；　on　the　mountains　and　the　plains；　led　a　life　little　different　from　brute　beasts；　without　laws；　without　conformity　of　customs　and　matter　of　civil　conversation。　And　that　afterward　there　rose　up　some　who；　having　with　their　wisdom　and　their　eloquence　won　a　special　reputation　and　authority　above　the　rest；　declared　to　the　rude　and　barbarous　multitude　how　much　and　how　great　profit　they　were　like　to　enjoy　if；　drawing　themselves　to　one　place；　they　would　unite　themselves　into　one　body；　by　an　interchangeable　communication　and　commerce　of　all　things　that　would　proceed　thereof。　And　by　this　means　they　first　founded　hamlets　and　villages；　and　after　towns　and　cities；　and　thereupon　these　poets　further　feigned　that　Orpheus　and　Amphion　drew　after　them　the　beasts　of　the　fields；　the　woods　and　stones：　meaning　under　these　fictions　to　signify　and　show　the　grossness　of　the　wits　and　the　roughness　of　the　matters　of　the　same　people。　But　besides　these　fables；　we　read　of　Theseus　that　after　he　had　taken　upon　him　the　government　of　the　Athenians；　it　came　into　his　mind　to　unite　into　one　city　all　the　people　that　dwelt　in　the　country　there　about；　dispersedly　in　many　villages　abroad；　which　he　easily　effected；　by　manifesting　unto　them　the　great　commodity　and　good　that　would　ensue　of　it。　　　　　The　like　thing　is　daily　at　this　time　put　into　practice　in　Brazil。　Those　people　dwell　dispersed　here　and　there　in　caves　and　cottages　（not　to　call　them　houses）　made　of　boughs　and　leaves　of　the　palm。　And　forasmuch　as　this　matter　of　life；　to　live　so　dispersedly；　causeth　these　people　to　remain　in　that　same　savage　mind　of　theirs；　and　roughness　of　matter　and　behaviour；　and　bringeth　therewith　much　difficulty　and　hindrance　to　the　preaching　of　the　Gospel；　to　the　conversion　of　the　infidels　and　the　instruction　of　those　that　travail　painfully；　to　convert　them　and　to　bring　them　to　knowledge　and　civility；　the　Portuguese　and　Jesuits　have　used　extreme　diligence　and　care　to　reduce　and　draw　them　into　some　certain　place　together　more　convenient　for　their　purpose；　where　living　in　a　civil　conversation　they　might　more　easily　be　instructed　in　the　Christian　faith　and　governed　by　the　magistrate　and　ministers　of　the　King。　So　that　to　this　purpose　I　might　here　remember　those　cities　that　have　been　built　by　the　power　and　inhabited　by　the　authority　of　great　princes　or　some　famous　commonweals。　For　the　Greeks　and　Phoenicians　were　the　authors　of　an　infinite　sight　of　cities。　And　Alexander　the　Great　and　other　kings　erected　a　number　more　besides；　whereof　bear　witness　Alexandria；　Ptolemais；　Antioch；　Lysimachia；　Philippopolis；　Demetrias；　Caesarea；　Augusta；　Sebastia；　Agrippina；　Manfredonia；　and　in　our　time　Cosmopolis；　and　the　City　of　the　Sun。　　　　　But　none　deserveth　more　praise　in　this　kind　（after　Alexander　the　Great；　who　built　more　than　three　score　and　ten　cities）　than　King　Seleucus；　who　besides　many　others　built　three　cities　called　Apamea；　to　the　honour　of　his　wife；　and　five　called　Laodicea；　in　memory　of　his　mother；　and　to　the　honour　of　himself　five　called　Seleucia：　and　in　all　more　than　thirty　magnificent　and　goodly　cities。

