The sun., 1908-12-06

aud pIan6ufee, unnervod ~ the tnqfee1snB
difaGultits which sho inhersnt inconsist-
enoy Of his policy produced he eventually
lost his grasp Of facts and waS carried
away by the kOsn Oophisnas Of Cleopatra
TO O world Of imaginary ideas. where the
gravest difficulties seemed to vanish"
Antony, however. could not venture TO
avow his intentions TO the Roman mobiles
with his legions and his suite: he feared
the storm OF protesLation and discussion
which such an announcement would pro-
woke. Cleopatra also dreaded the avowal,
for she foresaw that 1t would compel her
to sustain q desperate struggle against
the Roman party. These fears gave rise
| TO the scheme of sham naval combat TO
mask the retreat. Dominated by Cleo
patra. Antony seems to have revealed his
purpose TO none but his chief lieutenant.
Canidius, who was ordered to explain his
chiefs departure latter the event) to
the army and to lead It back to Egypt.
Then on September 2, 81 B, G.. Antony
started to retreat In the height Of the sea
battle: with her little red sailed feet Cleo
patra carried the Triumyir back TO Egypt,
expecting there to become the King Of
the country and the successor OF the
| Ptolemiee
Thfs then is one Of the distinguishing
features OF this volume. namely. the au-
thor's conclusion that Aotium must be
removed from the list Of the worlds great
naval battles. It was nothing moro or
less than feint, executed to mask one Of
the most curious and shortsighted OF
political intrigues, What Antony and
Cleopatra had not foreseen was the en-
suing formidable explosion OF national
feeling in the camp Of his soldiers. The
oversight proved their ruin. In the eyes
of his countTymen their General had be-
come a traitor. In irresistible indigna-
ton and fury the legions surrendered to
Ootavianus, who became the object Of
general admiration and was regarded az
q heaven sent deliverer. In the eyes Of
Italy he was thenceforth the glorious
savior Of the capital. Some time elapsed,
however. before he himself compre-
hended the opportunity which chance
had given him. Neither he himself nor
his lieutenant. Agrippa, nor any Of his
friends. realized the true importance OF
the events that Immediately followed
Actium.
| II 0otavianus and his friends were
thus unable TO understand the events
in which they had taken part it 10 obvious
that most contemporaries must have
been still further mystified. In the end
the oonquerors turned this universal
ignorance to account, and with the help
OF writer's who were ready to accept
false history the heroic legend OF the
battle. and its three personages was grad
ually formed: Cleopatra. longing to
conquer Rome, to overwhelm Italy with
a food OF 0rientals and degrade proud
Senators to the infamous posts OF eunuchs;
Antony. into xicated by her caresses and
deIirious from her spells, placing his
army and his reputation at the service
Of her criminal ambition; Octavianus.
rising in proud. bold heroism to confront
this formidable coalition and save Rome
from Oriental servitude.
As the facts are interpreted in the book
before us the homely truth was very
different. Octavianus had been nothing
more than an inactive spectator OF the
first great disaster provoked by the col
lision between Orientalism and Italian
tradition. He was not even alive to the
real significance OF that collision. When
he returned to Italy, rich with the spoils
Of Egypt. he had no suspicion that the
struggle between east and west was TO
begin all over again under new forms
throughout the empire, or that 1t would
all hiA household with tragedy and castas-
trophe during the long years Of his life
upon tho pinnacle Of human greatness.
as prineeps. president. and as the first
citizen Of the great republic to which
he had now returned
vi.
In the spring Of B. C. 20 0ctavianus
came back TO Italy. having recovered
all OF Rome's eastern provinces. having
beheld the betrayal OF Antony by Cleo
patra, who quickly followed him into
suicide, and having brought about the
downfall OF the ancient kingdom OF tine
Ptolemies. He seemed once for all to
have united in his person the inheritance
Of Alexander and OF Rome. Here We
come TO the second characteristic feature
Of this volume. namely. the authors
conception Of the aim. nature and effect
Of the political reforms instituted by
Octa vianus, to be known presently nc
Augustus; q conception differing funda-
mentally from that which has been
adopted by most modern expounders
| of the epoch. Ferrero holds that un-
limited power was not the ideal Of Oc-
tavianus; at the moment when he re-
turned from Egypt he proposed to aban-
don politics. An ancient historian OF
high credibility Suetonius) asserts tho
fact, and our author can see no sufficient
reason for disputing It. The statement
has been, he thinks. unduly disregarded,
upon the theory that it contradicts the
tradition which represents Octavianus
| as the ambitious founder Of an absolute
| monarchy. Octavianus himself was we'll
aware that an infinitely heavy task lay
before the future leader Of the republic
the task OF organizing government
able to SECURE peace, order and pros
perity In Italy and throughout the prov
inces. Whatever after the battle Of
Actium may have been the public opinion
Of his energy and genius, 1t would not. in
our authors judgment, have been sur
prising II Octavianus himself had re-
xsrdsd such g task with hesitation or
even with fear. q"
soctavianus, says Ferrero. was an
Intellectual character. A patient worker
and farsiRhted administrator, his strength
| oonsisted rather in the subtlety, lucid