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Sixth Edition

A History of the
Roman People

Allen M. Ward
University of Connecticut

Fritz M. Heichelheim

Cedric A. Yeo
First published 2014, 2010, 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Published 2016 by Routledge


2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY, 10017, USA

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

Copyright © 2014, 2010, 2003 Taylor & Francis

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in
any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
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Notice:
Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are
used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this
textbook appear on appropriate page within text.

Cover Designer: Suzanne Duda

ISBN-13: 978-0-205-84679-5 (pbk)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ward, Allen Mason.


A history of the Roman people/Allen M. Ward (University of Connecticut), Fritz M. Heichelheim,
Cedric A. Yeo.—Sixth Edition
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-205-84679-5
1. Rome—History. I. Heichelheim, Fritz M. (Fritz Moritz), 1901–1968. II. Yeo, Cedric A. III. Title.
DG209.W33 2014
937—dc23
2013008137
Contents

Maps and Illustrations    xv

Preface    xvii

I   Roman History: Its Geographic and Human Foundations 1


Introduction to Roman History 1 The Peoples of Italy ca. 750 to 400 b.c. 7
Geography 1 The Greater Picture 10
The Peoples and Cultures of Pre-Roman Italy 4

II   Phoenicians, Greeks, and Etruscans in Pre-Roman Italy 11


The Phoenicians 11 Etruscan Cities and Their Sociopolitical
Tyre and Its Colonies 13 ­Organization 19
Greek Colonization 14 Women and the Etruscan Family 20
Decline of the Greek Cities in Italy and Sicily 15 Etruscan Culture and Religion 20
The Etruscans 15 Etruscan Art and Architecture 22
The Land of the Etruscans 17 The Role of the Etruscans in Roman History 26
Sources for Etruscan History 18 The Fate of the Etruscans 26
Etruscan Economic Life 18 Overview 27

III   Early Rome to 500 b.c. 28


The Ancient Literary Tradition and Its Sources 28 The Early Roman State 35
Reconstructing Early Roman History 30 The General Picture 39

v
vi  Contents

IV   Early Roman Society, Religion, and Values    40


The Principle of Hierarchy 40 The Openness of Early Roman Society to
The Family 40 Outsiders 48
Patrons and Clients 45 Early Roman Religion 48
Slaves and Freedmen 45 The State, Religion, and War 53
Roman Names and the Gens 45 The Values of Early Roman Society 53
Classes in Roman Society 47 Overview and Significance 55

V   From Tyrant Kings to Oligarchic Republic, 509 to 287 b.c.    56


Sources of Information for Early Republican The Dynamics of Change, 509 to 287 b.c. 63
History 57 Growing Plebeian Identity and Rights, ca. 500 to
From Kingship to Republic, ca. 510 to ca. 400 b.c. 64
ca. 490 b.c. 58 A New Period of Reform, 367 to 287 b.c. 68
The Early Form of the Republic 59 The Oligarchic Realities of the
The Priesthoods and Priestly Roman ­Republican Constitution
Colleges 61 after 287 b.c. 72

VI   The Roman Conquest of Italy and Its Impact, 509 to 264 b.c.    75
Conflicts with Immediate Neighbors 75 The Pyrrhic Wars and the Conquest of Peninsular
The Gallic Sack of Rome 77 Italy 81
Up from Defeat 77 The Manipular Army 83
Initial Conquests in Central Italy 78 The Economic, Social, and Cultural Impact of
The Roman System of Alliances and Citizen Roman Expansion in Italy by 264 b.c. 84
Communities 79 Rome’s Rise Surveyed and Explained 88
Renewed War and Conquests in
Central Italy 80

VII   The First Punic War, Northern Italy, and Illyrian Pirates, 264 to 219 b.c.    90
Sources for Roman History from 264 to The Truceless War and Roman Trickery, 241 to
133 b.c. 90 238 b.c. 99
A New Chapter in Rome’s Expansion 92 Roman Conquests in Northern Italy 99
Carthage 92 The Pirates of Illyria, 229 and
Sicily and the Outbreak of the First Punic War, 228 b.c. 100
264 b.c. 94 Renewed War with the Gauls,
Initial Carthaginian Setbacks, 263 and 225 to 220 b.c. 100
262 b.c. 96 Pirates Again, 220 to 219 b.c. 101
Expansion of the War 96 Rome’s Rise as a Mediterranean Power
A Titanic Struggle, 260 to 241 b.c. 96 Surveyed 101
Contents  vii

VIII   War with Hannibal: The Second Punic War, 218 to 201 b.c.    102
Carthaginian Recovery after 238 b.c. 102 The Roman Recovery 108
The Ebro Treaty 103 The First Macedonian War, 215 to 205 b.c. 108
Hannibal and the Outbreak of the Second Punic The War in Spain, 218 to 211 b.c. 109
War 103 Scipio Africanus 109
Causes of the Second Punic War 104 The Battle at the Metaurus and the Death of
Hannibal’s War Strategy 105 ­Hasdrubal, 207 b.c. 109
Roman War Plans 105 The End Approaches 110
Hannibal’s March to the Alps 105 The Battle of Zama (Naraggara), 202 b.c. 111
Hannibal’s Early Victories, 218 and 217 b.c. 106 Peace Terms 111
Fabius Maximus, Cunctator, 217 b.c. 107 Overview and Reasons for Roman Success 111
The Battle of Cannae, 216 b.c. 107 Aftermath and the Fate of Hannibal 111
Further Carthaginian Successes 108

IX   Roman Imperialism East and West, 200 to 133 b.c.    112
Provincial Governors 112 Rome and the Hellenistic East after Pydna
Roman Imperialism in the East 113 (168 b.c.) 120
Antiochus III (the Great) of Syria and Philip V of Roman Imperialism in the West, 200 to
Macedon 114 133 b.c. 122
The Second Macedonian War, 200 to 196 b.c. 115 Northern Italy 122
The Aggressions of Antiochus III (the Great), 196 Successes and Failures in Spain 123
to 192 b.c. 117 The Third Punic War, 149 to 146 b.c. 124
The War with Antiochus III (the Great), 192 to The Viriathic and Numantine Wars in Spain,
188 b.c. 118 151 to 133 b.c. 127
The Third Macedonian War, 171 to 168/167 b.c. 119 Overview and Assessment 127

X   The Transformation of Roman Life, 264 to 133 b.c.    129


The Impact of War and Overseas Expansion on Social Change and Discontent 133
Small Farmers 129 Political Developments 139
Coinage and the Monetization of the Overview and Assessment 142
Economy 131
The Growth of Trade, Cities, Industry, and
­Commerce 132

XI   The Great Cultural Synthesis, 264 to 133 b.c.    143


Architecture and Art 143 Law 150
Literature 144 Religion 151
Specialization in Genres 146 Education 152
Prose Literature 147 Overview and Prospect 152
Philosophy 149
viii  Contents

XII   The Gracchi and the Struggle over Reforms, 133 to 121 b.c.    154
Sources for the Period of the Gracchi, 133 to Gaius Gracchus, Tribune of the Plebs, 123 to
121 b.c. 154 122 b.c. 160
Mounting Problems 154 The Reforms of Gaius Gracchus 161
The Tribuneship of Tiberius Gracchus, Livius Drusus 163
133 b.c. 155 The Fall and Death of Gaius Gracchus 163
Tiberius’ Motives 157 The Popularis Political Legacy of the
The Land Commission and Its Impact 159 Gracchi 164
Rome’s Allies and the Death of Scipio 159

XIII   Destructive Rivalries, Marius, and the Social War, 121 to 88 b.c.    165
Sources for the Period from 121 to 88 b.c. 165 The Slave Revolt in Sicily, 104 to 100 b.c. 171
Populares and Optimates 165 Piracy in the Eastern Mediterranean 171
The Senatus Consultum Ultimum 166 The Political Fall of Marius 172
Post-Gracchan Land Legislation 167 A Decade of Optimate Domination 173
Other Internal Matters 167 The Explosive Reforms of M. Livius Drusus the
The Imperial Background to Domestic Younger, 91 b.c. 174
Politics 167 The Italian, or Social, War, 90 to 88 b.c. 174
The Popularis Rise of Gaius Marius (157 to The Aftermath of the Social War 175
86 b.c.) 169

XIV   Civil War and Sulla’s Reactionary Settlement, 88 to 78 b.c.    176


Sources for the Years 88 to 78 b.c. 176 Cinna’s Time (Cinnanum Tempus) 179
Mithridates VI Eupator (134 to 63 b.c.) 176 Sulla and the East, 87 to 84 b.c. 179
The Rise of Sulla (138 to 78 b.c.) 177 Sulla’s Return to Italy, 83 to 82 b.c. 180
Cinna’s Consulship, 87 b.c. 178 Sulla’s Reign of Terror, 82 b.c. 180
Marius and His Reign of Terror 178 Sulla’s Dictatorship and Political Reforms 181
The Significance of Marius 179 The Failure of Sulla 183

XV   Personal Ambitions: The Failure of Sulla’s Optimate Oligarchy,


78 to 60 b.c. 184
Sources for Roman History from 78 to 30 b.c. 184 The Consulship of Pompey and Crassus,
The Rise of Pompey the Great (106 to 48 b.c.), 70 b.c. 189
78 to 71 b.c. 185 Cicero Gains Fame in the Trial of Verres,
The Great (Third) Mithridatic War (74/73 to 70 b.c. 190
63 b.c.) and Lucullus’ Bid for Glory, 74 to Tribunes Make Their Marks, and Pompey
66 b.c. 187 Takes Control of the East, 67 to 62 b.c. 191
Crassus Seeks Advantage in the Slave War against Rome in the Absence of Pompey 194
Spartacus in Italy, 73 to 71 b.c. 188 After Pompey’s Return, 62 to 60 b.c. 198
Contents  ix

XVI   Caesar Wins and Is Lost, 60 to 44 b.c.    200


Caesar Partners with Pompey and Crassus, 60 to Rivalry and Civil War between Caesar and
58 b.c. 201 Pompey, 53 to 48 b.c. 207
Gaul and the Foundation of Caesar’s Might, Caesar’s Dictatorships and Final Victory,
58 to 56 b.c. 203 48 to 45 b.c. 210
Disorder at Rome and a Renewed Partnership, Caesar’s Work of Reconstruction 213
58 to 56 b.c. 204 The Assassination of Julius Caesar, March 15,
Caesar Overcomes Challenges in Gaul, 56 to 44 b.c. 215
52 b.c. 205 The Question of Monarchy 215
Caesar’s Partners Strive to Keep Up, 56 to The Significance of Caesar 216
53 b.c. 206

XVII   The Last Years of the Republic, 44 to 30 b.c.    217


Marcus Antonius Tries to Take Control, 44 to The Approach and Renewal of Civil War, 32 to
43 b.c. 217 30 b.c. 227
The Triumvirate of Octavian, Antonius, and The End of the Republic 229
Lepidus, 43 to 36 b.c. 221
Antonius and Cleopatra Rule the East, 37 to
32 b.c. 226

XVIII   S ocial, Economic, and Cultural Life in the Late Republic,


ca. 133 to ca. 30 b.c.    231
Land, Veterans, and Rural Life 231 Art and Architecture 244
Industry and Commerce 232 Late Republican Literature from the Gracchi to
The Concentration of Wealth 234 Sulla 245
Life for the Urban Poor 235 The Novi Poetae 246
Slaves and Freedmen 236 Catullus (ca. 85 to ca. 54 b.c.) 246
Italians and Provincials 237 Lucretius (ca. 94 to ca. 55 b.c.) 247
Women in the Late Republic 238 Cicero (106 to 43 b.c.) 247
New Waves of Hellenization 240 Sallust (86 to ca. 34 b.c.) 247
Education 240 Caesar (100 to 44 b.c.) 248
Law and the Legal System 241 Scholarship and Patriotic Antiquarianism 248
The Religious World of the Late Republic 242 The Cultural Legacy of the Late Republic 249
Greek Philosophy and the Roman Elite 243

XIX   The Principate of the Early Roman Empire Takes Shape, 29 b.c. to a.d. 14    250
Sources for the Augustan Principate 250 Octavian’s Advantages 251
Hopes for Peace 250 The Evolving Constitutional Arrangements of the
Problems to be Faced 250 Principate 252
x  Contents

