those　who　lived　beyond　the　horizon　of　the　nearby　sea。
  The　mountaineers　were　called　the　Sabines。　They　were　a
  rough　crowd　with　an　unholy　desire　for　easy　plunder。　But　they
  were　very　backward。　They　used　stone　axes　and　wooden
  shields　and　were　no　match　for　the　Romans　with　their　steel
  swords。　The　sea…people　on　the　other　hand　were　dangerous
  foes。　They　were　called　the　Etruscans　and　they　were　（and
  still　are）　one　of　the　great　mysteries　of　history。　Nobody　knew
  （or　knows）　whence　they　came；　who　they　were；　what　had　driven
  them　away　from　their　original　homes。　We　have　found　the　remains
  of　their　cities　and　their　cemeteries　and　their　waterworks
  all　along　the　Italian　coast。　We　are　familiar　with　their　inscriptions。
  But　as　no　one　has　ever　been　able　to　decipher　the　Etruscan
  alphabet；　these　written　messages　are；　so　far；　merely　annoying
  and　not　at　all　useful。
  Our　best　guess　is　that　the　Etruscans　came　originally　from
  Asia　Minor　and　that　a　great　war　or　a　pestilence　in　that　country
  had　forced　them　to　go　away　and　seek　a　new　home　elsewhere。
  Whatever　the　reason　for　their　coming；　the　Etruscans　played　a
  great　role　in　history。　They　carried　the　pollen　of　the　ancient
  civilisation　from　the　east　to　the　west　and　they　taught　the
  Romans　who；　as　we　know；　came　from　the　north；　the　first　principles
  of　architecture　and　street…building　and　fighting　and　art
  and　cookery　and　medicine　and　astronomy。
  But　just　as　the　Greeks　had　not　loved　their　AEgean　teachers；
  in　this　same　way　did　the　Romans　hate　their　Etruscan　masters。
  They　got　rid　of　them　as　soon　as　they　could　and　the　opportunity
  offered　itself　when　Greek　merchants　discovered　the
  commercial　possibilities　of　Italy　and　when　the　first　Greek
  vessels　reached　Rome。　The　Greeks　came　to　trade；　but　they
  stayed　to　instruct。　They　found　the　tribes　who　inhabited　the
  Roman　country…side　（and　who　were　called　the　Latins）　quite
  willing　to　learn　such　things　as　might　be　of　practical　use。　At
  once　they　understood　the　great　benefit　that　could　be　derived
  from　a　written　alphabet　and　they　copied　that　of　the　Greeks。
  They　also　understood　the　commercial　advantages　of　a　well…
  regulated　system　of　coins　and　measures　and　weights。　Eventually
  the　Romans　swallowed　Greek　civilisation　hook；　line　and
  sinker。
  They　even　welcomed　the　Gods　of　the　Greeks　to　their
  country。　Zeus　was　taken　to　Rome　where　he　became　known　as
  Jupiter　and　the　other　divinities　followed　him。　The　Roman　Gods
  however　never　were　quite　like　their　cheerful　cousins　who　had
  accompanied　the　Greeks　on　their　road　through　life　and　through
  history。　The　Roman　Gods　were　State　Functionaries。　Each
  one　managed　his　own　department　with　great　prudence　and　a
  deep　sense　of　justice；　but　in　turn　he　was　exact　in　demanding　the
  obedience　of　his　worshippers。　This　obedience　the　Romans　rendered
  with　scrupulous　care。　But　they　never　established　the
  cordial　personal　relations　and　that　charming　friendship　which
  had　existed　between　the　old　Hellenes　and　the　mighty　residents
  of　the　high　Olympian　peak。
  The　Romans　did　not　imitate　the　Greek　form　of　government；
  but　being　of　the　same　Indo…European　stock　as　the　people
  of　Hellas；　the　early　history　of　Rome　resembles　that　of
  Athens　and　the　other　Greek　cities。　They　did　not　find　it　difficult
  to　get　rid　of　their　kings；　the　descendants　of　the　ancient
  tribal　chieftains。　But　once　the　kings　had　been　driven　from
  the　city；　the　Romans　were　forced　to　bridle　the　power　of　the
  nobles；　and　it　took　many　centuries　before　they　managed　to
  establish　a　system　which　gave　every　free　citizen　of　Rome　a
  chance　to　take　a　personal　interest　in　the　affairs　of　his　town。
  Thereafter　the　Romans　enjoyed　one　great　advantage　over
  the　Greeks。　They　managed　the　affairs　of　their　country　without
  making　too　many　speeches。　They　were　less　imaginative
  than　the　Greeks　and　they　preferred　an　ounce　of　action　to　a
  pound　of　words。　They　understood　the　tendency　of　the　multi…
  tude　（the　‘‘plebe；''　as　the　assemblage　of　free　citizens　was　called）
  only　too　well　to　waste　valuable　time　upon　mere　talk。　They
  therefore　placed　the　actual　business　of　running　the　city　into
  the　hands　of　two　‘‘consuls''　who　were　assisted　by　a　council　of
  Elders；　called　the　Senate　（because　the　word　‘‘senex''　means　an
  old　man）。　As　a　matter　of　custom　and　practical　advantage　the
  senators　were　elected　from　the　nobility。　But　their　power　had
  been　strictly　defined。
  Rome　at　one　time　had　passed　through　the　same　sort　of
  struggle　between　the　poor　and　the　rich　which　had　forced
