the story of mankind-第14部分

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tude　（the　‘‘plebe；''　as　the　assemblage　of　free　citizens　was　called）

only　too　well　to　waste　valuable　time　upon　mere　talk。　They

therefore　placed　the　actual　business　of　running　the　city　into

the　hands　of　two　‘‘consuls''　who　were　assisted　by　a　council　of

Elders；　called　the　Senate　（because　the　word　‘‘senex''　means　an

old　man）。　As　a　matter　of　custom　and　practical　advantage　the

senators　were　elected　from　the　nobility。　But　their　power　had

been　strictly　defined。



Rome　at　one　time　had　passed　through　the　same　sort　of

struggle　between　the　poor　and　the　rich　which　had　forced

Athens　to　adopt　the　laws　of　Draco　and　Solon。　In　Rome　this

conflict　had　occurred　in　the　fifth　century　B。　C。　As　a　result　the

freemen　had　obtained　a　written　code　of　laws　which　protected

them　against　the　despotism　of　the　aristocratic　judges　by　the

institution　of　the　‘‘Tribune。''　These　Tribunes　were　city…

magistrates；　elected　by　the　freemen。　They　had　the　right　to　protect

any　citizen　against　those　actions　of　the　government　officials

which　were　thought　to　be　unjust。　A　consul　had　the　right　to

condemn　a　man　to　death；　but　if　the　case　had　not　been　absolutely

proved　the　Tribune　could　interfere　and　save　the　poor

fellow's　life。



But　when　I　use　the　word　Rome；　I　seem　to　refer　to　a　little

city　of　a　few　thousand　inhabitants。　And　the　real　strength　of

Rome　lay　in　the　country　districts　outside　her　walls。　And　it

was　in　the　government　of　these　outlying　provinces　that　Rome

at　an　early　age　showed　her　wonderful　gift　as　a　colonising

power。



In　very　early　times　Rome　had　been　the　only　strongly　fortified

city　in　central　Italy；　but　it　had　always　offered　a　hospitable

refuge　to　other　Latin　tribes　who　happened　to　be　in　danger　of

attack。　The　Latin　neighbours　had　recognised　the　advantages

of　a　close　union　with　such　a　powerful　friend　and　they　had　tried

to　find　a　basis　for　some　sort　of　defensive　and　offensive　alliance。

Other　nations；　Egyptians；　Babylonians；　Phoenicians；

even　Greeks；　would　have　insisted　upon　a　treaty　of　submission

on　the　part　of　the　‘‘barbarians；''　The　Romans　did　nothing　of

the　sort。　They　gave　the　‘‘outsider''　a　chance　to　become　partners

in　a　common　‘‘res　publica''or　common…wealth。



‘‘You　want　to　join　us；''　they　said。　‘‘Very　well；　go　ahead

and　join。　We　shall　treat　you　as　if　you　were　full…fledged　citizens

of　Rome。　In　return　for　this　privilege　we　expect　you　to

fight　for　our　city；　the　mother　of　us　all；　whenever　it　shall　be

necessary。''