The Nature of the Principate 256 Religious Reforms 261


The Creation of a Central Administration 257 Overview and Assessment 262
Social Reforms 260

XX   Imperial Stabilization under Augustus    263


Military Reforms 263 Road Building 272
Protection of the Emperor 265 The Imperial Post (Cursus Publicus) 272
Fiscal Reforms 265 Colonization 272
Provincial Reforms 266 Urbanization of the Provinces 274
Conquests in the West 267 Growth of the Imperial Cult 274
Solidifying Control of the Balkans, Crete, and The Problem of Succession 274
Cyrene 270 The Death of Augustus 278
Holding the East 270

XXI   The Impact of Augustus on Roman Imperial Life and Culture 279
The Population and Economic Impact Vergil (70 to 19 b.c.) 288
of Rome 279 Horace (65 to 8 b.c.) 289
Agriculture 280 The Latin Elegists 290
Agricultural Wealth and Urbanization 280 Latin Prose Writers 291
Cities of Italy and the Empire 280 The Impact of Augustus on Latin Literature 292
Nonagricultural Trade and Industry 281 Greek Writers 292
The Roman Imperial Coinage 283 Scholarly and Technical Writings 293
Architecture and Art 284 Law and Jurisprudence 293
Literature 288 The Augustan Achievement 293

XXII   T he First Two Julio–Claudian Emperors: Tiberius and Gaius (Caligula),


a.d. 14 to 41    294
Sources for the Julio–Claudians 294 Gaius Caligula (a.d. 37 to 41) 302
Tiberius (a.d. 14 to 37) 296 A Popular Princeps at First 303
Germanicus and Agrippina 297 Problems in the Palace 303
Livia 298 Tensions with the Senate 304
Sejanus 299 Caligula’s Military Operations 304
The Law of Treason (Maiestas) 299 Fiscal Problems 304
Tiberius and the Senate: The Increasing Power of Caligula’s Foreign and Provincial Policies 304
the Princeps 300 Caligula’s Religious Policies 305
Tiberius the Administrator 301 Caligula’s Assassination 305
Tiberius’ Last Years and the Succession 302 Overview and Prospect 305

XXIII   Claudius, Nero, and the End of the Julio–Claudians, a.d. 41 to 68    306
Claudius (a.d. 41 to 54) 306 Foreign Policy and Imperial Defense 309
The Political Philosophy and Policies of Colonization, Urbanization, and Romanization in
Claudius 307 the Provinces 310
Contents  xi

Claudius’ Wives 310 Growing Hostility Toward Nero 313


Claudius’ Death and the Succession of Nero Plots against the Throne 315
(a.d. 54 to 68) 311 Prelude to a Fall 315
Nero Surveyed 311 The Jewish Revolt and the Fall of Nero 316
The Darker Side of Nero’s Early Reign 312 Afterword 316
Nero Asserts Himself 313

XXIV   T he Crisis of the Principate and Recovery under the Flavians,


a.d. 69 to 96    317
Sources 317 The Expansion of Executive Power 322
Galba (68 to 69) 318 Fiscal Administration 322
Otho (69) 318 Public Expenditures 323
Vitellius (69) 318 The Opposition to Vespasian 323
Vespasian (69 to 79) 319 Vespasian’s Death, 79 323
The Restoration of Peace 320 Titus (79 to 81) 324
Reform of the Army 321 Domitian (81 to 96) 324
Provincial Policy 321 War and Rebellion, 82 to 93 325
The Near East 322 Fear, Purges, and the Murder of Domitian,
Vespasian’s Relations with the Senate 322 89 to 96 326

XXV   The Five “Good” Emperors of the Second Century, a.d. 96 to 180    327
Sources 327 The Jewish Revolt 333
Nerva (96 to 98) 328 New Directions under Hadrian 333
Trajan (98 to 117) 328 The Last Years of Hadrian 336
A Model Emperor 329 Antoninus Pius (138 to 161) 336
Trajan’s Wars 329 Faustina the Elder 337
The Death of Trajan, 117 330 Maintaining the Status Quo 337
The Empress Plotina 331 The Legacy of Antoninus 338
The Effects of Trajan’s Wars 331 Marcus Aurelius (161 to 180) 338
Hadrian (117 to 138) 331 Marcus Aurelius as Emperor and Soldier 339
The Early Years of Hadrian’s Principate 332 The Question of Succession 341
Hadrian’s Travels 332 Problems for the Future 342

XXVI   Culture, Society, and Economy in the First Two Centuries a.d.    343
Post-Augustan Imperial Literature 343 Resurgence of Literature under the Five “Good”
Poverty of Literature under Tiberius and Emperors 348
Caligula 344 Resurgence of Greek Literature 350
The Blossoming of the Silver Age in Literature The Second Sophistic 351
under Claudius and Nero 345 Christian Writers 351
Technical Writing and Scholarship 346 Philosophy 352
Science and Medicine 347 General Religious Trends 352
Philology and Literary Scholarship 348 Judaism 353
Lack of Great Literature under the Flavians, Mystery Cults 353
a.d. 69 to 96 348 Christianity 354
xii  Contents

Roman Architecture in the First Two Mosaics, Coins, and Medallions 361
Centuries a.d. 356 Social Developments 361
Architecture in the Provinces 359 Economic Trends 364
Sculpture 359 Inherent Economic and Fiscal Weakness of the
Painting 360 Roman Empire 365

XXVII   Conflicts and Crises under Commodus and the Severi, a.d. 180
to 235    367
Sources for Roman History, a.d. 180 to 285 368 Imperial Wars and Defense, 197 to 201/202 376
Commodus (180 to 192) 368 Roman Interlude, 203 to 207 377
Pertinax (January 1 to March 28, 193) 372 The War in Britain, 208 to 211 377
Didius Julianus (March 28 to June 1, 193) 372 Caracalla (211 to 217) 377
The Accession of Septimius Severus Macrinus (217 to 218) 379
(193 to 211) 372 Impressive Syrian Queens 379
New Sources of Imperial Authority and Elagabalus (218 to 222) 380
Legitimacy 373 Severus Alexander (222 to 235) 380
Systematic Reform 374

XXVIII   The Third-Century Anarchy, a.d. 235 to 285    382


Reasons for the Crisis 382 An Assessment of Gallienus 389
The Emperors of Troubled Times 384 Initial Recovery under Illyrian Soldier Emperors,
The Nightmare Begins, 235 to 253 384 268 to 275 389
The Age of Gallienus, 253 to 268 385 The Nightmare Resumes, 275 to 285 390
The Reforms of Gallienus 387

XXIX   Changes in Roman Life and Culture during the Third Century    392
Economic Life 392 Science and Philosophy 400
Social Trends 394 Education and the World of Letters 401
Third-Century Cultural Life 397 Art and Architecture 405
Religion 397 Summary and Prospect 407

XXX   Diocletian: Creating the Fourth-Century Empire, a.d. 285 to 305    408
Sources for Roman History during the Fourth Diocletian’s Other Initiatives 414
Century a.d. 408 The Persecution of Christians 417
The Rise of Diocletian 410 The Abdication 418
The Tetrarchy: A New Form of Imperial Rule, Prisca and Valeria 418
293 to 312 410 Problems Left by Diocletian 419
Contents  xiii

XXXI   Constantine the Great and Christianity, a.d. 306 to 337    420
The Rise of Constantine, 306 to 312 420 Constantine’s Secular Policies 427
A Victory for Christianity 423 The Founding of Constantinople,
Constantine and Licinius: The Empire Divided, 324 to 330 429
313 to 324 424 The Death of Constantine the Great, 337 429
Constantia and Her Sisters 426 Overview 431
The Council of Nicaea, 325 426

XXXII   F rom Constantine’s Dynasty to Theodosius the Great,


a.d. 337 to 395    432
Murder and Civil War 432 Gratian (375 to 383) and Theodosius the Great
The Empire under Constantius II 433 (379 to 395) 436
Julian the Apostate Emperor (361 to 363) 434 The Death of Theodosius and the Division of the
Jovian (June 363 to February 364) 435 Empire, 395 438
Valentinian I (364 to 375) and Valens
(364 to 378) 435

XXXIII   The Evolving World of Late Antiquity in the Fourth Century a.d.    439
Economic Conditions 439 Private Life 448
The Social Context 441 Overview 453

XXXIV   C hristianity and Classical Culture in the Fourth Century    454


Christianity and the Expansion of Classical Christian Literature of the Fourth
Culture 454 Century 461
The Educated World of Letters 458 Fourth-Century Art and Architecture 463

XXXV   G ermanic Takeover in the West and Imperial Survival in the East,
a.d. 395 to 518    472
Sources for Roman History from 395 to 518 472 The Franks 478
Western Weaknesses and Eastern Strengths 474 Angles, Saxons, and Jutes 478
Stilicho and Alaric, 395 to 410 475 The Vandals in Africa 479
The Visigothic Migration and Settlement after The End of Imperial Power in the West,
Alaric 476 454 to 500 479
The Vandals, Alans, and Suevi 477 Weak Men and Powerful Women: The Theodosian
Galla Placidia, Valentinian III (423 to 455), and Dynasty in the East, 395 to 450 481
Aetius 477 Persians and Huns, 408 to 450 482
Attila and the Huns, 443 to 454 477 Christian Controversies and Imperial
The Burgundians 478 Politics 483
xiv  Contents

German and Isaurian Generals 483 Religious Controversies Continued 484


Pulcheria and Marcian (450 to 457) 483 Anastasius (491 to 518) 485
Leo I (457 to 474) 484 Overview and Prospect 486
Leo II (473 to 474) and Zeno (474 to 491) 484

XXXVI   J ustin, Justinian, and the Impossible Dream of Universal Empire,


a.d. 518 to 602    487
Sources for the Period of Justin and Italy Is Invaded, 536 to 540 493
Justinian 487 Troubles in North Africa 495
The Reign of Justin (518 to 527) 488 The Second Persian War, 540 to 562 496
Justinian (527 to 565) 488 Resumption of War in Italy, 541 to 543 496
Theodora (508 to 548) 489 Troubles Everywhere 496
Religious Policies of Theodora and Internal Conflicts and Administration 497
Justinian 489 Belisarius Returns to Face Totila in Italy,
Legal Reforms 490 544 to 549 497
Administrative Reforms 490 The Lazic War, 549 to 557 498
John the Cappadocian 490 Peace in the East 498
The First Persian War, 527 to 532 491 Disaster in Italy, 549 to 551 498
The Nika Rebellion of the Blue and Green Circus The Recovery of Italy, 552 to 562 498
Factions, 532 491 Wars on Other Fronts, 544 to 561 499
The Rebuilding of Constantinople 492 Justinian’s Legacy and His Successors,
Reconquest of the North African Provinces, 565 to 602 499
533 to 534 493 Final Judgment 501

XXXVII   The Transformation of the Late Antique Roman World,


a.d. 395 to 600    502
The Economy 502 Classicizing Greek Poets 511
Social and Demographic Changes 503 The Late Greek Historians 511
Religion 506 Philosophy 512
The New Cultural Spirit 508 Theology 513
Latin Poetry 508 Art and Architecture 514
Latin Prose 509

XXXVIII   The Church and the Legacy of Rome    517


Transmitting the Roman Classical Legacy 517 The Rise of Rome 521
The Imperial Church 519

Bibliography 522

Index 538
Maps and Illustrations

Maps

Ancient Italy i East Africa, Arabia, and the Far East 273
Provinces of the Roman Empire to 117 c.e. ii Cities of the Roman Empire 276
Site of Ancient Rome 3 Products and Trade of the Roman Empire 282
Peoples of Early Italy 8 Imperial Rome 285
The Mediterranean, ca. 600 b.c. 12 The Dioceses and Provinces of the Roman
Italy about 256 b.c. 85 Empire in a.d. 314 412
The Mediterranean World, Constantinople (Hills: I–VII) 430
ca. 264–200 b.c. 91 Christian Rome 471
Northern Italy 106 Germanic Kingdoms about a.d. 562 473
The Roman Empire under the Justinian’s “Reconquest,” a.d. 533–565 494
Principate (Provincial Boundaries
ca. a.d. 180) 268

