5. Tarquin the Ancient contracted an alliance with the Etruscan race, embellished Rome, and induced the Romans to undertake several maritime enterprises (7th and 6th centuries).

6. Servius Tullius placed Rome at the head of the Latin league, which he made more strong by ordering them to offer their sacrifices in common. He made a fresh division of rank, and made laws concerning the rights of property. He created various institutions. This king was more remarkable than all the others.

7. Tarquin the Superb took possession of the government by main force. He tried to establish himself secure on the throne by forming an alliance with the Volsques and Latins; but this measure, together with his tyranny, offended both the patricians and the people. He was dethroned and chased, and royalty was abolished. This was in part caused by the ambition of the senators (509, 6th century).

ROME AS A REPUBLIC.

Five hundred years-five centuries.

CONSULS.

After the abolition of royalty, this country was formed into a republic. Temporary magistrates were chosen, called consuls. The first were Junius Brutus and Collatinus. The republic, in order to preserve its independence, were obliged to go to war with Porsena, king of Etruria, and the sons of Tarquin; but the heroism of Cocles, of Scevola, of Clelius, and the courageous resistance of the Romans, gave them the victory (6th century).

The calm that followed this war was disturbed by internal dissensions, caused by the reciprocal hatred of the patricians and plebeians. This necessitated the establishment of the dictatorship, 498 years before Jesus Christ. Titus Lartius was the first dictator, eleven years after the decadence of the monarchy.

These fatal quarrels did not prevent their carrying on war with advantage against their neighbours. The Latins were vanquished; Titus and Sextus, sons of Tarquin the Superb, died at Cumæ a short time afterwards (495). Fresh troubles arise. The plebeians took possession of the sacred mountain at the distance of three miles from Rome, and refused to re-enter the town until the patricians had promised the abolition of debt and the creation of an advocate for the people. The

tribune for the commonalty was created (495). The Volsci were overthrown at Corioli by Marcius, who took the name of Coriolanus (491). This young patrician was a bold and intractable character, and afterwards received the sentence of perpetual banishment for having tried to annul the convention of the sacred mountain. He departed, and returned at the head of the Volsci, besieged Rome, rejected the prayers of the senators, but yielded to the supplications of his mother. Veturia.

The consul, Spurius Cassius, renewed the troubles by the proposition of the agrarian law. He was accused of aspiring to royalty, and executed (483)

War was declared against the Æqui, and the Volsci, and the Veiens. These last cut in pieces the 306 Fabians near the river Crimerea; at the same time the 300 Spartans were vanquished and massacred at Thermopyla by the Persians (477).

The people became indignant at the abuse of power introduced by the consuls. A tribune, Terentius Arsa, proposed a law calculated to preserve jurisprudence. It caused six years of continual trouble, when a rich Sabine, called Herdonius, took possession of the capitol. The people marched against him. Quintus Cincinnatus is taken from the plough and made consul and dictator. He overthrew the Equi, and then returned to the plough. The Terentian law was at last received by the patricians (451), and the republic then changed its form.

FROM THE TIME OF THE DECEMVIRI.

The laws of the twelve tables were promulgated by the magistrates named decemvirs, but the abuses they introduced in prolonging their power for three years, and exercising the most odious tyranny, together with the death of the young and beautiful Virginia, who was persecuted by the decemvir Appius Claudius, occasioned their overthrow and abolition (419).

Long and wearisome wars against the rest of Latium filled up the remaining epoch, without any advantageous result, the Romans retaining their position only.

THE SEIZURE OF ROME BY THE GAULS.

The invasion of Brennus, chief of the Gauls (390), nearly caused their ruin. Rome, taken and fired, was saved by the courage of Camillus alone, then an exile. Fifty-two years afterwards (338) the Latin nations were definitely overcome. The Romans then turned their arms against Samnium (343), and against the

Etruscans (311). The first, who had already caused the Romans to pass under the yoke, were subjugated in the year 272 before Jesus Christ. Crotona, Brindes, Tarenta, and a part of Lucania and Brutium, underwent the same fate, notwithstanding the efforts of Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, whom this nation had applied to for success. Still greater success followed the Roman army towards the north of Rome, and about the year 264 before Jesus Christ, Rome was pretty nearly mistress of Italy.

PUNIC WARS.

About this time the Carthaginian war commenced, generally designated the Punic war. There were three. The first took place from 264 to 240, In this war Rome gained Sicily. In the second war, which took place from 218 to 201, Rome secured Spain. This war was celebrated for the rivalry of P. Scipio Africanus, and Hannibal the Carthaginian general, and attracted the admiration of Europe. In the third war, which took place from 149 to 146, the Romans took possession of Africa; Carthagena was destroyed. During the time of the two last wars, and in the intervals between each, the four Macedonian wars against Philip and Perseus take place. The Syrian war, from 191 to 188, and other less important ones, were terminated by the submission of the Asiatic provinces in 188; of Istria, 177; of Macedonia, 168; and that of Dalmatia in 155.