The　‘‘outsider''　appreciated　this　generosity　and　he　showed

his　gratitude　by　his　unswerving　loyalty。



Whenever　a　Greek　city　had　been　attacked；　the　foreign

residents　had　moved　out　as　quickly　as　they　could。　Why　defend

something　which　meant　nothing　to　them　but　a　temporary

boarding　house　in　which　they　were　tolerated　as　long　as　they

paid　their　bills？　But　when　the　enemy　was　before　the　gates

of　Rome；　all　the　Latins　rushed　to　her　defence。　It　was　their

Mother　who　was　in　danger。　It　was　their　true　‘‘home''　even　if

they　lived　a　hundred　miles　away　and　had　never　seen　the　walls

of　the　sacred　Hills。



No　defeat　and　no　disaster　could　change　this　sentiment。　In

the　beginning　of　the　fourth　century　B。C。　the　wild　Gauls　forced

their　way　into　Italy。　They　had　defeated　the　Roman　army　near

the　River　Allia　and　had　marched　upon　the　city。　They　had

taken　Rome　and　then　they　expected　that　the　people　would

come　and　sue　for　peace。　They　waited；　but　nothing　happened。

After　a　short　time　the　Gauls　found　themselves　surrounded　by

a　hostile　population　which　made　it　impossible　for　them　to　obtain

supplies。　After　seven　months；　hunger　forced　them　to　withdraw。

The　policy　of　Rome　to　treat　the　‘‘foreigner''　on　equal

terms　had　proved　a　great　success　and　Rome　stood　stronger　than

ever　before。



This　short　account　of　the　early　history　of　Rome　shows　you

the　enormous　difference　between　the　Roman　ideal　of　a　healthy

state；　and　that　of　the　ancient　world　which　was　embodied　in　the

town　of　Carthage。　The　Romans　counted　upon　the　cheerful

and　hearty　co…operation　between　a　number　of　‘‘equal　citizens。''

