INTRODUCTION.

THIS book treats of the history of Rome from 219 to 217 B.C., rather more than two years. At that time Rome was mistress of "Italy," by which name we understand, not the whole of modern Italy, but that part of it which lies south of a line drawn from the river Macra on the west, to the Rubicon north of Ariminum. North of this line was Gallia Cisalpina, and over some of the tribes of Gauls who inhabited this country Rome had lately established a supremacy, to be maintained chiefly by means of the colonies of Placentia and Cremona. Besides this Rome had dominion over Sicily, which had been won in the First Punic War (264-241 B.C.), and had been constituted a province. She had also in her possession the coasts of Sardinia and Corsica on the west, and on the east she had established her supremacy in the Adriatic over the coast of Illyricum and the island of Corcyra. She had alliances with the Greek colonies of Massilia (Marseilles) near the mouth of the Rhone, and of Saguntum and Emporiae in Spain. She could bring into the field

700,000 infantry and 70,000 cavalry. Already the foundations of the Roman empire had been laid.

We may ask how it came about that a single city, at first neither larger than other cities of Italy nor more skilled in arts of war or peace, was enabled to extend her power so widely as this? And this question can partly be answered without going over the whole ground of her history. The answer is to be found first in the physical geography of the country. If we turn to the map of Italy, we shall see that the Apennines run down. the whole length of the peninsula, but they do not keep to the centre of it. In the north they approach very near the Adriatic or east coast, and run along parallel to it for about 250 miles, expanding into broad table-land, after which the main range approaches the west coast leaving plains or low hills on the east, and so continues to the southern extremity of the peninsula. We see, then, that wide plains are left in the north on the west of the mountains, and in the south on the east. The former are the plains of Etruria, Latium, and Campania; the latter, of Lucania and Calabria. But we observe also another point. The west coast of Italy is much more indented with bays, and has many more islands than the east. The rivers too have a longer course, and are therefore larger. Hence

the conveniences for navigation are greater. Add to this that the soil, partly from volcanic agencies, is more fertile, and we perceive at once that the population of the great western plains is likely to increase most in wealth and civilization, and to obtain supremacy over the east.

In some countries, as in Greece, a large number of small States have existed for a long time side by side without being absorbed into one another. In Greece this was owing to the fact that they were separated from one another by mountain barriers very difficult to break through. But in Italy this was not the case: the mountains seldom form an impassable barrier, and they do not divide the country into small districts, but leave extensive plains on either side. It was natural then that the various peoples who inhabited it should at some time or another be united under a single head. And that ruling State was likely we have seen to come from the rich country of the west; and in that country no city is more central, or has a more convenient natural position, than Rome. Situated on the Tiber, the largest navigable river of the peninsula, and being on the border between Etruria and Latium, her position was most favourable for commerce. Founded probably as an outpost to guard Latium from the attacks of the Etruscans, she natu

rally gained a supremacy over the other cities of Latium, whom she protected from the common enemy; and, though conquered at one time by the Etruscans, who were a highly civilized trading people, she succeeded in preventing them from becoming the supreme power in Italy. The Greeks, who were the rivals of the Etruscans in those seas, inflicted severe naval defeats upon them about 474 B.C., and not many years after this the Gauls attacked them in the north, and being then weakened they were no longer able to resist Rome, who subjugated the southern part of their territory and left them powerless. Meanwhile Rome united the Latin cities under her supremacy, and was engaged with them in war against the Samnites, the brave race who lived in the mountain-land in the centre of the peninsula. These were finally subdued after three wars desperately contested, in 290 B.C., and there remained only the south of the peninsula. This was full of Greek colonies, many of which, as Tarentum, Thurii, Crotona, had long been great and wealthy cities. The city of Tarentum called in the help of Pyrrhus king of Epirus, an able leader of a warlike people. He gained victories over the Romans, but they would not accept peace, and his army was wasted in fruitless enterprises, until at last he was defeated by the Romans at Beneventum,

and finally left Italy 275 B.C., after which the whole of the south fell an easy prey to Rome, and she was mistress at last of a united Italy, 265 B.C. Το Sicily the step was easy, but it was one which brought Rome into collision with Carthage. This city, situated on the north coast of Africa at the point nearest to Sicily, had been founded by the Phoenicians or Canaanites of Tyre and Sidon. The Phoenicians were above all a trading people. They had alliances with the Etruscans in early times, and the two nations disputed with the Greeks the naval supremacy in the western seas. The trade of the Phoenicians extended as far as the North Sea and the West Coast of Africa. They had settlements or trading-stations also in Spain (Gades, perhaps the Tarshish of the Bible), in Sardinia, in Malta, and in Sicily. In the latter island, the largest and richest of the Mediterranean, their contests with the Greek colonies were continual, and it was here that they first met Rome, and waged against her a war of twenty-three years, which goes by the name of the First Punic (i.e. Phoenician) War, 264-241 B.C. The Romans were superior on land, for their enemies generally employed mercenary troops hired from the peoples under their rule, and even the Carthaginian navy was matched at last by the Romans, and peace was made on condition that