The taking of Thebes and Corinth changed Greece into a Roman province, under the name of Achaia (146). Numanus, for a time in revolt (141 to 133), fell with the rest of Spain. The conquest of the entire world became less and less doubtful. Numerous and celebrated wars take place against foreign powers; amongst others that of Jugurtha (119 to 106); the Sicilian war, the Teutonic and Cambrian wars, from 102 to 101; the wars of Mithridates, king of Pontus (88 to 64); of Sertorius, (85 to 72); of the Gauls, from 59 to 49; and the Parthians in 54 signalized the ensuing century. But the interior battles between man and man, or rather citizen and citizen, reduced Rome most pitifully. The tentatives of the Gracchi (133 to 123) served as a prelude to these battles. We then see that of Marius and Sylla (88 to 82); Cæsar vanquished Pompey at Pharsalia (48); the Triumvirate and Brutus (42), Octavius and Sextus Pompey (30); at last Octavius and Antony dispute for the supreme power on the field of battle, and thus shed Roman

blood in unholy warfare. Two proscriptions, that of Sylla (84) and the Triumvirate (45), added to these horrors; still these combats ceased not.

Rome, mistress of the world, recognized at last the power of one master. The imperial monarchy commenced after the victory of Octavius Augustus at Actium, over Mark Antony and Cleopatra, queen of Egypt (31 years before Jesus Christ).

ROME UNDER THE SWAY OF THE EMPERORS.

(Five Centuries.)

The history of this period comprehends five centuries. In the first (we will call the century of Cæsars) Rome, after having enjoyed the blessings of peace under Augustus, who protected learning and science, was successively tyrannized over by the cruel Tiberius and the outrageous Caligula, the imbecile Claudius, and the atrocious Nero. Rome breathed for an instant freely under Vespasian and Titus, and fell into the hands of Dominitius, who, in his own person, possessed more vice than all his predecessors united.

The second century was as happy in its efforts as the other was unfortunate. The senate had elected to the throne an upright man, Nerva, from 96 to 98; after him we perceive four others equally virtuous. Not wishing to leave the supreme power to a son or nephew, after having reigned two years he adopted Trajan (98), of Spanish origin, the first foreigner who ascended the throne. Trajan extended the borders of the empire in Daria and Asia. Adrian (117), endowed with military talents, still kept up peace, and proved himself the patron of the beaux arts. He built a wall in the north of Britain against the Caledonians, increased Carthage, and rebuilt Jerusalem. The Jews revolted in his reign, and were definitively chased (135).

Antonio (138) was the most virtuous of monarchs; his reign was the happiest of the empire. Mark Aurelius reigned in. 161, surnamed the Philosopher. He had taken a fancy to a prodigal and dissipated young man, to whom he married his daughter. It was under this prince that prodigies of bravery were witnessed in the Christian legion in the war against the Marconians and their allies. Mark Aurelius managed to secure the frontiers on the side of the Danube, but he was the first who permitted the barbarians to establish themselves in the

interior, and took them as soldiers. He leagued the purple to his son, the cowardly and cruel Commodus (180), under whom took place the most bloody tyranny. A murder delivered the Romans from this monster, who left the state without a guide.

In the third century, the century of military anarchy, Pertinax (193), after a reign of three months, died by the hands of his soldiers, and the crown was vacant. Didius Julien had the hardihood to buy it. Pescennius Niger, Septimus Severus, and Albinus, disputed his title to it. The first was proclaimed in Syria, the second in Illyria, the third in Brittany (197).

Septimus Severus (194-211) remained alone master of the empire, caused himself to be respected by his firmness, made war against the Parthians and the Bretons, and rebuilt Adrian's wall. He died at York; but the cruel Caracalla (211), his son, shook the empire to its centre. He caused his brother to be assassinated in the arms of his mother, desolated all the provinces he traversed, and caused a frightful massacre of the people of Alexandria Macrinus assassinated him.

After the death of Caracalla the soldiery were once more masters of the empire. They elected successively Macrinus, who only reigned a year (217); Heliogabalus (218), a cruel debauchee; Alexander Severus, one of the best of princes, and one of the greatest emperors of Rome (222-235). He reigned several years, but Rome did not regain, under his administration, the preceding losses. At his death anarchy reappeared more powerful than ever. Twenty-five princes and fifty usurpers occupied, for an instant, the throne. Three of them only, Claudius II., Aurelius, and Diocletian, merit our attention. Claudius II. (268-270), a good general, won several victories over the Goths.

Aurelius (270-275), a great warrior, overcame the princes of the East. After the defeat of Zenobia, queen of Palmyra, he regained all the Western provinces, who from the time of Gallien (259) had been under the guidance of their own independent masters. He died assassinated. The death of Aurelius was followed by an interregnium of six months; the senate gave the throne to Probus (276). This emperor, who was always at war with the Germans, whom he repulsed, had some taste for les beaux arts, and also for peace. He built several towns, which he populated with prisoners of war, and caused his soldiers to plant vineyards on the hills near Rome,

Diocletian (284) ascended the throne. This prince put an