the story of mankind-第16部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



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　colonies　of　destitute　people　in　distant　parts

of　the　empire；　but　these　settlements　failed　to　attract　the　right

sort　of　people。　Before　Gaius　Gracchus　could　do　more　harm　he

too　was　murdered　and　his　followers　were　either　killed　or　exiled。

The　first　two　reformers　had　been　gentlemen。　The　two　who

came　after　were　of　a　very　different　stamp。　They　were

professional　soldiers。　One　was　called　Marius。　The　name　of　the

other　was　Sulla。　Both　enjoyed　a　large　personal　following。



Sulla　was　the　leader　of　the　landowners。　Marius；　the　victor

in　a　great　battle　at　the　foot　of　the　Alps　when　the　Teutons

and　the　Cimbri　had　been　annihilated；　was　the　popular　hero

of　the　disinherited　freemen。



Now　it　happened　in　the　year　88　B。C。　that　the　Senate　of

Rome　was　greatly　disturbed　by　rumours　that　came　from　Asia。

Mithridates；　king　of　a　country　along　the　shores　of　the　Black

Sea；　and　a　Greek　on　his　mother's　side；　had　seen　the　possibility

of　establishing　a　second　Alexandrian　Empire。　He　began　his

campaign　for　world…domination　with　the　murder　of　all　Roman

citizens　who　happened　to　be　in　Asia　Minor；　men；　women　and

children。　Such　an　act；　of　course；　meant　war。　The　Senate

equipped　an　army　to　march　against　the　King　of　Pontus　and

punish　him　for　his　crime。　But　who　was　to　be　commander…in…

chief？　‘‘Sulla；''　said　the　Senate；　‘‘because　he　is　Consul。''

‘‘Marius；''　said　the　mob；　‘‘because　he　has　been　Consul　five　times

and　because　he　is　the　champion　of　our　rights。''



