FIRST CENTURY BEFORE CHRIST.

(100-1.)

THE prominent feature of the century is the great dominion and power of ROME.

ROME becomes mistress of Asia Minor in 64 B. C., and under Pompey now humbles Armenia (but without annexing it), makes Syria a Roman province, and Palestine (with Judæa) a Roman dependency, -extending the Roman power to the Euphrates. Julius Cæsar, the great Roman general, in seven years subdues the whole land of Gaul. Egypt becomes a Roman province in 30 B. C. The Roman Empire begins in 27 B. C., with Octavius as emperor under the title of Augustus Cæsar. Various minor additions are also made to the Roman territory, and at the Christian epoch Rome becomes mistress of all the lands round the Mediterranean.

PARTHIA is a great power, and a formidable rival to Rome.

SYRIA becomes a Roman province in 64 B. C.

JUDÆA becomes subject to Rome in 64 B. C.

GAUL is reduced by Julius Cæsar to a Roman province in 51 B. C. EGYPT becomes a Roman province in 30 B. C.

100 B. C.-A. D. 1.

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE.

PROMINENT NAMES OF THE CENTURY.

ROME.

Public Men.-Marius, Sulla, Sertorius, Lucullus, (Pompey, Cæsar, Crassus, the First Triumvirate,) Cicero, Catiline, Cato (Uticensis), (Octavius, Lepidus, Antony, the Second Triumvirate), Brutus.

Poets and Dramatists. —Lucretius, Catullus, Virgil, Horace, Tibullus, Propertius, Ovid.

Historians.-Varro, Julius Cæsar, Sallust, Livy, Nepos.

Philosopher and Orator. - Cicero.

Greek Geographer. - Strabo.

SYRIA.

EGYPT.

Under the dynasty of the Ptolemies (Cleopatra the last sovereign).

ILLUSTRATIONS.

ROME.

THE period of civil strife begun in the last century

continued through a large part of this century.

The simple civil and moral organization of a great agricultural city had been succeeded by the social antagonisms of a capital of many nations, and by that demoralization in which the prince and the beggar meet; now everything had come to be on a broader, more abrupt, and fearfully grand scale. When the social war brought all the political and social elements fermenting among the citizens into collision with each other, it laid the foundation for a new revolution. MOмMSEN.

After a war with Mithridates, King of Pontus, came the bloody days of the civil wars of Marius and Sulla, when one hundred and fifty thousand Roman citizens are said to have perished.

When betwixt Marius and fierce Sulla tost,

The commonwealth her ancient freedom lost.

LUCAN. Tr. Rowe.

This only was wanting to complete the misfortunes of the Romans, that they should raise an unnatural war among themselves, and that, in the midst of the city and forum, citizens should fight with citizens, like gladiators in an amphitheatre. I should bear the calamity, however, with greater patience if Plebeian leaders or contemptible nobles

had been at the head of such atrocity; but even Marius and Sulla (oh, indignity! such men, such generals!) the grace and glory of their age, lent their eminent characters to this worst of evils. - FLORUS.

I pray that I may be permitted to turn away my eyes from the horrors of the wars of Marius and Sulla. Their frightful history may be found in Appian. MONTESQUIEU.

The chief interest in the history of Roman affairs is now connected with the disputes and ambitious struggles of the most famous men of Rome. A period of factions and strife had succeeded the more harmonious times of the republic.

"I see," said Catiline to Cicero,-"I see in the republic a head without a body, and a body without a head; I will be this head which is wanting." This sentence admirably describes Roman society. — MICHELET.

But Rome itself was in the most dangerous inclination to change, on account of the unequal distribution of wealth and property, those of highest rank and greatest spirit having impoverished themselves by shows, entertainments, ambition of offices, and sumptuous buildings, and the riches of the city having thus fallen into the hands of mean and low-born persons. So that there wanted but a slight impetus to set all in motion, it being in the power of every daring man to overturn a sickly commonwealth. - PLUTARCH.

When wealth was once considered an honor, and glory, authority, and power attended on it, virtue lost her influence, poverty was thought a disgrace, and a life of innocence was regarded as a life of ill-nature. From the influence of riches, accordingly, luxury, avarice, and pride prevailed among the youth; they grew at once rapacious and prodigal; they undervalued what was their own, and coveted what was another's; they set at naught modesty and continence; they lost all distinction between sacred and profane, and threw off all consideration and self-restraint.- SALLUST.

The fearful anarchy into which Rome was plunged after the time of Sulla showed itself more particularly in the assemblies of the people; for there the place of the free-born Roman citizen was occupied

by an idle and hungry populace, which had no idea for anything higher than bread and amusements, and was ever ready to attach itself to those who had the richest rewards to offer. - SCHMITZ.

The beginning of the decay of the Roman commonwealth may be dated from the time when the soldier began to be distinct from the citizen. The growth of this distinction was gradual. As the area of military operations extended, campaigns were more protracted, and the influence of the central government over the forces in the field became weaker and weaker. Even if a commander started out

with no ambitious designs against the liberties of his country, he could not but learn, during years of supreme authority over legions and over provinces, to love the exercise of absolute power. His men, too, cut off from home communications and sympathies, were ready to follow a leader who they knew would reward them. They forgot that they were in the service of the commonwealth, and listened only to the chief whom they had been accustomed to obey, and on whose gratitude they felt that they could rely. — H. MANN.

Rome became mistress of Asia Minor in 64 B. C., and under the famous general, Pompey (the Great), then humbled Armenia (but without annexing it), made Syria a Roman province, and Palestine (with Judæa) a Roman dependency, extending the Roman power to the Euphrates.

But that which seemed to be his [Pompey's] greatest glory, being one which no other Roman ever attained to, was this, that he made his third triumph over the third division of the world. For others among the Romans had the honor of triumphing thrice, but his first triumph was over Africa, his second over Europe, and this last over Asia; so that he seemed in these three triumphs to have led the whole world captive. PLUTARCH.

In 60 B. C. Pompey, with Cæsar, a rising man of Rome, and Crassus, united in a famous political partner- First Triship known as the First Triumvirate. The pur- umvirate. pose of Cæsar and Pompey in this union was to get all the power that they could into their own hands.