Illustrations

Biconical cinerary urn, Villanovan Etruscan bronze statue of the Chimaera 24


period 6 Etruscan bronze statue of Mars of Todi 24
Temple of Concordia at Acragas Floor plan and artist’s reconstruction of a
(Agrigentum) 16 ­Roman atrium house 25
Clay Etruscan Sarcophagus from Artist’s reconstruction of an Etruscan temple
Caere (Cerveteri) 20 at Veii 25
Wall painting, Tomb of the Lionesses at Terra-cotta Etruscan statue of Apollo 26
­Tarquinia 21 Statue of Junius Brutus with busts of his
Wall painting, Tomb of the Augurs at ancestors 41
­Tarquinia 21 The Ficoroni Cista 86
Bronze statue of the Capitoline Wolf with Bust of the Empress Livia, wife of
Romulus and Remus 23 Augustus 225

xv
xvi  Maps and Illustrations

The Street of Abundance at Pompeii 233 Wall paintings in a dining room of the House
The funerary monument of the baker of the Vettii, Pompeii 361
­Eurysaces at Rome 234 A statue of the Empress Livia depicted as
The funerary monument of the freedman Ceres 362
­physician A. Clodius Metrodorus 237 A bust of Melitine, priestess of Cybele 363
Wall painting of a young woman with stylus A bust of Geta, brother of Caracalla 376
and writing tablets at Pompeii 238 A bust of the Empress Julia Domna 379
Remains of the Sanctuary of Fortuna Floor plan of the Baths of Caracalla Rome 406
­Primigenia at Praeneste 245 Diocletian and the other tetrarchs, St. Mark’s,
The Maison Carrée at Nîmes 286 Venice 464
The Pont du Gard near Nîmes 286 Large head of Constantine 465
Sculptured relief panel of mother and babies Statue of C. Caecilius Dogmatius 466
from the Ara Pacis 287 Marble sarcophagus of Junius Bassus 467
The statue of Augustus from Prima Porta 288 Silver dish depicting Theodosius I, Arcadius,
Model of an apartment block (insula) and Valentinian II 467
at Ostia 308 A Panel from the ivory Diptych of the
Sculptured relief of the spoils from the Temple ­Symmachi 468
at Jerusalem on the Arch of Titus 320 Hagia Sophia at Constantinople (Istanbul) 492
The Temple of Trajan at Pergamum 330 Icon of Bishop Abraham from Egypt 514
Relief of Antinous from Hadrian’s Villa 331 Egyptian sculpture of Isis suckling her son,
A bust of Faustina the Younger, wife of Marcus Horus 514
Aurelius 338 Painting of Mary suckling Jesus 515
The Colosseum, Rome 356 Mosaic of Justinian and his attendants from
Plan of Trajan’s Forum, Rome 357 San Vitale, Ravenna 516
The Pantheon, Rome 359 Mosaic of Theodora and her attendants from
The city of Thamugadi (Timgad), North San Vitale, Ravenna 516
Africa 360
Preface

Teachers and students may wonder why a sixth New to This Edition
edition of A History of the Roman People is • Can be ordered in separate volumes, the
needed so soon after the fifth. My own experi- first covering everything through the estab-
ence in teaching from the fifth convinced me lishment of the Principate to the death of
that there was still much room for improvement Augustus; the second beginning with the
­
in both style and content. I realize that today’s establishment of the Principate and ending
students usually do not bring much background with the death of Maurice in 602.
knowledge of the subject to a course in R ­ oman
• New archaeological material, texts, and
history. Therefore, it is difficult for them to
scholarship taken into account
­absorb a lot of new information in complex sen-
tences. Indeed, they are not even used to the lev- • Individual women given a bigger share of the
el of grammatical complexity that students were stage alongside the usual cast of men promi-
once expected to have mastered before college. nent in the ancient sources.
Accordingly, I have striven throughout this edi- • More on the evolution of arms, military or-
tion to pare down the length and complexity of ganization and structures, and the social,
sentences. Information or arguments are provid- economic, and political impact of these
ed in more discrete units so that a reader is not changes and war in general
confronted with several pieces of new material • Chapters on the Julio-Claudian, Flavian, and
before getting to the end of a sentence. Antonine periods significantly updated and
Despite diligent attempts to avoid them in the given more narrative coherence
fifth edition, numerous errors of fact have been • Clearer presentation of dynastic complexi-
identified and corrected in the sixth. It is vain ties in chapters on Diocletian, Constantine,
to hope that in covering 1400 years of Roman and the Christian Empire
history, I have caught all old errors or avoided • Sections on religious changes and divisive
new ones. Any such defects notwithstanding, I theological issues updated and clarified
have tried to remain true to the goals of Fritz
• Chapter summaries and overviews expanded
Heichelheim and Cedric Yeo in the original edi-
or added where space allowed
tion: giving students a solid grasp of the main
problems and issues in Roman history as well as
the information needed to address them. That
approach seems to have stood the test of time. I
hope that it will in this edition, too.

xvii
xviii  Preface

Unfortunately, there was not enough space Alison Futrell of University of Arizona; Tracey
to accommodate more pictures, maps, illus- Marx of Marian University; Rosemary Moore
trations, ­
genealogical charts, and selections of University of Iowa; Luca Grillo of Amherst
from original sources. Each instructor, how- College; and Neil Hackett of St. Louis Uni-
ever, will have her or his favorites that would versity, who critiqued the fifth edition, have
not have been included and would have to provided extremely valuable guidance. That
be assigned or presented in one way or an- I have not followed all of their suggestions or
other throughout the course being taught. acceded to every request means only that time
It is hoped that this textbook will provide and resources were ­limited.
the depth of knowledge and understanding Most of all, however, I must thank Carol
needed to make full use of those additional Maturo Ward for her infinite patience and lov-
assignments and materials. ing devotion as she again combined the roles of
As always, I could not have had whatever wife, critic, proofreader, and cheerleader. She
success I may have achieved without the as- has been through this grueling process twice in
sistance of many. Rob DeGeorge, Nicole five years of marriage. That would qualify any
Suddeth, Ashley Dodge, and Kathleen
­ wife for sainthood.
Sleys of Pearson and Allison Campbell and
George Jacob of Integra have been unfailingly Allen M. Ward
cooperative and helpful. Outside evaluators
­ University of Connecticut, Storrs
I

Roman History: Its Geographic


and Human Foundations

Introduction to Roman History When most inhabitants became a single entity, the populus
people think of Rome, they envision the Rome Romanus, the Roman People. This expansion,
of Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire that however, eventually carried Roman power so
succeeded him. That is the Rome entertainingly, far beyond its advantageous Italian base that it
but not always accurately, portrayed in shows could no longer maintain the cohesion achieved
and films like the HBO series Rome, the at its height. It eventually disintegrated in the
Masterpiece Theater production of I Claudius, face of both internal and external pressures.
or famous Hollywood sword-and-sandal epics
like Cleopatra, Ben Hur, Quo Vadis, The Fall Geography Modern technology often seems
of the Roman Empire, and Gladiator. Prior to to have given human beings mastery over the
Caesar, however, the history of Rome extends physical world. Therefore, many people overlook
back from the Republic to foundations laid in geographic factors in historical developments.
prehistoric Italy. The prehistoric foundations will Also, modern historians rightly wish to avoid the
be outlined briefly in this chapter. Subsequent simplistic fallacies of geographic determinism.
chapters will cover the full scope of Roman Nevertheless, geography and the physical
history from the beginnings of the city of Rome environment are important in shaping the course
in primitive villages on some hills beside the of human events and should not be ignored
Tiber River to the disintegration of the Roman in trying to explain the past. For example, the
Empire about 1300 to 1400 years later. reason why Italy, unlike Crete and mainland
To understand this whole complex history, Greece, did not reach a high level of civilization
it is necessary to begin with its geographic, in the Bronze Age is that the latter were closer
demographic, and ethnic context. That con- to the even earlier centers of civilization in the
text shaped the development of Rome from a Near East and Egypt. It simply took longer for
collection of prehistoric villages to the urban the influence of older civilizations to spread
republic whose citizens and allies embraced farther west to Italy. Nevertheless, once Italy
all the peoples of Italy. That accomplishment had achieved an internal level of development on
gave the Romans the resources and outlook par with that of the older centers of civilization
that helped them conquer a vast overseas em- in the eastern Mediterranean basin, a number of
pire. They eventually united the greater part geographic factors contributed to its becoming
of western Europe, much of the Ancient Near the center of a Mediterranean-wide empire
East, and most of North Africa, whose free under the control of Rome.

1
2  CHAPTER I Roman History: Its Geographic and Human Foundations

Maritime Orientation and Advantages (cappellaccio, Peperino, Grotta Oscura, and


Separated from the rest of Europe by the Alps to travertine); and volcanic pozzolana for making
the north, Italy is naturally oriented toward the cement. Etruria not only possessed these re-
sea. The west coast has access to the Tyrrhenian sources but also was rich in valuable metals. It
Sea, the southeast coast overlooks the Ionian produced lead, zinc, copper, silver, and tin. On
Sea, and the east coast from the “heel” of the off-shore island of Elba (Ilva), it controlled
the peninsula’s “boot” northward fronts the most of ancient Italy’s iron ore.
Adriatic. Italy juts out like a giant pier from
No Serious Physical Barriers to Internal
the continental mass of Europe southeastward
Unity Topography made it possible for a
750 miles into the middle of the Mediterranean
single, centrally located, and populous city
proper. Also, the island of Sicily is separated
to unite Italy and utilize its great resources
from the “toe” of Italy by only the narrow Straits
and strategic position to expand in the wider
of Messana (Messena, Messina) and from North
Mediterranean. Although the Apennine
Africa by only ninety miles of water. Therefore,
Mountains cut through Italy in a great arc
Italy and Sicily naturally dominate the sea lanes
swinging out from the northwest southeastward
that link the eastern and western Mediterranean
along the Adriatic coast and then back to the
basins and the lands around them. Before the
southwest coast along the Tyrrhenian Sea, they
rise of greater powers to the north and west,
are not a serious barrier to internal unity. On
the power that controlled Italy was in an ideal
average, they are 4000 to 6000 feet high and are
strategic and economic position for dominating
pierced by numerous easy passes. Moreover,
the whole Mediterranean world.
most of Italy is easily accessible by water,
the most efficient avenue of transport and
Natural and Human Resources Bounded
communication in ancient times. With its long
by the Alps to the north and northwest and by
coasts and a width no greater than 150 miles
the Apennines to the south, the northern part
south of the Po valley, much of Italy could be
of Italy is a vast alluvial plain watered by the Po
reached directly by ancient ships. Navigable
and Adige rivers. On the west coast, between
rivers like the Po, Arno, Tiber, Liris, and
the Apennines and the Tyrrhenian Sea, are
Volturnus provided convenient water routes
the wide lowland plains of Etruria, Latium,
between the sea and the interior. The Tiber
and Campania. They are fertilized by a layer of
River, its tributaries, and their valleys were
volcanic ash and weathered lava ejected by the
particularly helpful to Rome in uniting the
many volcanoes that had been active in earlier
peoples of central Italy under its control. After
geologic times. The Arno, the Tiber, the Liris,
that, Rome had the resources to dominate the
and the Volturnus river systems provide them
rest of Italy.
water. The fertile and well-watered plains of
northern and western Italy are among the largest The Site of Rome As the Roman historian
and best agricultural areas in the Mediterranean Livy noted, Rome occupied “a site uniquely
world. They supported dense populations and adapted to the growth of a great city” (Book
made Italy, in Vergil’s words, the “mother of 5.45.5). Rome was centrally located in the
men,” the main source of ancient military might. fertile plains of western Italy fifteen miles from
Ancient Italy also had other valuable re- the mouth of the Tiber River on the northern
sources. Although it was not rich by modern edge of Latium. Here the Tiber River makes a
standards, it was for its time. Extensive forests big eastward bend and is slowed somewhat by
provided abundant wood for fuel and timber Tiber Island midstream. Near this same spot,
for ships and buildings until they were over- seven hills ranging from 200 feet to 700 feet
cut in the late first millennium b.c. The most above sea level rise near the east (left) bank of
abundant mineral resources were stone build- the river. They make the site easily defensible.
ing materials: hard stones like marble, granite, The hills nearest the Tiber are the Capitoline,
basalt, and flint; softer, more easily worked the Palatine, and the Aventine, which are
types like sandstone and various kinds of tufa separated from one another by intervening
CHAPTER I Roman History: Its Geographic and Human Foundations   3