Possession　is　nine　points　of　the　law。　Sulla　happened　to　be

in　actual　command　of　the　army。　He　went　west　to　defeat

Mithridates　and　Marius　fled　to　Africa。　There　he　waited

until　he　heard　that　Sulla　had　crossed　into　Asia。　He　then

returned　to　Italy；　gathered　a　motley　crew　of　malcontents；

marched　on　Rome　and　entered　the　city　with　his　professional

highwaymen；　spent　five　days　and　five　nights；　slaughtering　the

enemies　of　the　Senatorial　party；　got　himself　elected　Consul　and

promptly　died　from　the　excitement　of　the　last　fortnight。



There　followed　four　years　of　disorder。　Then　Sulla；　having

defeated　Mithridates；　announced　that　he　was　ready　to　return

to　Rome　and　settle　a　few　old　scores　of　his　own。　He　was　as

good　as　his　word。　For　weeks　his　soldiers　were　busy　executing

those　of　their　fellow　citizens　who　were　suspected　of　democratic

sympathies。　One　day　they　got　hold　of　a　young　fellow　who

had　been　often　seen　in　the　company　of　Marius。　They　were

going　to　hang　him　when　some　one　interfered。　‘‘The　boy　is　too

young；''　he　said；　and　they　let　him　go。　His　name　was　Julius

Caesar。　You　shall　meet　him　again　on　the　next　page。



As　for　Sulla；　he　became　‘‘Dictator；''　which　meant　sole　and

supreme　ruler　of　all　the　Roman　possessions。　He　ruled　Rome

for　four　years；　and　he　died　quietly　in　his　bed；　having　spent　the

last　year　of　his　life　tenderly　raising　his　cabbages；　as　was　the

custom　of　so　many　Romans　who　had　spent　a　lifetime　killing

their　fellow…men。



But　conditions　did　not　grow　better。　On　the　contrary；　they

grew　worse。　Another　general；　Gnaeus　Pompeius；　or　Pompey；

a　close　friend　of　Sulla；　went　east　to　renew　the　war　against　the

ever　troublesome　Mithridates。　He　drove　that　energetic　potentate

into　the　mountains　where　Mithridates　took　poison　and

killed　himself；　well　knowing　what　fate　awaited　him　as　a　Roman

captive。　Next　he　re…established　the　authority　of　Rome　over

Syria；　destroyed　Jerusalem；　roamed　through　western　Asia；

trying　to　revive　the　myth　of　Alexander　the　Great；　and　at　last

（in　the　year　62）　returned　to　Rome　with　a　dozen　ship…loads　of

defeated　Kings　and　Princes　and　Generals；　all　of　whom　were

forced　to　march　in　the　triumphal　procession　of　this　enormously

popular　Roman　who　presented　his　city　with　the　sum　of　forty

million　dollars　in　plunder。



It　was　necessary　that　the　government　of　Rome　be　placed

in　the　hands　of　a　strong　man。　Only　a　few　months　before；　the

town　had　almost　fallen　into　the　hands　of　a　good…for…nothing

young　aristocrat　by　the　name　of　Catiline；　who　had　gambled

away　his　money　and　hoped　to　reimburse　himself　for　his　losses　by

a　little　plundering。　Cicero；　a　public…spirited　lawyer；　had　discovered

the　plot；　had　warned　the　Senate；　and　had　forced　Catiline

to　flee。　But　there　were　other　young　men　with　similar　ambitions

and　it　was　no　time　for　idle　talk。



Pompey　organised　a　triumvirate　which　was　to　take　charge

of　affairs。　He　became　the　leader　of　this　Vigilante　Committee。

Gaius　Julius　Caesar；　who　had　made　a　reputation　for　himself

as　governor　of　Spain；　was　the　second　in　command。　The

third　was　an　indifferent　sort　of　person　by　the　name　of　Crassus。

He　had　been　elected　because　he　was　incredibly　rich；　having　been

a　successful　contractor　of　war　supplies。　He　soon　went　upon

an　expedition　against　the　Parthians　and　was　killed。



As　for　Caesar；　who　was　by　far　the　ablest　of　the　three；　he

decided　that　he　needed　a　little　more　military　glory　to　become

a　popular　hero。　He　crossed　the　Alps　and　conquered　that　part

of　the　world　which　is　now　called　France。　Then　he　hammered

a　solid　wooden　bridge　across　the　Rhine　and　invaded　the　land

of　the　wild　Teutons。　Finally　he　took　ship　and　visited　England。

Heaven　knows　where　he　might　have　ended　if　he　had　not　been

forced　to　return　to　Italy。　Pompey；　so　he　was　informed；　had

been　appointed　dictator　for　life。　This　of　course　meant　that

Caesar　was　to　be　placed　on　the　list　of　the　‘‘retired　officers；''　and

the　idea　did　not　appeal　to　him。　He　remembered　that　he　had

begun　life　as　a　follower　of　Marius。　He　decided　to　teach　the

Senators　and　their　‘‘dictator''　another　lesson。　He　crossed　the

Rubicon　River　which　separated　the　province　of　Cis…alpine　Gaul

from　Italy。　Everywhere　he　was　received　as　the　‘‘friend　of　the

people。''　Without　difficulty　Caesar　entered　Rome　and　Pompey

fled　to　Greece　Caesar　followed　him　and　defeated　his　followers

near　Pharsalus。　Pompey　sailed　across　the　Mediterranean　and

escaped　to　Egypt。　When　he　landed　he　was　murdered　by　order

of　young　king　Ptolemy。　A　few　days　later　Caesar　arrived。

He　found　himself　caught　in　a　trap。　Both　the　Egyptians　and

the　Roman　garrison　which　had　remained　faithful　to　Pompey；

attacked　his　camp。



Fortune　was　with　Caesar。　He　succeeded　in　setting　fire　to

the　Egyptian　fleet。　Incidentally　the　sparks　of　the　burning

vessels　fell　on　the　roof　of　the　famous　library　of　Alexandria

（which　was　just　off　the　water　front；）　and　destroyed　it。　Next

he　attacked　the　Egyptian　army；　drove　the　soldiers　into　the

Nile；　drowned　Ptolemy；　and　established　a　new　government

under　Cleopatra；　the　sister　of　the　late　king。　Just　then　word

reached　him　that　Pharnaces；　the　son　and　heir　of　Mithridates；

had　gone　on　the　war…path。　Caesar　marched　northward；　defeated

Pharnaces　in　a　war　which　lasted　five　days；　sent　word　of

his　victory　to　Rome　in　the　famous　sentence　‘‘veni；　vidi；　vici；''

which　is　Latin　for　‘‘I　came；　I　saw；　I　conquered；''　and　returned

to　Egypt　where　he　fell　desperately　in　love