  Athens　to　adopt　the　laws　of　Draco　and　Solon。　In　Rome　this
  conflict　had　occurred　in　the　fifth　century　B。　C。　As　a　result　the
  freemen　had　obtained　a　written　code　of　laws　which　protected
  them　against　the　despotism　of　the　aristocratic　judges　by　the
  institution　of　the　‘‘Tribune。''　These　Tribunes　were　city…
  magistrates；　elected　by　the　freemen。　They　had　the　right　to　protect
  any　citizen　against　those　actions　of　the　government　officials
  which　were　thought　to　be　unjust。　A　consul　had　the　right　to
  condemn　a　man　to　death；　but　if　the　case　had　not　been　absolutely
  proved　the　Tribune　could　interfere　and　save　the　poor
  fellow's　life。
  But　when　I　use　the　word　Rome；　I　seem　to　refer　to　a　little
  city　of　a　few　thousand　inhabitants。　And　the　real　strength　of
  Rome　lay　in　the　country　districts　outside　her　walls。　And　it
  was　in　the　government　of　these　outlying　provinces　that　Rome
  at　an　early　age　showed　her　wonderful　gift　as　a　colonising
  power。
  In　very　early　times　Rome　had　been　the　only　strongly　fortified
  city　in　central　Italy；　but　it　had　always　offered　a　hospitable
  refuge　to　other　Latin　tribes　who　happened　to　be　in　danger　of
  attack。　The　Latin　neighbours　had　recognised　the　advantages
  of　a　close　union　with　such　a　powerful　friend　and　they　had　tried
  to　find　a　basis　for　some　sort　of　defensive　and　offensive　alliance。
  Other　nations；　Egyptians；　Babylonians；　Phoenicians；
  even　Greeks；　would　have　insisted　upon　a　treaty　of　submission
  on　the　part　of　the　‘‘barbarians；''　The　Romans　did　nothing　of
  the　sort。　They　gave　the　‘‘outsider''　a　chance　to　become　partners
  in　a　common　‘‘res　publica''or　common…wealth。
  ‘‘You　want　to　join　us；''　they　said。　‘‘Very　well；　go　ahead
  and　join。　We　shall　treat　you　as　if　you　were　full…fledged　citizens
  of　Rome。　In　return　for　this　privilege　we　expect　you　to
  fight　for　our　city；　the　mother　of　us　all；　whenever　it　shall　be
  necessary。''
  The　‘‘outsider''　appreciated　this　generosity　and　he　showed
  his　gratitude　by　his　unswerving　loyalty。
  Whenever　a　Greek　city　had　been　attacked；　the　foreign
  residents　had　moved　out　as　quickly　as　they　could。　Why　defend
  something　which　meant　nothing　to　them　but　a　temporary
  boarding　house　in　which　they　were　tolerated　as　long　as　they
  paid　their　bills？　But　when　the　enemy　was　before　the　gates
  of　Rome；　all　the　Latins　rushed　to　her　defence。　It　was　their
  Mother　who　was　in　danger。　It　was　their　true　‘‘home''　even　if
  they　lived　a　hundred　miles　away　and　had　never　seen　the　walls
  of　the　sacred　Hills。
  No　defeat　and　no　disaster　could　change　this　sentiment。　In
  the　beginning　of　the　fourth　century　B。C。　the　wild　Gauls　forced
  their　way　into　Italy。　They　had　defeated　the　Roman　army　near
  the　River　Allia　and　had　marched　upon　the　city。　They　had
  taken　Rome　and　then　they　expected　that　the　people　would
  come　and　sue　for　peace。　They　waited；　but　nothing　happened。
  After　a　short　time　the　Gauls　found　themselves　surrounded　by
  a　hostile　population　which　made　it　impossible　for　them　to　obtain
  supplies。　After　seven　months；　hunger　forced　them　to　withdraw。
  The　policy　of　Rome　to　treat　the　‘‘foreigner''　on　equal
  terms　had　proved　a　great　success　and　Rome　stood　stronger　than
  ever　before。
  This　short　account　of　the　early　history　of　Rome　shows　you
  the　enormous　difference　between　the　Roman　ideal　of　a　healthy
  state；　and　that　of　the　ancient　world　which　was　embodied　in　the
  town　of　Carthage。　The　Romans　counted　upon　the　cheerful
  and　hearty　co…operation　between　a　number　of　‘‘equal　citizens。''
  The　Carthaginians；　following　the　example　of　Egypt
  and　western　Asia；　insisted　upon　the　unreasoning　（and　therefore
  unwilling）　obedience　of　‘‘Subjects''　and　when　these　failed
  they　hired　professional　soldiers　to　do　their　fighting　for　them。
  You　will　now　understand　why　Carthage　was　bound　to　fear
  such　a　clever　and　powerful　enemy　and　why　the　plutocracy　of
  Carthage　was　only　too　willing　to　pick　a　quarrel　that　they　might
  destroy　the　dangerous　rival　before　it　was　too　late。
  But　the　Carthaginians；　being　good　business　men；　knew　that
  it　never　pays　to　rush　matters。　They　proposed　to　the　Romans
  that　their　respective　cities　draw　two　circles　on　the　map　and
  that　each　town　claim　one　of　these　circles　as　her　own　‘‘sphere
  of　influence''　and　promise　to　keep　out　of　the　other　fellow's
  circle。　The　agreement　was　promptly　made　and　was　broken　just
  as　promptly　when　both　sides　thought　it　wise　to　send　their
  armies　to　Sicily　where　a　rich　soil　and　a　bad　government　invited
  foreign　interference。
  The　war　which　foll