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A HISTORY OF ROME FOR BEGINNERS

FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE CITY TO

THE DEATH OF AUGUSTUS

BY

EVELYN SHIRLEY SHUCKBURGH, M.A.

LATE FELLOW OF EMMANUEL COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE

AUTHOR OF A TRANSLATION OF POLYBUS; A HISTORY OF ROME, ETC.

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS, MAPS, AND CHRONOLOGICAL TABLES

London

MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED

NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

PREFACE

THIS book is not a mere abbreviation of my larger history. It has been written for the most part entirely afresh, and is intended to put the main events of Roman history, both in regard to political development and imperial extension, as simply and briefly as seemed possible. Military events, as such, are given with a minimum of detail, and the effects of campaigns have been dwelt upon rather than their nature and circumstances. Whether I have succeeded in hitting the mean between a Primer and an advanced History I must leave to the judgment of my readers: but that has been my aim. The book, such as it is, owes a great deal to the kind criticisms and suggestions of my friend and former colleague at Eton, Mr. C. H. EVERARD, formerly Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, whose patience in reading the proofs I am glad to acknowledge with gratitude.

A HISTORY OF ROME TO THE

BATTLE

OF ACTIUM

By E. S. SHUCKBURGH, M.A.

PRESS OPINIONS

Times-"In his eight hundred pages, well-arranged with a running analysis and a good index, and with a list of authorities given at the end of every chapter, Mr. Shuckburgh has accumulated an enormous mass of facts, and has stated them clearly, without parti pris, and, so far as we can judge from a very cursory inspection, accurately in the main. We cannot doubt that so careful a volume as this is destined for a long time to come to be the accepted general history of Rome in the higher forms of schools."

...

Athenæum "The style of the book is vigorous and interesting. The story seldom flags. We must praise Mr. Shuckburgh for his careful dealing with geography, shown in many conscientious attempts to identify towns or battle-sites by the aid of the latest researches of foreign students. We must give him especial credit for the way in which he brings out the tactical and strategical meaning of many battles, which, when read in many histories, merely produce the effect of confused noise and garments rolled in blood.' We have already praised the vigour and spirit of his warlik narrative."

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Saturday Review-"As a book for boys-the best boys in a good school-this History of Rome is admirable in the thoroughness and thoughtfulness with which it expounds the conquering mission of the Senate and people of Rome. The other, and hardly a less merit, is the lucidness and attractiveness of the style."

Daily News-Mr. Shuckburgh belongs to the modern school of writers who see something in history besides battles and sieges, and court ceremonial and intrigue. The social progress of the Romans, their arts and letters, come in for a share of attention in the course of Mr. Shuckburgh's clear and skilfully condensed narrative. The references to the source of Roman history in the ancient writers at the end of the chapters should prove particularly serviceable to those for whom more particularly the work is intended.'

Daily Chronicle--"He brings to his arduous task an adequate equipment of classical knowledge, comparative study, and facility in narrative composition. The marginal headings are exceedingly useful; the sketch-maps and plans are practically indispensable; and the lists of provinces and colonies, and the figures of the census at successive dates, placed at the head of various chapters, are important artificial helps to the clear and full grasping of the expansion of the Roman power."

Manchester Guardian-"It supplies us with a full, accurate, vigorous, and, on the whole, carefully-balanced narrative of the history of Rome down to the point where Mr. Bury takes it up. Rome's conquest of the Mediterranean world forms its main thread, but the transformation of her constitution and society are allotted proportionate space, down to the time of the Gracchi, in separate chapters. Notes on special points, and references to authorities, are given with discretion, and two special features which deserve commendation have been introduced into the book,-lists of colonies and provinces, with the dates of their foundation and the acquisition, and numbers of the census printed at the head of the chapters, and a very full marginal analysis in italics. A good index is provided, and there are twenty-four maps and plans in the text,"

...

THE HISTORY

OF THE

ROMAN REPUBLIC

ABRIDGED FROM THE HISTORY BY

PROFESSOR MOMMSEN

BY

C. BRYANS

ASSISTANT-MASTER IN DULWICH COLLEGE

AND

F. J. R. HENDY

ASSISTANT-MASTER IN FETTES COLLEGE

London

MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED

NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

All rights reserved

PREFACE

PROBABLY few whose duty it is to teach Roman history in schools will deny that some such work as the present has too long been needed. It is for men thus engaged to judge whether this book meets their need. It would be alike impertinent and superfluous to dilate on the merits of Professor Mommsen's history: those merits have won recognition from all qualified judges, and have long established his position as the