valleys. Farther to the east and enclosing the The Tiber River and its valley provided
three foregoing hills in a kind of arc, stand Rome with communications north into central
the other four: the Quirinal, the Viminal, the Italy. Possession of the bridgehead nearest to
Esquiline, and the Caelian. On those seven the mouth of the Tiber also gave the Romans
hills eventually stood the city of Rome. Two easy access to the coastal route between Etruria
other hills across the river, the Janiculum and and the plains of Latium and Campania. Thus,
the Vatican, were ultimately incorporated, too. Rome’s geographic position in Italy made it
Although the importance of the Tiber River the focal point of the natural communication
for Rome’s growth and success as a city can routes running up, down, and across the pen-
be exaggerated, it was great. Opposite Tiber insula. Even in early times, the Tiber and its
Island, the river’s slowed current and gently valley were major routes for bringing salt from
inward-curving left bank provided an ideal the coast into central Italy.
landing place for ancient merchant ships and Control of crucial water and land routes
river boats. The island also provided the first for communications in Italy also permitted
convenient ford and bridgehead nearest to the Rome’s armies to strike in almost any direction
river’s mouth. Sandbars at the Tiber’s mouth at will with minimum expenditure of effort.
and Rome’s location some distance upstream The seven hills made possible the observation
protected the city from attack by large war of enemy movements, and the proximity of the
ships and sudden sea raids by smaller vessels. hills to one another facilitated the fusion of
Eventually, Rome became Italy’s largest river several village communities into a single city.
port as Greek, Phoenician, and Etruscan mer- Ultimately, it became the largest in area and
chants took advantage of its ideal location for population not only in Italy but also, perhaps,
trade. in the whole premodern world.

PINCIAN 4th Century B.C. wall

be
r

Ti
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AL
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AN

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Campus
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Cispiu
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Martius
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ESQUILINE
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Subura
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Forum tal
Fagu
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Romanum
CA a Oppius
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Velab
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Forum PALATINE
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Pons Sublicius Boarium


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AVENTINE
ib

0 400 800 METERS

Site of Ancient Rome


4  CHAPTER I Roman History: Its Geographic and Human Foundations

Strategically located for both defense and central Italy at Lake Bracciano, about twenty
offense, Rome was a river port, bridge town, miles northwest of Rome, a large Neolithic
road center, and magnet of trade and popula- village dated to ca. 5700 b.c. has been discov-
tion. It was thus favored by nature in ancient ered under the present water level. It seems
times to be the capital of a unified Italy. Then, to have been settled by people who brought
given Italy’s central location, natural resources, with them a fully developed Neolithic farming
and large population, Rome became the seat culture. Their large seaworthy canoes may in-
of a Mediterranean empire. dicate that they originally came some distance
by sea, perhaps from previously settled south-
The Peoples and Cultures of Pre-Roman eastern Italy, which had large concentrations
Italy Demographic factors are another of Neolithic villages.
source of economic, social, political, military, Painted Neolithic pottery from southern
and cultural strength. The population of Italy Italy has links eastward to Dalmatia and the
by the beginning of the Roman Republic Peloponnese and westward to Capri and the
(ca. 500 b.c.) was the product of a diverse Lipari Islands. In northern Italy, there were peo-
ethnic and cultural heritage that stretched back ple who produced small clay female figurines
thousands of years. Although later Roman and dark, polished, square-mouthed pottery
myths and legends are not literally historical, decorated with incised geometric designs. They
they do reflect an understanding that the early had cultural links with people on the northeast-
Romans had heterogeneous origins. They ern Adriatic coast and possibly eastern central
stand in sharp contrast with the ethnically Europe. People in northwestern Italy, however,
exclusive myths of origin embraced by ancient had stronger connections with peoples of west-
Greek city-states. Conflict and violence not ern Switzerland and eastern France.
withstanding, the Romans were more willing It is clear that there were flourishing internal
to assimilate other people. They united Italy and external trade networks during the middle
into a strong federation based on a degree of and late Neolithic periods. Southeastern vil-
equality and fairness unusual for ancient times. lages obtained obsidian from the Lipari Islands
in the southwest. Stone axes of polished ser-
From Paleolithic Times to the End of the pentine and jadeite came from both south-
Bronze Age: 700,000 to 1000 b.c. Human western and northwestern Italy. In northern
habitation in Italy goes back to at least Italy, during the transition to the Bronze Age
700,000 b.c. during the Lower Paleolithic from around 2500 b.c. onward, artifacts first of
period (2,500,000–200,000 b.c.). Numerous copper and then of bronze have parallels with
finds from the Upper Paleolithic period those from central Europe. Southern Italian
(40,000—10,000 b.c.) are associated with copper and bronze goods from the same period
human beings of the present type, Homo have similarities with those from the Aegean.
sapiens sapiens. How much, if at all, groups Material culture and the technology of metal-
from these periods contributed to the later working advanced more rapidly in the Italian
population of Italy is not known, but from North. There, the trade in amber from northern
the Mesolithic (10,000–6000 b.c.) and the Europe crossed the Alps into the Po valley on
Neolithic (6000–2500 b.c.), there seems to its way to the Aegean world via the Adriatic.
have been a continuous development of By ca. 1700 b.c., Bronze Age culture was
peoples and cultures within Italy from both flourishing throughout Italy. It can be seen in
internal growth and external influences. the substantial villages of the Peschiera and
Changes occurred rapidly in early Neolithic Terramara cultures in northern Italy. They were
times. Genetic evidence supports the the- built on pilings beside Alpine lakes and in the Po
ory that Neolithic farmers, building on the valley. There are several contemporary sites in
“Agricultural Revolution” that had originated Campania in the vicinity of Mt. Vesuvius. One
in Southwest Asia, migrated from Anatolia and of them, near Nola, is a Bronze Age Pompeii.
the Levant to the Balkans and then to Italy. In It is preserved to an amazing degree by the ash
CHAPTER I Roman History: Its Geographic and Human Foundations   5

and mud that buried it during a massive erup- physical and cultural assimilation and modifi-
tion of Vesuvius ca. 1700 b.c. Another major cation as they migrated to new regions. Thus,
site was recently discovered at Poggiomarino on new Indo-European tongues arose.
the Sarno River It is ca. fifteen miles south of The various Indo-European-speaking groups
Nola and only six miles northeast of Pompeii. that evolved over time seem to have shared some
Settled ca. 1500 b.c., it was continuously inhab- other important cultural characteristics besides
ited during the rest of the Bronze Age and the the linguistic. Words relating to weapons, horses,
early Iron Age. Then, it was overwhelmed by a and cattle are prominent in their vocabularies,
flood ca. 500 b.c. and buried in mud. The houses but there are few terms relating to farming and
were built on pilings, as at the Peschiera and even fewer connected with seafaring. Probably,
Terramara sites and the even earlier Neolithic therefore, early Indo-European-speaking people
site at Lake Bracciano. The pilings were used originated as warlike, seminomadic pastoral-
to create artificial islets linked together by a so- ists. They appear to have had a patriarchal so-
phisticated system of canals. The site seems to cial structure, often organized in tribal kinship
have been a center of manufacturing connected groups. A king and his council usually provided
with the long-distance trade in high-status goods leadership, but ultimate sovereignty often re-
like bronze and Baltic amber. sided in an assembly of adult males. A polythe-
istic religion that prominently featured a patriar-
Indo-European-Speaking Peoples and the chal sky god also seems to have been common.
Late Bronze Age: 1300 to 1100 b.c. The late At the beginning of the late Bronze Age
Bronze Age seems to have witnessed the arrival (ca. 1300 b.c.), the first Indo-European speak-
of Indo-European-speaking peoples into Italy. ers to enter Italy may have crossed the Alps and
The term Indo-European has no biological mixed with the existing inhabitants of the Po
significance. It has replaced earlier labels like valley. At the very least, major cultural changes
Aryan, Indo-Aryan, and Indo-German, which took place that could be associated with an
are associated with untenable nineteenth- influx of Indo-European speakers: domestic
and early-twentieth-century racist ideas. horses and certain types of pottery appear for
Indo-European is primarily a linguistic label the first time in the archaeological record of
used to identify the family of closely related Italy. Also, representations of chariots and
languages that include Sanskrit in India, Persian, four-wheeled wagons that many scholars associ-
Armenian, the Slavic tongues, Greek, the Celtic ate with Indo-European culture were carved in
dialects, the Germanic languages, English, Latin, Alpine rocks on the borders of northern Italy.
and all the Latin-derived Romance languages. As yet, however, no actual remains of such ve-
Linguistic scholars have reconstructed a hy- hicles from that period have been found in Italy.
pothetical Indo-European mother tongue from At the same time, the fairly uniform spread
the common characteristics of these languages. of what is called the Apennine culture through-
It seems to have originated among people liv- out the Apennine range may reflect an influx of
ing between the Black and Caspian seas in other Indo-European speakers. They could have
what is now southern Russia. Probably in the come from the Balkans and entered Italy on the
third millennium b.c., various groups of Indo- east and southeast coasts by way of the Ionian
European speakers began to migrate. Some Sea. Their pottery is similar in style and decora-
headed south. Others went north and west. tion to that from the same period in Greece and
They resettled and intermingled—sometimes the Balkans. On the other hand, the Apennine
peacefully, sometimes violently—with the ex- culture could also have grown out of the previ-
isting inhabitants of territories into which they ous Bronze Age cultures and been influenced
migrated. Their language and culture became through trading contacts with Greece and the
modified in ways that gradually distinguished Balkans. The people of the Apennine culture
them from other Indo-European-speaking and the other Bronze Age peoples of Italy had
groups. Eventually, some people from the new access to late Bronze Age trade goods, such as
groups would undergo a similar process of pottery and metalware that were brought from
6  CHAPTER I Roman History: Its Geographic and Human Foundations

Greece by Mycenaean traders along the Italian name from the ancient town of Ateste (Este)
coast. In fact, the stimulus of Mycenaean trade ca. fifty-five miles northeast of Bologna. In
created a common style of bronze artifacts from much of the rest of Italy, the Villanovan culture
central Europe, across Italy, and around the marks the transition from the Bronze to the
Aegean. Iron Age during the tenth century b.c. in Italy.
The spread of what is called the Urnfield cul- The term Villanovan does not signify any ethnic
ture from central Europe across the Alps into group. It comes from Villanova, a small hamlet
Italy around 1100 b.c. much more clearly rep- five miles east of Bologna, where many of the
resents an influx of Indo-European speakers artifacts typically associated with Villanovan
than does the spread of the Apennine culture. culture were first discovered. The earliest
This development probably was associated with examples of Villanovan culture have been
the widespread disturbances and movements of found farther south, in southern Etruria and
peoples that characterized the late Bronze Age northern Latium, including the site of Rome.
all over central Europe and the eastern half of The peoples who produced the Villanovan
the Mediterranean. The name Urnfield is taken culture probably evolved from interaction
from the distinctive practice of cremating the between those associated with the earlier
dead and placing their ashes in urns that were Urnfield culture and various other peoples with
buried close together in cemeteries. These urns whom they traded and intermingled.
were all variations of a general design called bi- The Villanovan culture carried on many of
conical because they were tapered toward the the traditions associated with the Urnfield cul-
top and bottom. The upper part was usually ture. People continued to live in curved-sided
covered with a top shaped like a bowl or helmet.
The Indo-European Celtic languages
evolved north of the Alps in association with the
later stages of the Urnfield culture. The Italic
Indo-European dialect group evolved south of
the Alps in the areas where Urnfield material
culture appears even later. Both groups have
certain common linguistic elements that they do
not share with other Indo-European languages.
Therefore, it is hard to deny some significant
influx of Indo-European-speaking people into
Italy from north of the Alps. In the predigital
age, people did not adopt significant elements
of a new language through mere cultural con-
tact nearly so readily as they adopted a new ma-
terial culture to which they were exposed.
The Urnfielders, as they are called, spread
rapidly from the Po valley to the southern lim-
its of Italy. They seem at times to have taken
over existing communities and at other times
to have been assimilated into them. While
Urnfield settlements were numerous, they in
no way replaced or overwhelmed previous
populations. Instead, they and the older inhab-
itants interacted to produce several distinctive
local cultures and populations in the Iron Age.
Early Iron Age Italy: 1000 to 750 b.c. In A typical biconical cinerary urn for cremation
northeastern Italy, the Iron Age culture of the burials in the Villanovan period. (Courtesy SEF/
Atestines emerged around 950 b.c. It takes its Art Resource, NY)
CHAPTER I Roman History: Its Geographic and Human Foundations   7

