The sun., 1889-02-10

script were not invested with tho Senatorial
insignia, had no share in the magisterial pre-
negatives OF the Senate. and had no right to
speak. being simply silent voters in the di.
| visions OF the house. Hence these conscripts
| we're called foot members tpeddriO by the pa
| trician Senators. As regards another question
| the origin OF the cep,tid tributd, which we're to
play such a preGminent role In the politics oil
the republic. the authors of this abridgment
have incorporated In their text theory differ
ent from that of Mommsen, who apparently at
tributes tho constitution of this bodys far as its
legislative functions are concerned, to tho Hor-
tensian law passed in 2S7 b. c. Messrs Bryans
and Hendy follow Schwegler In assigning far
earlier date to the lawmaking power OF this
assembly. for this function. according to
Schwegler must have soon followed the estab-
lishment OF the co,tita bibutd by the Ter Ihbhlia
In All b. O. On the other hand. the unexpect-
cd view OF tho decemvirate propounded by
MomInsen Is faithfully reproduced In this
summary. Mommsen finds II hard to believe
that the decemvirate. one OF the triumphs OF
the plobs, was abolished by that body" and
thinks that possibly the whole story OF Nir-
ginius Is myth Of tho arstocrats. Hero again
the ground Is cut from under one OF Macaulay's 3
best known Lays"
We come a little later tpage 6s) on fact
WulcH LlEHJ cuSlly Do uaulciy.
the imposition Of tax by the Manlian law
1857 B. c. on tho manumissions of slaves. This
looks at first sight like a reactionary attempt
Of the Legislature to thwart a humane tend
ency. But philanthropy had nothing to do
with these manumissions. Mommson shows
that tho law was defensive measure OF tho
plebeians. and that its object was merely to
check tho multiplication OF freedmen by tho
patricans who sought In this way to increase
tho number OF votes controllable by thom
in the comitia. Passing from the CHAPTER
concerned with the internal politics Of Rome to
those dealing with the Punic wars we find tho
causes OF Car,hagnian failure defined in two
sentences rs follows: Carthage had no land
army OF her own, and sho conceded to her de-
pendent tribes none of tho spoils OF victory. OF
Rome precisely the opposite could be said.
Hence even the invasion of Italy by Han
nibal miscarried. whereas tho task OF
Scipio. like that of Aeathocles ard l.egulus be-
fore him. was half accomplished as soon as
he had set foot on African soil. As for
Mommsens statement that the CarthaEinian
Il. O.. the PhTnician-alphabet came from
babylon. this is counter to the present drift of
pathological opinion. which would assign the
origin OF the Phpnician characters to Egypt.
The account Of the second Punic war is in this
abrideement much condensed. but the editors
have wisely refrained from emitting the mem-
orable passage in which Mommsen renders
justice to Hannibal. We quote part Of it:
Anger. envy, and meanness have drawn his
history. but have not been able to mar the pure
and noble image which it presents. Every page
of the history of the period attests his genius
q General: and his gifts as u statesman
were. after the peace with Rome. no less con.
spiculously displayed in the reform OF the Car
N nd ~ hn urnl-
leled influence which. as Il foreign exile. he
exercised in the cabinets OF the Eastern poten-
tatcs. The power which he welded over mon
is shown by his Incompatible control over an
army of various natoDs and many tonGues-an
army which never in the worst times mutinied
against him. He was a great man; wherever
he went Lc riveted the eyes OF all" The long
accepted notion tha. Fabius preserved his
country by his habit OF refusing battle is dis
carded by Mommsen with the remark that
Tho policy of Fahius not only did not save
Rome. but never really hndercd Hannibal
from carrying into execution any single
operation ho had planned" Reviewing
the extension of Romes power from the
conquest OF Sicily to the baltic of
Pydna. Mommsen states q conclusion now
generally recognized as Just. but which.
whom frs. propounded, surprised those whose
opinions had been borrowed from previous
historians. This conclusion is that the uni
versal empire OF Rome was a result forced
upon tho Roman Government without and
even In opposition to, its wish; certainly 1t was
not gigantic plan contrived and carried out
by thirst for territorial aGGrantizement. All
that the Roman Government wished for WAS
the sovereignty OF Italy, and they earnestly
opposed tho extension OF this sovereignty to
Africa Greece. and Asia from the sound view