The Story of the Roman People
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Permission to use Heritage History documents or images for BATTLE BETWEEN CONSTANTINE AND MAXENTIUS. commercial purposes, or more information about our collection of traditional history resources can be obtained by contacting us at [email protected] Original Copyright 1910 by Eva March Tappan. 2 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE IMPORTANT DATES IN ROMAN HISTORY .................... 3 LEGENDS OF THE SEVEN KINGS OF ROME .................. 5 There is little that is of more practical value to the LEGENDS OF THE SEVEN KINGS OF ROME (CONT) ... 10 young folk of to-day than the history of Rome. How a village kingdom became a mighty republic, how the republic became ATTEMPTS OF TARQUINIUS TO REGAIN KINGDOM ... 16 a world-embracing empire, how that empire, the dread and HOW THE PLEBEIANS WON THEIR RIGHTS ............... 20 pride of its millions of subjects, fell so low as to become the HOW ROME BECAME RULER OF ITALY .................... 25 sport of its own soldiers — all this is, indeed, a tale of marvel. But the history of Rome is more than a mere story. Many of ROMANS OF THE EARLY REPUBLIC ........................... 32 the difficulties and many of the advantages of the Roman HOW THE ROMANS CONQUERED CARTHAGE ........... 38 Republic are akin to those of the American Republic. The ROME BECOMES THE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD ....... 49 solution of such problems as have already presented themselves in the United States is even now demanding the THE GRACCHI; THE RISE OF MARIUS ....................... 53 highest wisdom of the land. Other problems will arise in the THE RULE OF SULLA .................................................. 60 near future. Roman history is a mighty object lesson, of value THE RISE OF POMPEY ................................................ 65 to every citizen of our Republic, of especial value to the children into whose hands the government will so speedily CAESAR AND THE TRIUMVIRATES ............................. 71 pass. What is learned in years of maturity is an addition to THE REIGN OF AUGUSTUS .......................................... 79 one's mental equipment; what is learned in childhood becomes THE REST OF THE TWELVE CAESARS ....................... 85 a part of the mind itself. That those who read this book may find it of interest to-day, of service to-morrow, is the wish of THE FIVE GOOD EMPERORS ...................................... 93 the author. FROM MARCUS AURELIUS TO DIOCLETIAN .............. 98 EVA MARCH TAPPAN REIGNS OF DIOCLETIAN AND CONSTANTINE .......... 101 March 1, 1910 THE LAST CENTURIES OF THE EMPIRE ................... 104 Original Copyright 1910 by Eva March Tappan. 3 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 Original Copyright 1910 by Eva March Tappan. 4 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 IMPORTANT DATES IN ROMAN HISTORY CHAPTER I B.C. HE EGENDS OF THE EVEN INGS OF 753 Rome is founded. T L S K 509 The beginning of the Republic. ROME 390 Capture of Rome by the Gauls. 266 The whole of Italy is in the hands of Rome. In Troy, a famous town of Asia Minor, there once lived 146 Destruction of Carthage. a man named Aeneas. For ten long years the Greeks, fierce 44 Murder of Julius Caesar. enemies of the Trojans, had been trying to take the city; and at 27 Octavianus recieves the title of Augustus. length they succeeded. They set fire to it, and soon the whole A.D. town was in flames. Aeneas fought as long as there was any 70 Destruction of Jerusalem. hope in fighting, then he took his aged father on his shoulders, 313 The Christians are granted toleration by the and keeping fast hold of the hand of his little son Ascanius, he Edict of Milan. fled through the burning streets and over the ruins of the walls 330 Constantinople becomes the capital of the to the country. Many of his friends joined him, and they hid Empire in the East. away together among the mountains. After a while the gods 395 Division of the Empire told Aeneas to build some boats and set out and his 476 The Empire in the West is ruled by a deputy of companions must make a new home for themselves in Italy. the Emperor in the East. They obeyed and set sail, and after many troubles and 800 Charlemagne is crowned Emperor of the West. adventures they reached the Italian shores Aeneas married 1453 The Turks capture Constantinople. Lavinia, the daughter of the king of Latium, and afterward became ruler of that province. He built a town which he named Lavinium, in honor of his wife. After he died, Ascanius ruled; but he soon found that his town was becoming too crowded. He concluded, therefore, to leave it and build another on a ridge of a neighboring hill. This he named Alba Longa, or the long white city. For three hundred years the descendants of Ascanius ruled in Latium. Then there was trouble. The rightful king was Numitor, but his brother Amulius stole the kingdom and murdered Numitor's son. There was also a daughter, Rhea Sylvia, but Amulius disposed of her by making her a priestess of the goddess Vesta. One day Amulius was told that his niece had twin sons whose father was the war god Mars. "If they are Original Copyright 1910 by Eva March Tappan. 5 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 allowed to live, they will grow up and claim the kingdom," wolf away and carried the babies home to his wife. When thought Amulius; so he put Rhea Sylvia to death and ordered Romulus and Remus, as they were called, had grown up, one of his men to throw the boys into the river Tiber. The man Faustulus told them that they were not his children, but the obeyed, but the river had overflowed its banks, and when it grandsons of Numitor, and that Numitor was the rightful king. went down again, it left the two babies on dry land at the foot Then the young men and their shepherd friends overcame the of the Palatine Hill, not drowned by any means, but wicked Amulius. He was put to death, and the kingdom was exceedingly hungry and crying with all their might. A she wolf given back to Numitor. coming for a drink heard the crying and went to the children. She seemed to think they were some THE FINDING OF ROMULUS AND REMUS The two brothers determined to form a kingdom for themselves, and to build a city near the place where they had been thrown into the water. But now there was trouble, for it was fitting that the elder brother should give his name to the FLIGHT OF AENEAS city, and they were twins!" Let the gods decide," they said. So Romulus climbed the Palatine Hill and Remus the Aventine, new kind of cub, for she carried them to her den and and they watched all day and all night; but the gods gave them nursed them there for some time. At length they were no sign. Just at sunrise, however, Remus saw six vultures fly discovered by a shepherd named Faustulus. He frightened the across the sky. His followers shouted with delight and hailed Original Copyright 1910 by Eva March Tappan. 6 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 him as king. While they were still shouting, the friends of city, and they secretly asked the young girl Tarpeia, daughter Romulus cried out joyfully; for, behold, Romulus had seen a of the Roman commander, what reward she would demand to flight of twelve vultures! But who could say whether it was let them in. "Give me what you wear on your left arms," she worth more to see six birds first or twelve birds second? replied, pointing to their heavy golden bracelets. They agreed The question seems to have been settled in some way and she opened the gate. But they also carried their shields in favor of Romulus, for he began to build on the Palatine. Hill upon their left arms, and they felt such scorn for the disloyal a wall for a town.