the story of mankind-第15部分

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

history。　More　than　seventy　thousand　men　were　killed。　Hannibal

was　master　of　all　Italy。



He　marched　from　one　end　of　the　peninsula　to　the　other；

proclaiming　himself　the　‘‘deliverer　from　the　yoke　of　Rome''

and　asking　the　different　provinces　to　join　him　in　warfare　upon

the　mother　city。　Then　once　more　the　wisdom　of　Rome　bore

noble　fruit。　With　the　exceptions　of　Capua　and　Syracuse；　all

Roman　cities　remained　loyal。　Hannibal；　the　deliverer；

found　himself　opposed　by　the　people　whose　friend　he　pretended

to　be。　He　was　far　away　from　home　and　did　not　like

the　situation。　He　sent　messengers　to　Carthage　to　ask　for　fresh

supplies　and　new　men。　Alas；　Carthage　could　not　send　him

either。



The　Romans　with　their　boarding…bridges；　were　the　masters

of　the　sea。　Hannibal　must　help　himself　as　best　he　could。

He　continued　to　defeat　the　Roman　armies　that　were　sent　out

against　him；　but　his　own　numbers　were　decreasing　rapidly　and

the　Italian　peasants　held　aloof　from　this　self…appointed

‘‘deliverer。''



After　many　years　of　uninterrupted　victories；　Hannibal

found　himself　besieged　in　the　country　which　he　had　just

conquered。　For　a　moment；　the　luck　seemed　to　turn。　Hasdrubal；

his　brother；　had　defeated　the　Roman　armies　in　Spain。　He　had

crossed　the　Alps　to　come　to　Hannibal's　assistance。　He　sent

messengers　to　the　south　to　tell　of　his　arrival　and　ask　the　other

army　to　meet　him　in　the　plain　of　the　Tiber。　Unfortunately　the

messengers　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　Romans　and　Hannibal

waited　in　vain　for　further　news　until　his　brother's　head；　neatly

packed　in　a　basket；　came　rolling　into　his　camp　and　told　him

of　the　fate　of　the　last　of　the　Carthaginian　troops。



With　Hasdrubal　out　of　the　way；　young　Publius　Scipio

easily　reconquered　Spain　and　four　years　later　the　Romans

were　ready　for　a　final　attack　upon　Carthage。　Hannibal　was

called　back。　He　crossed　the　African　Sea　and　tried　to　organise

the　defences　of　his　home…city。　In　the　year　202　at　the　battle

of　Zama；　the　Carthaginians　were　defeated。　Hannibal　fled　to

Tyre。　From　there　he　went　to　Asia　Minor　to　stir　up　the　Syrians

and　the　Macedonians　against　Rome。　He　accomplished　very

little　but　his　activities　among　these　Asiatic　powers　gave　the

Romans　an　excuse　to　carry　their　warfare　into　the　territory　of

the　east　and　annex　the　greater　part　of　the　AEgean　world。



Driven　from　one　city　to　another；　a　fugitive　without　a　home；

Hannibal　at　last　knew　that　the　end　of　his　ambitious　dream　had

come。　His　beloved　city　of　Carthage　had　been　ruined　by　the

war。　She　had　been　forced　to　sign　a　terrible　peace。　Her　navy

had　been　sunk。　She　had　been　forbidden　to　make　war　without

Roman　permission。　She　had　been　condemned　to　pay　the　Romans

millions　of　dollars　for　endless　years　to　come。　Life　offered

no　hope　of　a　better　future。　In　the　year　190　B。C。　Hannibal　took

poison　and　killed　himself。



Forty　years　later；　the　Romans　forced　their　last　war　upon

Carthage。　Three　long　years　the　inhabitants　of　the　old　Phoenician

colony　held　out　against　the　power　of　the　new　republic。

Hunger　forced　them　to　surrender。　The　few　men　and　women

who　had　survived　the　siege　were　sold　as　slaves。　The　city　was

set　on　fire。　For　two　whole　weeks　the　store…houses　and　the　pal…

aces　and　the　great　arsenal　burned。　Then　a　terrible　curse　was

pronounced　upon　the　blackened　ruins　and　the　Roman　legions

returned　to　Italy　to　enjoy　their　victory。



For　the　next　thousand　years；　the　Mediterranean　remained

a　European　sea。　But　as　soon　as　the　Roman　Empire　had　been

destroyed；　Asia　made　another　attempt　to　dominate　this　great

inland　sea；　as　you　will　learn　when　I　tell　you　about　Mohammed。







THE　RISE　OF　ROME



HOW　ROME　HAPPENED





THE　Roman　Empire　was　an　accident。　No　one　planned　it。

It　‘‘happened。''　No　famous　general　or　statesman　or　cut…

throat　ever　got　up　and　said　‘‘Friends；　Romans；　Citizens；　we

must　found　an　Empire。　Follow　me　and　together　we　shall　conquer

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　ne