Produced by Lynn Bonnett and Teresa Thomason
ANCIENT ROME
FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES DOWN TO 476 A.D.
By Robert F. Pennell
_Revised Edition_
PREFACE.
This compilation is designed to be a companion to the author's History
of Greece. It is hoped that it may fill a want, now felt in many high
schools and academies, of a short and clear statement of the rise and
fall of Rome, with a biography of her chief men, and an outline of her
institutions, manners, and religion.
For this new edition the book has been entirely rewritten, additional
matter having been introduced whenever it has been found necessary to
meet recent requirements.
The penults of proper names have been marked when long, both in the text
and Index. The Examination Papers given are introduced to indicate the
present range of requirement in leading colleges.
The maps and plans have been specially drawn and engraved for this
book. The design has been to make them as clear and open as possible;
consequently, names and places not mentioned in the text have, as a
rule, been omitted.
ROBERT F. PENNELL. RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, July. 1890.
(Illustration: GAIUS IULIUS CAESAR.)
ANCIENT ROME.
CHAPTER I. GEOGRAPHY OF ITALY.
Italy is a long, narrow peninsula in the southern part of Europe,
between the 38th and 46th parallels of north latitude. It is 720 miles
long from the Alps to its southern extremity, and 330 miles broad in
its widest part, i.e. from the Little St. Bernard to the hills north of
Trieste. It has an area of nearly 110,000 square miles, about that of
the State of Nevada.
The Alps separate Italy on the north and northwest from the rest
of Europe. The pass over these mountains which presents the least
difficulties is through the Julian Alps on the east. It was over this
pass that the Barbarians swept down in their invasions of the country.
The Apennines, which are a continuation of the Alps, extend through
the whole of the peninsula. Starting in the Maritime Alps, they extend
easterly towards the Adriatic coast, and turn southeasterly hugging the
coast through its whole extent. This conformation of the country causes
the rivers of any size below the basin of the Po to flow into the
Tyrrhenian (Tuscan) Sea, rather than into the Adriatic.
Northern Italy, between the Alps and the Apennines, is drained by the
Padus (Po) and its tributaries. It was called GALLIA CISALPINA (Gaul
this side of the Alps), and corresponds in general to modern Lombardy.
The little river Athesis, north of the Padus, flows into the Adriatic.
Of the tributaries of the Padus, the Ticinus on the north, and the
Trebia on the south, are of historical interest.
The portion of Northern Italy bordering on the Mediterranean is a
mountainous district, and was called LIGURIA. In this district on the
coast were Genua and Nicaea. The district north of the Athesis, between
the Alps and the Adriatic, was called VENETIA, from which comes the name
Venice. Here were located Patavium (Padua), Aquileia, and Forum Julii.
Gallia Cisalpina contained many flourishing towns. North of the Padus
were Verona, Mediolanum (Milan), Cremona, Mantua, Andes, and Vercellae,
a noted battle-field. South of this river were Augusta Taurinorum
(Turin), Placentia, Parma, Mutina, and Ravenna. The Rubicon, a little
stream flowing into the Adriatic, bounded Gallia Cisalpina on the
southeast. The Mucra, another little stream, was the southern boundary
on the other side of Italy.
CENTRAL ITALY, _Italia Propria_, or Italy Proper, included all of the
peninsula below these rivers as far down as Apulia and Lucania. In this
division are the rivers Tiber, Arnus, Liris, and Volturnus, which empty
into the Mediterranean, and the Metaurus, Aesis, and Aternus, which
empty into the Adriatic.
The most important subdivision of Central Italy was LATIUM, bordering
on the Tyrrhenian Sea. North of it on the same coast was ETRURIA, and to
the south was CAMPANIA. On the Adriatic coast were UMBRIA, PICENUM, and
SAMNIUM.
The cities of Latium were Rome, on the Tiber, and its seaport, Ostia,
near the mouth of the same river. Ten miles northwest of Rome was Veii,
an Etruscan city, and about the same distance southeast was Alba Longa.
Nearly the same distance directly south of Rome, on the coast, was
Lavinium, and east-northeast of Rome was Tibur. Neighboring to Alba
Longa were Tusculum and the Alban Lake. The Pomptine Marshes were near
the coast, in the southern part of Latium. Lake Regillus was near Rome.
In Etruria were Florentia, Faesulae, Pisae, Arretium, Volaterrae,
Clusium, and Tarquinii; also Lake Trasimenus. In Campania were Capua,
Neapolis (Naples), Cumae, Baiae, a watering place, Herculaneum, Pompeii,
Caudium, Salernum, Casilinum, and Nola. The famous volcano of Vesuvius
was here, and also Lake Avernus.
In Umbria, on the coast, were Ariminum and Pisaurum; in the interior
were Sentinum and Camerinum. The river Metaurus, noted for the defeat of
Hasdrubal, was likewise in Umbria.
In Picenum was Ancona. In Samnium were Cures and Beneventum.
SOUTHERN ITALY included APULIA and CALABRIA on the Adriatic, LUCANIA and
BRUTTUM on the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Apulia is the most level of the countries south of the Rubicon. Its
only stream is the Aufidus, on the bank of which at Cannae was fought a
famous battle. Arpi, Asculum, and Canusium are interior towns.
In Calabria (or Iapygia) were the cities of Brundisium and Tarentum.
The chief towns in Lucania and Bruttium were settled by the Greeks.
Among them were Heraclea, Metapontum, Sybaris, and Thurii, in Lucania;
and Croton, Locri, and Rhegium, in Bruttium.
The islands near Italy were important. SICILY, with an area of about
10,000 square miles, and triangular in shape, was often called by the
poets TRINACRIA (with three promontories). The island contained many
important cities, most of which were of Greek origin. Among these were
Syracuse, Agrigentum, Messana, Catana, Camarina, Gela, Selinus, Egesta
(or Segesta), Panormus, Leontini, and Enna. There are many mountains,
the chief of which is Aetna.
SARDINIA is nearly as large as Sicily. CORSICA is considerably smaller.
ILVA (Elba) is between Corsica and the mainland. IGILIUM is off Etruria;
CAPREAE is in the Bay of Naples; STRONGYLE (Stromboli) and LIPARA are
north of Sicily, and the AEGATES INSULAE are west of it.