The sun., 1908-12-06

ern }laneaases the oonnotetion of the
lattsy word IL entirely different; TO the
Romans It meant 'chiee,' principal and
should be translated president.
VIII. .-. -.
The detalls Of this arrangement were
soon settled and the compact embody-
ing them was ratified in session OF the
senate In january, B. C. ~. At the same
time the title OF Augustus was con-
ferred upon Octavianus a. q token oi
tho Rratituds felt by the Senate and the
people; this was a term borrowed from
religion. It was applied in the old ritual
to q temple when duly conseorated; II
now lent both a religious and national
character to the new magistracy OF the
prinoeps. sThus Cicero's conception was
triumphant; the republic had been saved
and as yet, at all events, monarchy was
not to make triumphal entry into Rome;
q century Of change in manners, IDEAS
and institutions was to be required TO
transform the essence Of Italian point
icai life Ferrero goes on TO aver with
emphasis that the modern historians
Who persist In regarding this reform OF
B. C.r27 az q fiction intended to hide mo-
narchical substance beneath republican
forms are wholly mistaken. He pro-
nomces it equally erroneous to regard
the reforms Of Augustus as a division
Of power between the Senate and the
princeps.
It was. on the contrary, reform In
tended to revive the unity OF the Roman
State which to the great detriment OF
Italy had been almost overthrow by
the Triumvirate. 1t was reform which
brought the whole empire once more
under senatorial authority though at
the same time placing the Senate itself
under the supervision OF a restraining
president and guardian OF constitutional
methods. 1t was meant to reestablish
not 90 much the form as the essence OF
the republic, and to preserve 30 Tar as
possible the government OF the empire
in the hands Of theAittle Italian oligarchy
under the supervision OF the historical
nobility. -Thus the constitutional reform
OF B. G. 27 was for the aristocraoy bril-
liant revenge for Philippi. obtained with
out struggle by the mere force OF cir
cumstances, and due not to the energy
OF the mobiles who had survived the revo-
luton but to the glory and merit OF their
ancestors Our author believes that
this explanation would seem most simple
and probable to any modern historian
who could abandon the preconceived
opinion which both exaggerates and di-
minishes the real Significance OF the
political reforms OF B. C. 81: -diminishes.
-
comedy played by the victor and the
Senators in order to delude the itaiian
public; exaggerates. because it regards
the reforms a. concluding the era OF
republican government and marking the
beginning OF the Roman monarchy.
Ferrero Is convinced that Octavianus
had no intention OF deceiving his con-
temporaries; much less did he imagine
that even the echoes Of his conservative
revolution would reach our times He
was simply attempting to solve the difh-
culties OF the moment by a constitutional
reform which he considered as likely to
meet a temporary need and as settling
nothing except for the ten years Of his
proconsulate; then, il the situation
changed, his attitude and his plans would
change aso. ne Onu, In tTutn' Teooi'o
to himself the power Of resigning his
species Of presidency before the end OF
the ten years II he thought his resigna-
ton would not be detrimental to the
republic As matter Of fact within four
years he insisted upon resigning. and the
constitutional system was remodelled-
Even in the most cursory notice one
should not entirely pass over still another
distinctive feature Of this work, namely the
exoursuses in esthetic criticism. where
in the author depicts not only the illus
trious part played in Latin literature by
contemporaries Of Augustus. and espe-
cially Virgil and Horace, but also their
different relations to the national moods.
prepossessions. points Of view. aims and
ideals of their time. These chapters
alone would suffice to place Ferrero's
narrative on a plane exceptionally high
aside from the writer's ccHsummate
achievement Of presenting a virtually
new reading OF most pregnant and
-orld ,,n,,Jdinn aFocb t.,
NJ. VIII.