huts made of wattle and daub on a frame of River. Their linguistic affiliations are unclear.
poles, cremated their dead, and buried their They were probably descended in large part
ashes in tall, biconical urns placed in round from the early Neolithic inhabitants of the area.
holes or rectangular stone-lined tombs. Various In their predominantly mountain terrain, most
metal tools, weapons, and small ornaments, of the Ligurians never reached a high level of
such as brooches, bracelets, and razors, were development. In the second century b.c., they
placed inside or around the tombs. In the South, were often the convenient targets for Roman
the ashes of the dead were sometimes placed in commanders looking for easy triumphs. On the
clay hut-urns, which were miniature versions of coast, however, several fine harbors like Genua
the curved-sided huts used by the living. (Genoa), Savo (Savona), and Albingaunum
Evidence of the kinds of cultural interac- (Albegna) offered their inhabitants the chance
tions that took place can be seen at or near to become skilled sailors and merchants and to
southern Villanovan sites where some people establish prosperous communities.
did not cremate their dead but buried them in
Etruscans To the east and south of the
long, rectangular pits or trenches, fossae (sing.
Ligurians were located people collectively known
fossa), lined with stone. This tradition is prob-
as Etruscans. Like their Greek contemporaries,
ably derived from the Apennine culture that
they shared a common language and general
appeared earlier in this region. Nevertheless,
culture but were politically fragmented and had
to distinguish so-called Fossa People from
many local differences. They spoke a non-Indo-
Villanovans as different ethnic groups on the
European language. The words of surviving
basis of their different burial practices is meth-
texts can be read because they are written
odologically unsound.
in an alphabet borrowed from the Greeks.
On the other hand, these texts (long ones in
The Peoples of Italy ca. 750 to 400 b.c.
particular) cannot be fully understood, because
The various prehistoric cultures of Italy are
the language has no identifiable connection with
known only from archaeological evidence. They
any better-known language. The Etruscans were
eventually evolved into a number of distinctive
concentrated in Etruria, between the Arno and
groups identified in the written sources of
the Tiber rivers. Some extended north across the
Roman history and further understood through
Apennines into the Po valley from the Rubicon
archaeological research. Numerous factors
River to Lake Maggiore. Others moved
contributed to their evolution: first, specific
southward into Campania. They all developed a
local conditions; then, commercial contact with
rich, powerful urban culture and will be treated
outsiders like the Phoenicians, Greeks, and
more fully in the next chapter.
emerging Celtic peoples north of the Alps; and,
eventually, the heavy immigration of newer Veneti In the northeast, bounded by the
settlers, such as the Greeks in the South and Atesis (Adige) River, the Alps, and the Adriatic
the Celts in the North. The Romans themselves eastward to Histria (Istria), were the Veneti.
came into existence through this same process. They eventually gave their name to Venice.
The process would continue as the Romans They were descended from the Atestines, and
interacted with and absorbed (often violently) were excellent metalworkers, horse-breeders,
the peoples identified in ancient historical and merchants. Their language was an Indo-
sources. The names of these peoples will occur European dialect closely related to Latin but
frequently in the next few chapters. It will be originally written in an alphabet borrowed
helpful to give a brief overview of them now directly from the Etruscans.
(see map, p. 8).
Gauls (Celts) By the late fifth century
Ligurians (Ligures) The Ligurians were b.c., the central part of the Po valley, between
composed of several different subgroups. They the Ligurians and the Veneti, had been heavily
inhabited the northwest corner of Italy between settled by Gauls (Galli). They overwhelmed
the Alps, the Ticinus River, and the western the earlier Etruscan inhabitants and eventually
flank of the Apennines down to the Arno caused the Romans to call this area Cisalpine
Ligurians Phoenicians
Gauls (Celts) Faliscans-Latins
Greeks Oscans
Veneti Iapygians
Etruscans Piceni (Picentes)

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ISLANDS Messana
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Drepana Rhegium
M AEGATES
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P Carthage r Syracuse
r
COSSURA a
n
e
0 50 100 150 MILES a
n
MELITA
0 50 100 150 KILOMETERS
(MALTA) S e a

Peoples of Early Italy

8
CHAPTER I Roman History: Its Geographic and Human Foundations   9

Gaul, “Gaul this side of the Alps.” The Gauls each dialect retained a large element of the non-
were a branch of the Indo-European Celts. Indo-European language spoken by earlier in-
The Celtic family of languages and the Italic habitants of the region. The tribes represented
dialects seem to share a common origin among by these dialects were primarily pastoralists and
the Indo-European-speaking people of the peasant farmers. They constantly needed more
Urnfield culture of the late Bronze Age (p. 6). land to support their growing populations. The
Spreading out from central Europe, the Celts wealthier, more urbanized people of the neigh-
had first moved west into France, the British boring plains, especially Latium and Campania,
Isles, and Spain. Then they moved south and also often sought to expand their own territo-
east into Italy, the Balkans, and finally Asia ries. The result was frequent and bitter conflict.
Minor, where they became known as the Thus, the external history of Rome during the
Galatians. early Republic (509–264 b.c.) revolves primarily
around wars with neighboring tribes, particu-
Latins On the west coast of central Italy
larly the Aequi, Marsi, Volsci, and Samnites.
south of the Tiber lies the fertile, well-watered
plain of Latium, home of the Latins. They
Oscans and Iapygians The Oscans origi-
were another Indo-European-speaking group
nally dwelt in the part of Lucania around
that had evolved out of the general spread of
Campania. They were largely descendants
such speakers throughout most of Italy in the
of an earlier, non-Indo-European-speaking
late Bronze and early Iron Ages. Their Italic
people. Sabellic speakers, particularly the
dialect and that of the neighboring Faliscans
Samnites, gradually moved into their terri-
to the north made up one of the two major
tory and superimposed their Sabellic, Indo-
Italic dialect-groups that predominated in
European dialect. Even before that, however,
the central Apennine region. The foothills
the Oscans already may have been influenced
of the Apennines in eastern Latium and the
by earlier Indo-European-speaking migrants.
rolling central plain were ideal for herding
Across the Apennines, along the lower
and the cultivation of grain. Latium was well
Adriatic and around the Gulf of Tarentum,
forested until late in the first millennium b.c.
were several tribes known collectively as
and provided an abundant supply of wood for
Iapygians. They had evolved in close cultural
building and fuel. Accordingly, the Latins grew
and commercial contact with Mycenaean and
in numbers and developed many prosperous
post-Mycenaean Greece. There may well have
individual towns—Alba Longa (destroyed
been some admixture of migrants from the
ca. 600 b.c.), Antium, Ardea, Aricia, Cora,
Balkans, but certainty on this matter is impossi-
Lanuvium, Lavinium, Praeneste, Rome,
ble. The Massapii were one of these tribes. They
Tibur, and Tusculum. Rome would eventually
gave their name to Massapian, the language of
unite all of the Latins. Through Rome, their
the Iapygians. It, too, was Indo-European but
Italic dialect would become one of the most
was not part of the two Italic dialect-groups.
important languages in the world.
Umbro-Sabellians Throughout the ­central Piceni (Picentes) Various subgroups gen-
Apennines, from the Rubicon in the North, erally identified as Piceni or Picentes inhab-
where the mountains come close to the Adriatic ited the mid-Adriatic coast north and south
at Ariminum (Rimini), and down through of Ancona between the Aesis and Pescara
Campania and Lucania, dwelt various tribes of (Aternus) rivers. Their culture is not so uniform
people called Umbro-Sabellians. They spoke as once thought, but there are enough similari-
related Italic dialects previously called Osco- ties to continue to treat them together. They had
Umbrian and now often referred to as Sabellic. a long tradition of stock raising supplemented
Among these tribes were the Umbrians, with hunting and fishing. From the ninth cen-
Vestini, Frentani, Sabines, Aequi, Marsi, Volsci, tury b.c. onward, they maintained active trade
Campani, Lucani, and Samnites. Although their networks: across the Adriatic, north and south
family of Italic dialects was Indo-European, along the Italian coast, and even west into
10  CHAPTER I Roman History: Its Geographic and Human Foundations

Etruscan territory. The abundance of weapons The Greater Picture Geographic and de-
found in early graves is compatible with their mographic factors greatly benefitted the
later reputation among the Romans as tough Romans. First, Rome’s strategic location on
and warlike people. Linguistic evidence for the the Tiber in west-central Italy enabled them
northern area is not clear, but the people in the to create a powerful city. Then, Italy, which
southern region seem to have spoken a tongue was rich in natural resources, posed few seri-
firmly linked to the Sabellic dialects. A number ous topographical obstacles to control from
of leading men from Picenum became impor- Rome’s central location. Also, by the fifth
tant at Rome in the second and first centuries century b.c., Italy’s land supported an exten-
b.c., the most important of whom was Pompey sive population of diverse ethno-linguistic
the Great. groups. Their disunified descendants were
absorbed by the centrally located Romans
Greeks All around the coast of southern through either peaceful alliance or, more
Italy from the Bay of Naples to Tarentum, often, violent conquest. By the end of the first
Greeks had established important colonies century b.c., they had all become citizens of
since the end of the ninth century b.c. Several Rome, members of the populus Romanus. By
were prosperous trading centers and exercised the same time, Roman armies had used Italy’s
significant cultural and economic influence manpower, natural resources, and central lo-
upon the other peoples in Italy. They will be cation in the Mediterranean Sea to conquer a
discussed further in the next chapter. Mediterranean-wide empire.
II

Phoenicians, Greeks, and Etruscans


in Pre-Roman Italy

Before Rome could unite Italy or create a eastern Mediterranean. That contact stimulated
Mediterranean-wide empire, the primitive vil- the growth of correspondingly complex societ-
lages from which it grew had to become a city ies in Italy, particularly in Etruria, Latium, and
and a state. The emergence in Italy of complex Campania. Its impact was strongest on those
urban communities and organized states must who inhabited the region of Etruria and came to
be seen in the context of developments that be known in English as Etruscans.
began with the collapse of high Bronze Age
civilizations in the eastern Mediterranean and The Phoenicians The Phoenicians were those
the Aegean between 1200 and 1000 b.c. The whom the Greeks called Phoinikes and the
first important developments took place on Romans called Poeni. From the noun Poeni
the coast of the Levant in several commercial comes the Latin adjective Punicus (Punic) in ref-
cities inhabited by people known in English as erence to the Phoenicians who settled Carthage.
the Phoenicians. They carried on much of what They were descendants of the Canaanites de-
post-collapse trade remained in the eastern scribed in the Hebrew Bible. During the second
Mediterranean world. As peace and stability millennium b.c., the Canaanites inhabited the
returned between 1000 and 800 b.c., an increase Syro-Palestinian coast of the Levant. It stretched
in population and commerce promoted the from just above the city of Ugarit to the Egyptian
growth and spread of complex urban societies. frontier in the south, near the city of Gaza (map,
They appeared among the Phoenicians first and p. 12). The Canaanites spoke one of the Semitic
then the Greeks, who were heavily influenced languages, which include ancient Akkadian,
by contact with the Phoenicians and other Near Assyrian, and Amorite (Babylonian); biblical
Eastern people between 800 and 600 b.c. and modern Hebrew; and Arabic. Just as Indo-
By 800 b.c., Phoenician traders looking for European and Indo-European-speaking people
metals like silver, copper, lead, tin, and iron were are cultural and linguistic terms with no bio-
active along the west coast of Italy. They found logical or racial significance, so are Semitic and
significant sources in Etruria and on the island Semitic-speaking people. They merely indicate
of Elba (Ilva). Greek traders soon joined the people who speak one of a number of linguisti-
Phoenicians. Not long afterward, Greek settlers cally similar languages.
established numerous colonies in southern Italy Under Egyptian hegemony from 1900 to 1200
and Sicily. Both the Phoenicians and the Greeks b.c., Canaanite ports prospered as vital entrepôts.
brought the native peoples of Italy into contact They linked together Egypt, Crete, Cyprus,
with the advanced cultures and economies of the Mycenaean Greece, Anatolia, Syria–Palestine,

11
12
Rhi
ne
GERMANY

R.
ATL ANTI C S eine R.

GAUL

Loi
OC E AN

re R
Olbia

.
Panticapaeum

G
R.

ar r
on
Po R.
C
O

e R.
Rhône
Ebr ITA LY
uro (Duri o Tomi
LC

Do us) Nicea Sea

R.
R. Arno .
Massilia Populonia R D an u b e R . ack
HI

Bl
S

A
Tejo (
S PAIN Vetulonia Sinope

d
Tagus
) R. Emporiae ri
IL LY R IA
at Trapezus

Tiber R.
a( CORSICA ic
ian A n as) R. Tarraco Heraclea

d
Aleria Tarquinia
Se
a Pontica

ua
Rome
(Alalia)

G
Pyrgi Cumae Byzantium R.

