New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-13

A. 4 ) Greenidge- Vol. I. octave, PIP. sos
: P Dutton q Co.
THE GREATNESS AND DECLINE OF ROME
~ GuglielIno Ferrero- Translated by Alfred r
Ztrlmern, IN Two Volumes. Octave, PIP. 32S
- G. P. Putnam's Sons.
DOMAIN PRIVATE LAW Founded or the In
Oeitates" Of Gaius and Justinian Bv r "
Leage Octave, Pr. 80. The Macmillan Com
PAM.
Books on Rome continue to multiply. but fort
unatey not with that bacterial sponranei+v
Characteristic of volumes on many other bistori-
cal and literary subjects. Rome always demands
70 be taken seriously; her statesmen. her var
rOrs, and her institutions do not lend them,
selves 10 the light imagination and easy pen Of
poeuz4ng "Fltefs- intensely practical. mercan-
tile statute-drafting from infancy TO old age
the Latin mistress of the world inspires heavy
essays more readily than sonnets The one re-
heying feature OF her prosaic career is the sheer
force and thoroughness with which she sought
her sordid ends; this has made her laws worthy
Of modern study and her diplornacies the theme
Of novelists. But the historian interested more in
csuses and effects than in the picturesque aspect
Of national life, cannot avoid dwelling at length
upon minute problems OF economies: for Romes
haQs and mishaps are more closely bound UP
with market nuctuati and real estate values
than IS the life of any other ancient nation. This
Is due - the combination in the Roman character
Of measureIess greed with respect for written
law. Wealth must be accumulated according TO
statute; business honor must not be violated. II
any stealing or unjust conquest is wished for.
son1e legislation must give tia formal sanction.
This makes Roman history hard reading. for at
e,srv turn one encounters sWarms of statutes,
automatic missions and commercial enterprises
whose signiticaI-@e IS by no means written on
~ surface Of tfe narrative. AS in the history
n later states, so in the Roman chronicles, the
hieb1v complicated InteraCtion of public and
,,-i,aie ambitions and wholesome respect for
-,
;sIatve ratification Of plan. make the records
. maze TO him who will not read with the great
esr care-and an absorbingly intricate drama TO
+hose who appreciate * at all.
Nr Greenidges original intention was TO
hove written history OF Rome in six volumes
cora-ng The period from the end Of the Re-
rrhIic 70 the final downfall. II the brilliant his
,orian's life had been spared. the five succeeding
volrraes would probably have been the peers
NJ rms first one. and the world would have re-
cejved a new history of the highest character
wr Greenidge before having undertaken this
unfinished history. had long been working upon
The original sources OF information covering the
generation between the years 133 and 40 B. G.
He had published the results Of this study two
Years before the appearance Of the present
volume which renders IN the light OF his find
,ngs the history Of Rome during the first half
Of the period mentioned One cannot read this
voune without feeling at once the mastery
skill OF the writer in separating the various
clear and in reweaving the same as 10 dis
close the fullest conference Of events.
The volume covers the agrarian reforms of
the two Gracchi and the Numidian wars
whose events are best known TO clas-
sicaI readers through the chronicles OF
salust Il has been q "a mode Of late TO think
Of The land reforms Of Tberius and Caius
Gracious altruistic endeavors toward social
aneloration The redistribution OF the public
lands though apparently enacted simply to
hal, ofr- no
lnstigated as Mr. Greenidge points out, by a
vast union OF interests: and these interests
thrust themselves forward with vehemence
which demanded such a resistance as no political
sOcety is homogeneous enough TO maintain. or
tuch concessions as might be gracior sly made by
government which, after the grant, could still
retain most Of the forms and much Of the sub
stance Of its former power. Almost every class
Of Roman society had, At the time Of tbs
Gracchan reforms, some heavy grievance which
went back indistinctly 10 the landlordism under
which the entire peninsula had long groaned.
The italian allies the merchant classes, the peas
ants the saves and the army. all had their
woes. and he was the most successful states
man who could 50 appease these various com
plainants as TO preserve for the state the maxi
mum Of power. Tiberius Gracious probably
looked upon his land reforms not simply as a
benefit 70 the poverty stricken peasants but
also as means Of strengthening the power Of
ne government against It's opponents at nome
and abroad: for tradition had II that the pas
ants we're, and always had been, the most LOCAL
trd hardest supporters Of the central authorit.
but, complicated with these motives, was also
Inc very strong desire Of politicians and people
alike TO rescue Rome from the evils Of excessive
grain impOrtations: the military dangers in
VOWED in RoTne's dependence upon foreign corn
heds have long been recognized as the strongest
reason for drastic agricultural reforms in Italy
and the imperative need Of home production OF
DFeacstufs made all the more acute the con-
lict between popular leaders and the wealthy
tofporatlons whose fortunes depended upon the
import trade Of grain and slaves. Mr.. Green
age has woven together all these various forces
win exceptional insight into their relative
Weights and so as 20 bring out sharply, but
s9 II an artiicially high light, the tremend-
sasE complicated struggle between the many
vested interests" and the masses Of Rome.
me Interpretation Of facts given by him IS
sIohgiy co.ored by many details Of classical
laiormation which have been brought TO light
y European and American scholars during re-
IeIl years. Only the last sections Of the vol
.Ae which deal with the Numidian wars, fail,
eng fail necessarily. TO offer the reader much
la cannot De found In Sallust's chronicles OF
pae Jugurthine episode
me untirnely death of Mr.. Greenidge and the
~Hufe Of his great historical study are partly
o-upensated for by Ferrero's fluent and VIVID
escount Of the empire builders and the career
:, "uius Cesar. The reader only regrets that
elieFo aid not know in advance about the fail
- u ruition Nh Greenidges work was des-
- 10 suffer; the Italian might then have
s.'sh US a full account, in his own captivating
- Of the great uprising Of the proletarlat
- NE reaction of the conservatives interven-
= Det~een the close Of the Jugurthine episode
NE first unsuccessful appearance OF Caesar
- ~ me stage. As IL Is, FerrerO has sketched
-s period in a few Introductory chapters with
-, a admirable clarity and liveliness that the
- only too briefly told. AS in every mod
- study Of Roman history, in this one