prince of Roman historians. Unfortunately the size of his history is beyond the compass of ordinary schoolboys; nay, possibly, others besides schoolboys have shrunk from attempting so formidable a task. Our abridgment of his history must of necessity give but a feeble and inadequate idea of the original; but something will have been accomplished if we have given some conception, however faint, of that original, and have induced fresh inquirers to read for themselves those pages so bright with wisdom and imagination. There has been no attempt to hold the balance between Professor Mommsen and his rival Ihne, nor to answer the criticisms of Professor Freeman. Such efforts, even if we had the ability to make them, would be manifestly out of place in such a work as this. Occasionally, indeed, conflicting views have been indicated in a note; and the authorities have been studied, but our text contains the views of Professor Mommsen. Whatever merits may belong to this work should be ascribed to another; we must be held responsible for its defects. Our object has been to present the salient points clearly, and as far as possible, to escape dulness, the Nemesis of the abridger. Consequently we have tried to avoid writing down to a boy's level, a process invariably resented by the boy himself. Inverted commas indicate that the passage is directly taken from the original. The requirements of space have necessitated the omission of a special chapter on Literature, Art, Religion, Economy, etc.; nor have we thought it wise to insert a few maps or illustrations of coins, works of art, etc. An atlas is really indispensable, and one is, we believe, shortly to be published specially designed to illustrate this period. We have to express our great indebtedness to Professor Dickson for allowing us to make free use of his translation, the merits of which it would be difficult to overpraise. Our gratitude is also due to Mr. Fowler, of Lincoln College, Oxford, and to Mr. Matheson, of New College, Oxford. The former kindly revised the proof sheets of the chapter on Authorities, and gave valuable suggestions. The latter was good enough to revise all the proof sheets of the history, in the preparation of which we often found much assistance from his very useful "Outline of Roman History." We have also to thank Mr. H. E. Goldschmidt, of Fettes College, Edinburgh, for a careful revision of a large portion of the proofs.

While our history was in the press the third volume of Professor Mommsen's "Römisches Staatsrecht" appeared. Where possible, we have added references to it in our lists of authorities.

CONTENTS

BOOK FIRST-The Period Anterior to the Abolition of the Monarchy, Ch. I.-V.; BOOK SECOND-From the Abolition of the Monarchy in Rome to the Union of Italy, Ch. VI.-XI.; BOOK THIRD-From the Union of Italy to the Subjugation of Carthage and the Greek States, Ch. XII.-XVIII.; BOOK FOURTH-The Revolution, Ch. XIX.-XXVII. BOOK FIFTH-The Establishment of the Military Monarchy, Ch. XXVIII.-XXXVIII.

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of the river Enipeus, which intersects the plain stretching southward from Larissa. Pompeius pitched his camp on the right bank, along the slope of Cynoscephalae. His entire army was assembled, and he had now eleven legions numbering 47,000 men and 7000 horse, while Caesar was still expecting two legions from Aetolia and Thessaly, and two which were arriving by way of Illyria from Italy; his eight legions did not number more than twenty-two thousand men and his cavalry but one thousand troopers. All military reasons urged Pompeius to fight soon, and the impatience of the emigrants had doubtless more weight than these reasons. The senators considered their triumph secure. Already there was strife about filling up Caesar's pontificate, and houses were hired in the Forum for the next elections. Great indignation was excited when Pompeius hesitated to cross the rivulet which separated the camps. He was only delaying the battle, they alleged, in order to perpetuate his part of Agamemnon and to rule the longer over so many noble lords. The general yielded, and prepared to attack. The battle-field was almost the same on which, a hundred and fifty years ago, the Romans had laid the foundation of their Eastern dominion. The right of the Pompeians rested on the Enipeus, Caesar's left upon the broken ground in front of the river. The other wings were both out in the plain, and each was covered by cavalry and light troops. The plan of Pompeius was to scatter with his cavalry the weak band of horsemen opposite to him, and then to take Caesar's right wing in the rear. But Caesar, foreseeing the rout of his cavalry, had stationed behind his right flank about two thousand of his best legionaries. As the enemy's cavalry galloped round the line, driving Caesar's horsemen before them, they were met and thrown into confusion by this unexpected infantry attack, and galloped from the field of battle.* This unexpected repulse of the cavalry raised the courage of the

* It was in this attack that the well-known direction of Caesar to his troops to strike at the faces of the enemy's horsemen was given. The infantry, acting in an irregular way against cavalry, were not to throw their pila, but to use them as spears, and, to be more effective, were to thrust at the faces of the troopers. It was probably the rough wit of the camp which suggested the idea that the Pompeiar cavalry fled for fear of scars on their faces.

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