S
Guadalquivir (Baetis) R. Epidamnus ys
al

D
Ibiza Pithecusae Naples
H

TARTESSUS Tharros Tarentum GREECE


L AN R
Malaka Sexi S SARDINIA Elea A SIA MI NO R Tigris .
Gades BALEARIC I Carales (Cagliari)
Abdera Sybaris Corcyra Aegean Phocaea
Straits of Gibraltar Bithya Nora
Tingis (Tangier) Croton Sea
EUBOEA Ly di a S YRI A
Lixus Messana
Mogador Hippo Regius Rhegium Chalcis
SICILY Samos Al-Mina Euphrates
Utica Corinth Athens R.
Carthage Miletus Orontes R.
Syracuse Sparta Ugarit
Hadrumetum
Salamis Tell Sukas
A

MELITA (MALTA) Kition


RHODES Arwad
NICI

CYPRUS Gebal (Bylos)


M e Sidon
d i t CRETE Tyre
PHOE

e r r a n S e a
e a n Akko
Jordan R.
Samaria
N ORT H A F R ICA Leptis Magna Cyrene Jerusalem
Ashdod Dead
Ashkelon Sea
Gaza
Naucratis

EGYPT

Utica Phoenician colonies


0 250 500 750 1000 MILES
Re

Ni

Elea Greek colonies


le
d

R.

0 250 500 750 1000 KILOMETERS


Se
a

The Mediterranean ca. 600 b.c.


Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
"No fear of that, sir," replied Trulock grimly.

Mr. Cloudesley found that the aged cab which was maintained at the
little hospital in High Fairford was fortunately at home, and so without
loss of time the two Garlands were carried off to Lady Mabel's Rest. The
crowd seemed rather disappointed when the children appeared at the
door, apparently uninjured; but the truth was now be coming generally
known, and there was great excitement in the town. One woman was
heard by Mr. Cloudesley to say with great solemnity,—

"And I bought a loaf from her only a week ago—think of that now, and
there she lies dead now!"

Mr. Cloudesley failed to see how the purchase of that particular loaf
affected the matter one way or the other, but he was very glad that he
had not allowed his pretty May to enter the house.

CHAPTER IX.
RALPH'S LETTER.

BY the time the cab reached Lady Mabel's Rest, Ruth Garland had quite
regained both her senses and her self-command. She was even ready
to lift Ollie out of the cab, but this Mr. Cloudesley would not allow her to
do.

"Why, Ruth," he said, "the boy is nearly as big as yourself; but you're an
ambitious little party, and think you can do everything. I'll whisk him into
the house before he can say Jack Robinson."

"But why should I say Jack Robinson?" inquired Ollie, laughing.


"Little boy," said Mr. Cloudesley, setting him gently on his feet in the hall,
"your education has been dreadfully neglected! You are seven years old,
and you never heard of Jack Robinson!"

"No, sir; is he in English history, or in Roman? No, he can't be in Roman


history; I suppose I have not come to him yet."

"Let me know what you think of him when you do," said Mr. Cloudesley.
"Now I must take the old cab back to the hospital; so good-bye, all of
you. Mr. Trulock, don't let Ruth sit up late to-night. Indeed, I am not sure
that I would not send her to bed, as well as Master Curlypate here."

Ollie was soon disposed of, Ruth contriving a comfortable bed for him by
the help of sundry pillows and a big chair cushion. Then the question
arose, where was a bed for poor Ruth herself?

However, Ralph bethought himself of kind Miss Jones, and never


remembered, in his anxiety to make Ruth comfortable, that he was
actually asking a favour of his neighbour! Miss Jones was delighted to
be appealed to, and lent everything that was wanted. She begged Ralph
to allow her to provide a nice meal for the two children that afternoon,
that he might have nothing to do but to take care of Ruth. Ollie was soon
fast asleep, and then it was that Ruth told her story. Ralph was rather
unwilling to let her speak of it at all, but she declared she should feel
better when she had told him.

"Poor Mrs. Cricklade!" she said; "you don't know what a kind-hearted
woman she was. When we first came to Fairford, she took so much
trouble about us, and let us live there rent-free. But when she found that
you were helping us, she began to drink again; she had never quite left
it off, but she only drank on Sunday, or quite late at night for some time;
now she began to drink much more. She made me pay rent, and yet
more than once she gave me back the shilling, and said, 'It's not me,
Ruthie, it's the devil that has possession of me that makes me take your
hard-earned shilling.' That was after she found out that you didn't pay
the rent for me."

"But I never knew that you paid rent, Ruth."


"No," she said, colouring. "You did too much for us already. But though
she gave me back the shilling, she generally came for it again at night,
and was so noisy and angry that she frightened me very much. Then
Ollie got ill, you know; and I pawned poor father's clothes to keep us
until I could get work again."

"But, Ruth, you had money laid by, dear," interrupted Ralph anxiously.

Ruth grew crimson, and tried to answer carelessly. "Very little of it was
left: the rent came out of it, and—other things."

"That wine for me," groaned Ralph, "and I never paid you. Oh, Ruth, you
ought to have told me."

"How could I, sir? you had been ill, you are nearly as poor as I am, and
you had given us so much help. I knew you had not the money, and that
you would pay me when you had it."

"I had plenty, dear child. Oh, I have been a fool! Never mind, Ruth, finish
your story now, and I can explain some other time."

"Well, you know the man could only give me a very little for father's
clothes, because of the risk of infection. I got five shillings the first day;
then I got three for other things. But after that, Ollie was so poorly that I
did not like to leave him, and I asked Mrs. Cricklade to go for me; and,
poor thing, she never would have done this if she had been quite
herself, but she came home quite tipsy, and told me she had lost all the
money except one shilling. And I had no coal left! I was so vexed that I
said, Oh, Mrs. Cricklade, you will not keep it from me! Do give me my
money, please.' But she was terribly angry, and she struck me and drove
me upstairs before her. I had to bolt our door to keep her out; and she
stood on the landing-place for ever so long, calling to me that I had
accused her of stealing. And after all, perhaps I was mistaken, and she
had really lost it. That was yesterday."

"Yes, and you had no fire, and it was a bitter night."

"I had no fire and no food, for I was afraid to go down again. But Ollie
was beginning to get well, you know; and this morning he said he was
hungry. I knew he ought to get food, so I ventured down. I had no water
left besides, and I thought she would be in bed, because it was very
early, quite dark still. I found the place all shut-up, and though I looked
about I could see no food of any kind (I knew she would not mind if I
borrowed from her for Ollie); so I went up again and coaxed Ollie to wait
until it was light. I thought that if I found the poor thing was not yet quite
recovered, I should not be so much afraid if it were light and people
were moving about, because I could call from the window."

"I think we both fell asleep, and when we awoke it was quite light, and I
ventured down again. I went to her door and knocked again and again,
but there was no answer. Then I went in, and she was asleep, I thought.
I spoke to her, shouted to her, but she never stirred; so I was frightened,
and was going away, when it struck me that she was very, very still. I
went back and took her hand. Oh, Mr. Trulock, it was so cold! I ran
upstairs to Ollie then; I was so frightened I did not know what I was
doing. And the next thing I knew was that you were giving me water.
How did you come there?"

"I should have come to see you before, my dear, only I had another
sharpish turn,—not so bad as the first, but I was afraid to be out, and I
little knew how things were with you. When I did get so far, I found the
place all shut-up. We had to get help to open it; and it was well that I
was able to go that morning, for—there's a knock. No, dear, don't you
stir. It is Miss Jones, I'm sure, and I'll let her in."

Ralph was so sure that the person who knocked was Miss Jones, that
he opened his door wide, standing aside to let her pass in with the
expected tray; and the visitor did pass in, but there was no tray, and, to
his horror, it was Mrs. Short! Taking advantage of his mistake, she
waddled up the little hall as fast as her rapidly increasing size would
permit, and was actually in the little parlour before Ralph had recovered
his senses. He rushed after her, and found her embracing Ruth with
every appearance of affection.

"You poor, unfortunate, ill-used child!" she panted out. "To think that to-
day, of all the days in the year, I should have gone to Derby to buy a
warm shawl; for as to choice of colours, there's no such thing at Price's,
but dum-ducketty-mud colour and greys, that looks like poorhouse folk.
My 'art bleeds for you, Ruth Golong. I'm that good-natured, I never could
bear malice. I know you behaved rude-like when you turned me out, as
one may say, when Mr. Trulock was so bad. But truly he was over the
worst of it by that time, and so it did him no harm getting a
unexperienced nuss instead of me. But there, I forgive and forget, Ruth,
my dear. I'm full of sympathy with you. And now tell me all about it. I'm
told the wicked old creetur beat you and half killed Ollie, and then killed
herself a-purpose; is that true, child? Is it true, Ruth Golong? Can't you
speak, child?"

"Ruth," said Ralph, "I think this noise may waken Ollie; you'd better go
and have a look at him."

"Mrs. Short," continued Ralph, "there will be an inquest to-morrow, and


Ruth will be the principal witness. So she must not be talked to about
the matter now. And Ollie has the measles, ma'am; did you ever have
them?"

"Oh yes, when I was a little gel."

"I've known several people have them a second time," remarked Ralph
thoughtfully; "and they go hard with people of a full habit, and not so
young as they have been."

Mrs. Short grew red with fear and anger mixed. "Good evening," said
she, "and I only hope you won't take 'em yourself, Mr. Trulock; for full
habit or no full habit, you're little or no better than a walking skelington,
and can't have it in you to throw out a rash handsome."

With this cutting remark she tossed her head and left the house, Ralph
laughing to himself as she disappeared. Before he could call Ruth down
again, Miss Jones and her tray made their appearance, and Ruth was
kissed and fed and put to bed, with the utmost tenderness, to a running
accompaniment of scolding that was wonderful to listen to.

The inquest took place next day. Ralph took Ruth to the house, and
Miss Jones sat with Ollie during their absence. Ruth's evidence was
given with such modest self-possession, and was so clear and plain,
that it did not matter that no one else could give any evidence at all,
except to the fact that the woman was dead. The verdict was "Died of
alcoholic poisoning;" and then the inquest was over, and nothing
remained but for the parish authorities to bury the poor remains of one
who had once been a kind-hearted, honest, hard-working woman. Ruth
had spoken so gratefully of her kindness, that the memory of a time
when Mrs. Cricklade was a pleasant neighbour was revived among the
listeners, and one woman said, as they all watched the funeral going up
the hill next morning,—

"Poor soul! She was a good creetur, for sure,—a kind body; no fault but
the drink."

"Ah, Mrs. Jeffars," said Miss Jones, who had been collecting Ruth's few
possessions, and was now at the door, "there's the misfortune. That one
fault swallows up all the good qualities one may happen to have. She
was a kind woman, as you say, and yet she took rent from that poor
child, and struck and abused her more than once. And she was an
honest woman too, and yet you see she took the child's money that she
was trusted with, to get drink. Whatever a person may have been, never
reckon on them, once they take to drinking; for the one thing that's
certain about a drunkard is, that he'll do anything to get the means of
drinking."

Miss Jones walked off down the hill, followed by a man carrying Ruth's
big trunk.