　3。　Of　force

　　　　Through　force　and　inevitable　necessity　people　are　gathered　otherwhile　together　into　one　place；　whenas　some　imminent　peril；　especially　of　wars　or　ruin　and　unrecoverable　waste　and　devastation；　enforceth　them　to　fly　unto　it；　to　put　in　safety　their　lives　or　their　goods：　and　such　safety　is　most　found　in　mountains　and　craggy　places；　or　small　and　little　islands　or　such　other　like；　that　are　not　easily　to　be　approached　or　come　unto。　　　　　After　the　general　deluge　of　the　world　in　the　time　of　Noah；　while　men　feared　there　might　afresh　happen　such　another　ruin　again　upon　them；　they　sought　to　secure　themselves；　some　by　building　their　habitations　upon　the　tops　of　high　hills；　and　some　by　advancing　huge　towers　of　incredible　height　and　greatness；　even　up　to　the　heavens。　And　without　doubt；　for　this　respect；　the　cities　seated　upon　the　mountains　are　for　antiquity　the　most　noble；　and　the　towers　are　of　the　most　ancient　form　and　kind　of　buildings　that　ever　were　used　in　this　world。　But　after　the　fear　of　a　new　deluge　was　past　and　gone　men　began　to　draw　themselves　down；　and　to　erect　their　habitations　in　the　plains　until　the　terror　of　armies；　and　the　swarm　and　fear　of　fierce　and　cruel　people；　enforced　them　afresh　to　save　themselves；　on　the　steepness　of　the　hills；　or　in　the　islands　of　the　seas；　or　in　the　marshes　and　bogs；　or　other　suchlike　places。　　　　　When　the　Moors　subdued　Spain　and　brought　it　into　miserable　servitude　and　bondage；　such　as　escaped　with　their　lives　out　of　the　lamentable　slaughter　that　was　made　of　them；　some　retired　themselves　up　to　the　highest　mountains　of　Biscay　and　of　Aragon；　and　some；　betaking　them　to　their　shipping；　saved　themselves　in　the　Island　of　the　Seven　Cities；　so　called　because　seven　bishops　seated　themselves　therein　with　their　people。　　　　　The　cruel　ruin　that　Tamberlane　carried　with　him　wheresoever　he　came　made　the　people　of　Persia　and　the　countries　bordering　thereupon　to　abandon　and　forsake　their　ancient　native　countries　（like　birds　that　are　scattered）　and　to　save　their　lives　by　flight：　some　upon　Mount　Taurus；　some　upon　the　Anti　Taurus；　and　some　fled　into　the　little　islands　of　the　Caspian　Sea。　And　as　the　people　of　Istria；　at　the　coming　of　the　Slavs；　retired　to　the　island　Capraria；　and　there　built　Justinopolis；　so　the　people　of　Gallia　Transpadana　at　the　entry　of　the　Lombards　into　Italy　saved　themselves　within　the　marshes；　where　they　built　the　town　of　Crema。　　　　　But　forasmuch　as　to　the　natural　strength　of　those　places；　neither　great　convenience　either　of　territory　or　traffic；　or　good　means　to　draw　trade　or　intercourse；　lent　（for　the　most　part）　any　help　unto　them：　there　was　never　seen　city　there　of　any　great　fame　or　memory。　But　if　the　places　whereto　men　are　driven　of　necessity　to　fly　have　in　them　besides　their　safety　any　commodity　of　importance；　it　will　be　an　easy　thing　for　them　to　increase；　both　with　people；　and　with　riches；　and　with　buildings。　　　　　In　this　matter　the　cities　of　Levant　and　Barbary　became　great　through　the　multitude　of　Jews　that　Ferdinand　the　King　of　Spain　and　Emmanuel　the　King　of　Portugal　cast　out　of　their　kingdoms；　as　in　particular　Salonica　and　Rhodes。　And　in　these　days　in　England　many　cities　have　much　increased　within　few　years；　both　in　people　and　in　trade；　through　the　resort　of　the　Low　Country　people　to　it：　and　especially　London；　whereunto　many　thousands　of　families　have　resorted　themselves。　　　　　About　the　year　of　Our　Lord　900；　while　the　Saracens　did　put　to　fire　and　sword　Genoa　and　its　territory　and　all　the　country　there　about；　Pisa　did　mightily　increase：　for　to　the　strength　of　the　place　the　country　yielded　also　plenty　of　all　good　things；　and　commodity　of　traffic。　　　　　At　the　coming　of　Attila　into　Italy　the　people　of　Lombardy；　being　wonderfully　afraid　through　the　horrible　waste　and　ruin　he　brought　with　him；　fled　to　save　themselves　into　the　islands　of　the　Adriatic　Sea；　and　there　built　many　towns　and　cities。　And　after　that；　in　the　wars　that　Pepin　raised　against　them；　forsaking　the　places　that　were　not　secure　and　safe　enough；　as　Equilio；　Eraclea；　Palestina　and　Malamocco；　they　drew　themselves　near　to　Rialto；　into　one　body；　and　so　by　that　means　grew　Venice　magnificent　and　great。

　4。　How　the　Romans　increased　the　city　of　Rome　by　wasting　their　neighbours'　towns

　　　　The　Romans；　to　make　their　own　country　in　any　sort　great　and　famous；　furnished　themselves　very　carefully　ever　with　strength　and　power。　For　to　make　their　neighbour　people　of　necessity　glad　and　willing　to　draw　themselves　to　Rome　and　there　to　dwell；　they　overthrew　their　towns　even　down　to　the　ground。　So　did　Tullus　Hostilius　cast　Alba　down　to　the　earth；　a　most　strong　city；　Tarquinius　Priscus　laid　also　plain　Cornicolo；　a　city　abounding　in　mighty　wealth。　Servius　Tullius　made　Pometia　desert；　and　in　the　time　of　liberty　they　utterly　destroyed　Veii；　a　city　of　such　strength　and　power　that　with　much　ado；　after　a　siege　of　ten　years；　it　was　by　cunning　more　than　strength　vanquished　and　overthrown。　　　　　Now　these　people；　and　such　other；　having　no　dwelling　place　to　draw　themselves　unto　nor　to　live　secure　and　safe；　they　were　enforced　to　change　their　countries　with　Rome；　which　by　this　means　waxed　great；　both　in　people　and　riches。

　5。　That　some　hav