The　Carthaginians；　following　the　example　of　Egypt

and　western　Asia；　insisted　upon　the　unreasoning　（and　therefore

unwilling）　obedience　of　‘‘Subjects''　and　when　these　failed

they　hired　professional　soldiers　to　do　their　fighting　for　them。



You　will　now　understand　why　Carthage　was　bound　to　fear

such　a　clever　and　powerful　enemy　and　why　the　plutocracy　of

Carthage　was　only　too　willing　to　pick　a　quarrel　that　they　might

destroy　the　dangerous　rival　before　it　was　too　late。



But　the　Carthaginians；　being　good　business　men；　knew　that

it　never　pays　to　rush　matters。　They　proposed　to　the　Romans

that　their　respective　cities　draw　two　circles　on　the　map　and

that　each　town　claim　one　of　these　circles　as　her　own　‘‘sphere

of　influence''　and　promise　to　keep　out　of　the　other　fellow's

circle。　The　agreement　was　promptly　made　and　was　broken　just

as　promptly　when　both　sides　thought　it　wise　to　send　their

armies　to　Sicily　where　a　rich　soil　and　a　bad　government　invited

foreign　interference。



The　war　which　followed　（the　so…called　first　Punic　War）

lasted　twenty…four　years。　It　was　fought　out　on　the　high　seas

and　in　the　beginning　it　seemed　that　the　experienced　Car…

thaginian　navy　would　defeat　the　newly　created　Roman　fleet。

Following　their　ancient　tactics；　the　Carthaginian　ships　would

either　ram　the　enemy　vessels　or　by　a　bold　attack　from　the　side

they　would　break　their　oars　and　would　then　kill　the　sailors　of

the　helpless　vessel　with　their　arrows　and　with　fire　balls。　But

Roman　engineers　invented　a　new　craft　which　carried　a　boarding

bridge　across　which　the　Roman　infantrymen　stormed　the

hostile　ship。　Then　there　was　a　sudden　end　to　Carthaginian

victories。　At　the　battle　of　Mylae　their　fleet　was　badly　defeated。

Carthage　was　obliged　to　sue　for　peace；　and　Sicily　became　part

of　the　Roman　domains。



Twenty…three　years　later　new　trouble　arose。　Rome　（in

quest　of　copper）　had　taken　the　island　of　Sardinia。　Carthage

（in　quest　of　silver）　thereupon　occupied　all　of　southern　Spain。

This　made　Carthage　a　direct　neighbour　of　the　Romans。　The

latter　did　not　like　this　at　all　and　they　ordered　their　troops　to

cross　the　Pyrenees　and　watch　the　Carthaginian　army　of　occupation。



The　stage　was　set　for　the　second　outbreak　between　the　two

rivals。　Once　more　a　Greek　colony　was　the　pretext　for　a　war。

The　Carthaginians　were　besieging　Saguntum　on　the　east　coast

of　Spain。　The　Saguntians　appealed　to　Rome　and　Rome；　as

usual；　was　willing　to　help。　The　Senate　promised　the　help　of

the　Latin　armies；　but　the　preparation　for　this　expedition　took

some　time；　and　meanwhile　Saguntum　had　been　taken　and　had

been　destroyed。　This　had　been　done　in　direct　opposition　to

the　will　of　Rome。　The　Senate　decided　upon　war。　One　Roman

army　was　to　cross　the　African　sea　and　make　a　landing　on　Carthaginian

soil。　A　second　division　was　to　keep　the　Carthaginian

armies　occupied　in　Spain　to　prevent　them　from　rushing　to　the

aid　of　the　home　town。　It　was　an　excellent　plan　and　everybody

expected　a　great　victory。　But　the　Gods　had　decided

otherwise。



It　was　the　fall　of　the　year　218　before　the　birth　of　Christ

and　the　Roman　army　which　was　to　attack　the　Carthaginians　in

Spain　had　left　Italy。　People　were　eagerly　waiting　for　news　of

an　easy　and　complete　victory　when　a　terrible　rumour　began　to

spread　through　the　plain　of　the　Po。　Wild　mountaineers；　their

lips　trembling　with　fear；　told　of　hundreds　of　thousands　of

brown　men　accompanied　by　strange　beasts　‘‘each　one　as　big　as

a　house；''　who　had　suddenly　emerged　from　the　clouds　of　snow

which　surrounded　the　old　Graian　pass　through　which　Hercules；

thousands　of　years　before；　had　driven　the　oxen　of　Geryon　on

his　way　from　Spain　to　Greece。　Soon　an　endless　stream　of

bedraggled　refugees　appeared　before　the　gates　of　Rome；　with

more　complete　details。　Hannibal；　the　son　of　Hamilcar；　with

fifty　thousand　soldiers；　nine　thousand　horsemen　and　thirty…

seven　fighting　elephants；　had　crossed　the　Pyrenees。　He　had

defeated　the　Roman　army　of　Scipio　on　the　banks　of　the　Rhone

and　he　had　guided　his　army　safely　across　the　mountain　passes

of　the　Alps　although　it　was　October　and　the　roads　were　thickly

covered　with　snow　and　ice。　Then　he　had　joined　forces　with

the　Gauls　and　together　they　had　defeated　a　second　Roman

army　just　before　they　crossed　the　Trebia　and　laid　siege　to

Placentia；　the　northern　terminus　of　the　road　which　connected

Rome　with　the　province　of　the　Alpine　districts。



The　Senate；　surprised　but　calm　and　energetic　as　usual；

hushed　up　the　news　of　these　many　defeats　and　sent　two　fresh

armies　to　stop　the　invader。　Hannibal　managed　to　surprise

these　troops　on　a　narrow　road　along　the　shores　of　the　Trasimene

Lake　and　there　he　killed　all　the　Roman　officers　and　most

of　their　men。　This　time　there　was　a　panic　among　the　people

of　Rome；　but　the　Senate　kept　its　nerve。　A　third　army　was

organised　and　the　command　was　given　to　Quintus　Fabius　Maximus

with　full　power　to　act　‘‘as　was　necessary　to　save　the　state。''



Fabius　knew　that　he　must　be　very　careful　lest　all　be　lost。

His　raw　and　untrained　men；　the　last　available　soldiers；　were

no　match　for　Hannibal's　veterans。　He　refused　to　accept　battle

but　forever　he　followed　Hannibal；　destroyed　everything　eatable；

destroyed　the　roads；　attacked　small　detachments　and　generally

weakened　the　morale　of　the　Carthaginian　troops　by　a

most　distressing　and　annoying　form　of　guerilla　warfare。



Such　methods　however　did　not　satisfy　the　fearsome　crowds

who　had　found　safety　behind　the　walls　of　Rome。　They　wanted

‘‘action。''　Something　must　be　done　and　must　be　done　quickly。

A　popular　hero　by　the　name　of　Varro；　the　sort　of　man　who

went　about　the　city　telling　everybody　how　much　better　he　could

do　things　than　slow　old　Fabius；　the　‘‘Delayer；''　was　made

commander…in…chief　by　popular　acclamation。　At　the　battle　of

Cannae　（216）　he　suffered　the　most　terrible　defeat　of　Roman

history。　More　than　seventy　th