Mrs. Jeffars looked thoughtfully after her.

"She couldn't have known that I take it sometimes," she thought; "but I'll
never touch it again. I might go on and on, by degrees, until I ended like
that, and disgraced my Paul that's at sea. I'll go this very evening, God
helping me, and take the pledge—and I'll take the bottle, and leave it
with Mrs. Francis for the use of the hospital."

And she kept her word, and kept the pledge too; so Miss Jones had said
a word in season for once, at all events.

Ruth was far from well for some days, and Ralph felt very miserable.
The girl had been so badly fed, and so thoroughly chilled, that the shock
found her weak and nervous, and therefore had more effect upon her
than it would have had some weeks before. She could not sleep, and
every noise made her start violently, and turn quite sick and faint. The
doctor said, however, that there was nothing seriously wrong, and that
with care and quiet she would soon be quite herself again. And after
about a fortnight she was much better; and as to Ollie, he was as well as
ever again.

"Mr. Trulock," said Ruth, "don't you think I may go to Price's for work
again now? Ollie is quite well, and I think he may begin to go to school.
And—I wonder where I could find a lodging?" she asked slowly.

"Ollie had better not go back to school until after the Christmas holidays,
I think," said Ralph; "and as to the other matters, I will talk to you to-
morrow, Ruth."

And taking his hat, Ralph opened the hall door and was passing out,
when Ruth ran after him.

"Won't you put on your great-coat, sir, and your comforter? You don't
take a bit of care of yourself, Mr. Trulock!"

"I have a good caretaker in you," said he, coming back to her.

Ruth helped him to put on the coat, mounting on a chair for that
purpose, and wrapped the comforter round his neck, tucking in the ends
snugly.

"Now you may go," said she; "but don't stay out very late, please."

"Bless the child's sweet face!" muttered Ralph. "She certainly grows
more like my Annie every day, or else I fancy it as I grow fonder of her.
Well, the time has come for me to decide. I can't let things drift any
longer, for she won't, the little creature. I must do either one thing or the
other, and I'll make up my mind before I eat another meal. I'll go into the
Forest—it will be quiet there—and think."

He walked along the forest road until he reached the place where he
had found the children on that bright sunny Sunday when he first
brought them to his home. This was a still, grey day, very unlike that
other, but it was not very cold, here among the trees. Ralph clambered
up the bank, found the fallen tree, and seated himself upon it. There he
remained deep in thought for some time: then he rose and paced to and
fro, then sat down again. At last, he covered his face with his hands and
groaned aloud, "I can't! I can't do it!" But even as he said the words he
knew and felt that he could do it.

Ralph had been reading his Bible to better purpose lately than when he
only searched for texts wherewith to confound Mrs. Cloudesley. He had
learned many lessons during the last few months. To distrust himself; to
fear that he might be mistaken, and May Cloudesley right; to wish
earnestly to do what God would have him do, and to ask for help to do it;
—all this and more had Ralph Trulock learned, partly from May, partly
from Ruth, but still more from his Bible, which had begun to take such
new meanings lately. And now he asked for guidance, and felt that he
had it—that he knew what he ought to do; now he asked for strength to
do it, and even while he said aloud, "I cannot," he felt that he could. And
when at last, he walked home, very tired and worn with the conflict, he
went up to his own room and, without waiting to take off his great-coat,
wrote the following letter:

"Lady
Mabel's Rest,"
"
Fairford."

"MY DEAR ARNOTT,—"

"I never wrote to thank you, and those who joined you,
in writing to Mr. Barton on my behalf; but I hope you will
forgive me, and let me explain why I did not write, and
thank you all now."

"When I first came here, I had no intention of accepting


your kindness except for a time. My health was broken,
and I was unfit for work; but I had made up my mind to
save every penny I could until I had paid off the small sum
still remaining due to all of you with whom I used to have
dealings; and then, if my strength would permit, leave this
place, and look out for some small situation as clerk or
caretaker, which would support me. With these plans
before me, I did not write. I felt sore and angry at needing
even temporary help, and soothed my pride by continually
telling myself that in the end you, and not I, should be the
gainer."

"But God in His mercy has led me, by means into which
I cannot enter (as it would take up so much of your time)
to see that such a state of feeling is not right in His eyes. I
am old and feeble now, and you all meant to secure
peace and comfort for one whom you had known long,
and who had been unfortunate. It was nothing but pride
that made me resist this kind feeling, as I acknowledge I
once did, and determine not to profit by it. I see this now."

"So I write to thank you, and through you, if you will


allow me, my other creditors, for your kind consideration,
which I thankfully accept; and the benefits which you
have secured to me I hope henceforth to share with
others even more helpless than I am myself."

"I remain,"
"Very faithfully
yours,"
"RALPH
TRULOCK."

Ralph put his letter into a cover and addressed it, but did not close it.
Next day he went to the garden and asked if he might keep Ollie,—Ruth
he had a right to keep, as his housekeeper, or "gel," as Mrs. Short put it.
The warden said he was sure there would be no difficulty about it, and
promised to arrange it all, for him. Then Ralph toiled up the hill to High
Fairford, and went to see Mrs. Cloudesley.

"Madam," said he, "as long ago as last Christmas you said a few words
to me, to which I would scarcely listen at the time, but which I could not
forget, though I surely did my best. You spoke to me of my pride, of
which up to that time I had been very proud; you spoke to me of love
and kindness—things I had hardly thought of for years. You advised me
to help some one, and that I should find my heart growing softer—and
you were right, madam. I began to search the Bible for something to
justify my own opinion, and I could not find what I wanted; but I found a
great deal about love and humility. And Ruth Garland, madam, has
taught me much. If you will kindly look over this letter, you will see that I
am in earnest."

May, with tears in her eyes, took the letter and read it. Then she looked
up at him with a smile upon her pleasant face, though the tears were
there still.

"Now that is what I like in you so much!" she said heartily. "I always
knew that you would do what was right the moment you saw it. You don't
know how happy you have made me by telling me all this. In trying to
help people, one fails so often—and the worst failure of all is, when they
acknowledge that they are in the wrong, but won't make any change.
One gets sadly disheartened then. It's quite delightful to know a person
who no sooner sees what is right, but he goes and does it."

"You must not think that of me," Ralph said sadly. "I think I saw it some
time ago, but I would not acknowledge it: and how nearly I lost my
children by that delay!"

"Well, it was not a very long delay," said May kindly. "I like your little
Ruth so much. I'm sure you will never repent having befriended her: and
as to the boy, he is a darling."

"Yes, madam, a fine boy. I will ask you to tell Mr. Cloudesley that Ollie
will not attend the Greatrex School any more. I shall send him to Mr.
Hawthorne as a day boy, and, when he is older, get him into the
Commercial school in Foxton. I think I could do that."

After a little more conversation, Ralph went home, to have a talk with
Ruth.
CHAPTER X.

RALPH'S CHRISTMAS ROSES BLOOM AT LAST.

A BRIGHT little fire burned that evening in Ralph Trulock's parlour, and
at one side of it sat Ralph, in the easiest chair the house contained (and,
with the help of pillows, Ruth had made him very snug, though the chair
was by nature angular and uncompromising). Opposite him, in a low
wooden chair, sat Ruth, her small fingers plying her knitting-needles with
great zeal, while her eyes rested fondly on Ollie, who was stretched at
lazy length upon the little rug between the other two, reading a book lent
him by Miss Jones. Ollie lay face downward, his round chin propped up
on his two hands, and the firelight playing upon his dark hair and bright
face, made him "quite a picture," as Ruth privately told herself. Oh, if
Ollie could always have such a fire as that to bask before! For the child
loved warmth like a little cat.

"Ruth, do you remember what you said to me yesterday about getting


work?" said Ralph.

Ruth started and blushed, half afraid that he had discovered what was in
her thoughts at the moment.

"Oh yes," she said hurriedly; "do you think people would be afraid of the
measles now?"

"No, I don't suppose they would. But, Ruth, I don't want you to work for
Price's any more. I want you and Ollie to stay here with me."

"Always?" exclaimed Ollie, turning over on his back suddenly, and


gazing up at the speaker. "Oh, Mr. Trulock! Never go back to Mrs.
Cricklade again! That would be so lovely!"

Ollie did not know, even yet, that Mrs. Cricklade was dead. He had not
been told at the time because he was still weak, and Ruth had shrunk
from the subject afterwards.
"Mr. Trulock," said Ruth, "you are good—too good. You would only have
to pinch yourself for us: it could not be. Ollie, don't say any more, dear."

"Listen to me, Ruth," said Ralph earnestly. "You think I am very poor,
and I don't wonder at that, because I have given you good reason to
think so. But I am not really poor. I have as much to live on as any one
else in the Rest: as much as Mrs. Short, or Mrs. Archer, and you know
she has six children."

Ollie gave a quick look round the room, mentally contrasting it with Miss
Jones's and Mrs. Short's parlour; but Ruth shook her head and
answered,—

"You told me once, you know, that there was a claim upon your money. I
remember it, because it was what father used to say when people told
him he ought to send me to a better school."

"Yes, I told you so, and I thought so at the time. But I was wrong, Ruth. I
was too proud to accept a kindness, but I have made up my mind to
accept it, and to spend my money in making us all happy and
comfortable. You shall keep house for me, my dear, and I can teach you
in the evenings,—I'm a fair scholar in a plain way. And Ollie shall go to a
good school, and get a good education."

"Oh! Oh, Mr. Trulock! if I were only sure that you would not be making
yourself poor for us."

"I shall be richer, Ruthie, than I ever thought to be, for I shall have a
daughter and a—"

He stopped short. He could not say the word "son." Poor lost Fred!

"You mean me," said Ollie. "But, Mr. Trulock, we ought to be called your
grandchildren," he added after a little reflection. "We're too little to be
your children, don't you think? Ruthie, what makes you cry? I think it is
too good to be true. You know how cold it is at Mrs. Cricklade's, and she
is very often cross too! She hit you often, I know she did. Oh, Ruthie, do
say you will stay here. It can't be wrong—is it, Mr. Trulock?"

"It would be wrong and unkind to leave me," replied Ralph quickly.
"Oh, I am only too glad to stay—you know that," Ruth cried, springing up
and running to his side. "I only feared—"

"Have no fears, my dear child. We shall be very comfortable, and I hope


very happy too. I thank God for my two dear children."

So the question was settled, and the little Garlands stayed with Ralph.
Ollie had a holiday, as we know, but he was not allowed to be idle, for
Ruth found employment for him. She set to work, with a charwoman to
assist, to clean the house from top to bottom, and Ollie was as busy as
any one. What a polishing and brightening that house got, to be sure!
Ralph bought a little additional furniture too; and altogether his abode
quite lost the poverty-stricken air which had so distressed May
Cloudesley.

Christmas Eve came round again, and Mr. and Mrs. Cloudesley betook
themselves to Lady Mabel's Rest, to pay a short visit to each house.
May had persuaded her mother to send her a great hamper of apples,
nuts, pears, gingerbread, and jam tarts, that she might have little
presents for the children, for she knew them all now, and loved nothing
better than giving them pleasure. She had some small gift for every one,
mostly made by her own hands, and that intended for Mrs. Short was a
pretty woollen mat to ornament her table. Mrs. Short liked the mat better
than the flowers of last year, but she was intensely curious to know what
Mrs. Cloudesley was taking next door, to Mr. Trulock and the Garlands,
and May was quite determined that she should not find out. Mrs. Short
had a long list of grievances to mourn over, and was not nearly so alert
and lively as she had been on that day last year. A whole year of eating
more than enough for two had told upon her.

"Mr. Trulock never was much of a neighbour," she said, "as you know,
Mrs. Cloudesley; but when he was tramping the country from morning till
night, and never had a bit or sup in his house that a proper-minded
person would care to eat, it did not matter so much. But now, ma'am,
things is very different, and they set down to as good meals in a plainish
way as any one could desire, and Ruth is learning cooking from Miss
Jones, and she's learned her to make coffee, and cakes, and things
tossed up in the frying-pan—and I must say the smell is most tempting
—and it's all one gets of them. And if I want anything off the common, I
may just turn to and cook it, which gets to tire one, somehow; but never
once, ma'am, has they said, 'Mrs. Short, will you step in to tea?' and I
that nussed Trulock when every one else forsook him!"

"You should have a servant, Mrs. Short," said May, for want of
something to say. "She would be company for you."

"Gels eat so much," said Mrs. Short pensively. "I've a good appetite,
ma'am: I re'lly don't see how I could afford a gel. When I say a good
appetite, I don't mean a appetite as can eat anything, but if I gets what I
like I can pick a good little bit; but anything in the way, say of a
sweetbread, now, or mutton kidneys, or a Yorkshire 'Am, or a veal pie or
the like,—which I re'lly require such food, ma'am,—they cost a deal, and
no common gel can be expected to cook 'em. I can't afford a gel, and
that's the truth."

"Oh, Mrs. Short, you are no worse off than your neighbours, you know."

"Well, I don't know how they manage," said Mrs. Short thoughtfully.

"I think," said silent Mr. Cloudesley suddenly, "that by thinking a little of
other people, and not spending every penny they have upon themselves
alone, they seem to get more comfort out of this life even, to say nothing
of a life beyond this. Come, May, it is getting late."

Mrs. Short was offended, and showed them to the door in silence. Her
"Good-afternoon, ma'am," was the stiffest thing imaginable.

"That poor woman! She always depresses me, Gilbert. Why did you not
say more to her? It is so very sad."

"There was no use in saying more, my dear. One can't say more than
one sharp thing, and anything less sharp would not get through the poor
thing's coating of fat. Now, perhaps that small harpoon may stick."

The door of Ralph's house was opened by Ollie whose cheeks were
crimson with excitement.

"Please come into the parlour, ma'am, and I'll tell them. We're all in the
kitchen mixing the pudding."
"Ah, Ollie! Let me go into the kitchen and see the fun," said May. "Ruth
won't mind."

"Indeed she won't mind," said Ollie. "Come along. Will you come, sir?
You've no idea, ma'am, how many things have to go in a pudding, a real
English plum-pudding. We never saw one in France. Ruth wrote the list
and went to the shops, but when she came home, she had forgotten
both the suet and the nutmeg, and I had to run for them. Ruthie, here's
Mrs. Cloudesley, she wants to see the fun,—I suppose she means the
pudding; and Mr. Cloudesley came too."

May stood to look at the scene before her, with all the pleasure and
sympathy she so truly felt, looking out of her sweet eyes. Standing
before the fire with a cookery book in his hand, was Ralph Trulock; at
the table, mixing the various ingredients in a basin, was Ruth, her hand
in no state to be shaken. Her face was very grave. It was a great
undertaking. Ralph, on the contrary, looked amused and happy. What a
contrast to the man May had seen for the first time that day last year!

May helped to finish the mixing, and then to tie the pudding in a cloth;
and it was well she was there, as otherwise the due flouring of the cloth
would have been forgotten, and Ruth's pudding would not have
presented the handsome appearance it did present the next day. May
had brought Ollie some apples and Ruth a little book; but for Ralph she
produced a bunch of Christmas Roses, saying:

"I hardly think you want these now, Mr. Trulock?"

"Truly, madam, they grow by my own fireside now; and for great part my
thanks are due to you. You first told me how to grow them."

"I expect that's a parable," said Ollie, gravely. "Isn't it, Mr. Trulock?"

"It is, Ollie."

"And we are the flowers?" said the boy with a nod of his curly head.

"You! You are a weed, Master Ollie!" cried May laughing; "And an ill
weed too. Don't you know the old saying that 'Ill weeds grow apace'?"
Mr. Cloudesley's sharp harpoon stuck fast, but the effect was not exactly
what he wished!

A day or two after Christmas, Ruth was running home from Miss Jones's
house, where she had been having a lesson in clear starching from that
notable lady, when she was surprised to hear Mrs. Short calling to her,
in very dulcet and amiable tones.

"Where are you, ma'am?" inquired Ruth, after looking round in vain.

"In my own kitching, Ruth, and the 'all door is open. You just step here, I
want a word with you."

"Oh dear!" thought Ruth, "And I can't venture to talk French to her, like
that saucy Ollie. What can she want?"

She found Mrs. Short sitting in a well-padded beehive chair before the
kitchen range. A basket at her feet contained various brushes, saucers,
and bits of rag, and her face beamed with complacency and self-
satisfaction.

"Good-day, Ruth Golong," said she. "I've been thinking how kind Miss
Jones is, teaching you so much and having you there so constant; and I
feel I ought to help both you and her a bit."

"Yes, ma'am," said Ruth doubtfully.

"Yes, indeed, Ruth; which I am a very notable woman, my dear, and can
teach you even better than Miss Jones can, though the gentry do think
such a heap of her. My Matthew, that's dead and gone, poor fellow, used
to say that for cleanly ways and housekeeping generally, there was not
a woman to equal his wife in England; and if not in England, where? For
it's not to be thought that amongst poor benighted furriners and sich,—
black, some of 'em, I'm told, and copper-coloured others,—would be as
nice in them respects as a English woman. So I've made up my mind as
it's selfish in me to keep all that knowledge locked up in my own
buzzom, and take it, as one may say, out of the world with me when the
time comes as I must leave all my little comforts and go to a better
place, and therefore I'm going to teach you, Ruth Golong. And as it's
best to begin at the beginning, we'll begin by learning to black up the
kitching range. I've everything ready; so now, my dear, you begin. Here's
a rag, rub the rust off first with ile—this bottle's the ile."

"But, ma'am," said Ruth, "I have learned to do all this, and my dinner is
in the oven, and no one is there to look to it; for Mr. Trulock and Ollie are
gone for a walk."

"Well, you know, Ruth, there's the comfort of a oven, your dinner is a-
cooking all the same and will never miss you. Here, child, take the rag."

Ruth, unwillingly enough, took the proffered rag and removed the rust as
directed. She was rather vexed, but being shy could think of no way of
escape.

"Now here's the blacklead, child, and this is the brush. Rub it on well,
dear—oh, that won't do at all—rub hard—harder—quick now, up and
down the bar. That's more like it. Good, my dear!"

In this manner did the good creature keep her pupil to the task until the
grate was polished to her liking, and Ruth in a glow with heat and
vexation.

"Now," said she, "that's not bad, my dear, for a beginning. A few more
lessons, and you'll black a grate with any one living, you will indeed.
Now there's a great art in lighting of a oven. Some folks will take an hour
or more to do it. Very disconvenient these here little ovens are, as have
a fire all to themselves. You take a shovel full of lighted coal, my dear,"
etc., etc.

Again poor Ruth found herself unable to escape, the fire was lighted
under Mrs. Short's directions.

"That's enough for one day, my dear," said the old woman. "I'll call you in
again whenever I can make time to give you another lesson. Good-day,
Ruth Golong; you're a handy gel, and will do us credit yet."

Ruth escaped as fast as she could, and ran home, half angry, but more
than half amused. Mrs. Short rose from her chair and got her neatly
made veal pie from her cupboard.

"Sich a comfort," she murmured, "to get the grate done. Mrs.
Cloudesley's sure to hear of it. It will be nearly as good as having a gel,
and it's no more than good-natured to teach that poor orphian to get a
living, as that crusty old feller may turn her out to do for herself any day."

Mrs. Cloudesley did hear of it, and so did Mr. Cloudesley; and what a
laugh May had at her husband about his "harpoon!"

For some time after this Ruth's life was rendered a burden to her by the
exactions of her "good-natered" neighbour; but at last she was obliged
to rebel, and told Mrs. Short that she had not time to do the work of two
houses. Mrs. Short characterized this as an act of the basest ingratitude,
and was never tired of telling any one who would listen, how she tried to
befriend that set-up-thing, Ruth Golong, and how the gel turned upon
her with langwich which was too violent to be repeated!

In consequence of Ruth's vile ingratitude, it became plain to Mrs. Short


that she must do one of three things, none of which she entirely liked.
She might return to doing the work herself, which her rapidly increasing
size rendered both difficult and distasteful to her. Or she might leave the
work undone—cease to keep her place so beautifully clean, and attend
merely to her cooking; to do her justice, this idea only suggested itself to
be rejected. Or again, she might get a "gel." This she would do, she
decided, after much deliberation.

The next point was, to get a "gel" for as little wages as possible—for
none, if it could be managed. She therefore wrote to her son, offering in
the handsomest manner to take "his Mary Kate" off his hands, educating
her to be a notable woman like herself, and leaving to her such sums as
she should have saved before her death. But Mat Short was very fond of
his children, and they were not fond of their grandmother! Moreover Mat
did not believe in the savings, for as he said to his wife, "Mother'd eat
five hundred a year if she had it!" This obliging offer was declined. Mary
Kate howled from the moment she heard her grandmother's letter read
until the reply was safely posted. Then, and not till then, did Mrs. Short
bethink herself of her long-lost daughter.
Now, though she always spoke of Jane as lost, Jane might more
properly be said to be merely mislaid. Mrs. Short did not know where
she was, simply because she had never inquired! Jane had offended
her mother while very young, by going out as a servant, owing to what
Mrs. Short called "competition of temper" at home. Then she had
married, and Mrs. Short, then a widow, had cast her off: people were
unkind enough to say that she feared lest Jane might expect a little help
occasionally. Now, however, the case was different, and Mrs. Short
caused a little quiet inquiry to be made about Jane, and discovered that
she was a widow, with one son, who was at sea. Mrs. Short piously
declared that it was "quite a Prominence," and forthwith wrote to Jane
whose name, by way of a joke, was Mrs. Long,—to invite her to be a
comfort to her mother's declining years.

Mrs. Long, who was again in service, thought she might as well try, in
spite of the "competition" I have mentioned; or perhaps she knew that
her temper had improved since the last competition, and wished to try
again. At all events, she came, and great was Ollie's amusement at the
queer contrast presented by Mrs. Long and Mrs. Short when he first saw
them, on their way to church together, on the first Sunday after Mrs.
Long's arrival. Mrs. Short, broader than she was long, waddling up the
hill in her handsome tartan shawl, the tartan of some clan which was
addicted to colour, and did not mind being seen a good way off. Mrs.
Long, a very tall, thin woman, with an expression of meek obstinacy in
her face, stalking beside her mother in a shabby, rusty black cloak, and
a bonnet which looked as if she had accidentally sat down upon it.

But before long (I don't mean that for a pun) Mrs. Short found that she
had made a great mistake, and, what was worse, one that could not be
un-made. Jane's temper had quite the best of the competition now! She
did not scold or storm, she seldom even answered again; but she smiled
sourly when her affectionate mother tried to feed her upon bacon and
cabbage, while she herself dined upon various costly delicacies. After a
brief struggle, Jane had her own way, and her full share of such good
things as were going. But these were not as plenty as of old.

Mrs. Long remarked that it was her mother's plain duty to save a certain
sum weekly, to form a little fortune for her when she should be again left
homeless by the old woman's death. She not only pointed out this duty,
but she saw that it was done. She made the old woman fairly
comfortable, however, and nursed her carefully when she required it; but
she ruled her completely, and altogether things were not to Mrs. Short's
mind, and she sometimes mournfully wished that she had "got a gel."

"But there," she said, "that's me all over; I couldn't get Jane out of my
head, thinking she might be actially in want, and I in comfort; I'm too
good-natured, that's the truth, and Jane don't take after me!"

"That's the Long and the Short of it!" As saucy Ollie Garland remarked
when he heard this lament.

CHAPTER XI.
MONSIEUR OLIVER.

A YEAR passed very quietly and happily in Ralph Trulock's house. Ollie
was going to school now, and Ruth was a busy and a happy little
woman, and had grown much stronger and less nervous than she had
been when she first came to Lady Mabel's Rest. Ralph gave her lessons
every evening, when the day's work was over, and was making a good
scholar of her in a plain, old-fashioned way. Mrs. Cloudesley taught her
various kinds of fancy-work, and Miss Jones made her a first-rate cook
and a capital housekeeper in every way. So Ruth bade fair to be an
accomplished woman, according to my notions. If a woman can do with
her own hands, and do well, everything that is needed for the comfort of
her household; can read and enjoy books on a variety of subjects in two
languages; can keep accounts well, and write a good hand, and has,
moreover, an employment for her leisure hours which she likes and
excels in,—I call her an accomplished woman, though she may never
have learned to torture my ears with "a tune" on the piano, or to paint

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