Chapter I: Front Matter

THE
STORY OF ROME

FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES
TO THE DEATH OF AUGUSTUS

TOLD TO BOYS AND GIRLS BY

MARY MACGREGOR

AUTHOR OF ‘THE STORY OF FRANCE,’ ETC.

WITH TWENTY PLATES IN COLOUR
BY PAUL WOODROFFE, W. RAINEY
AND DUDLEY HEATH

LONDON: T. C. & E. C. JACK
67 LONG ACRE, W. C.
AND EDINBURGH

TO

IAN AND WILLIE TAYLOR

DEAR IAN AND WILLIE,--The Story of Rome has been written, as you know, in your beautiful, quiet old garden.

And as the story grew, the short cold days of winter passed and the long warm days of summer were here.

In the garden a miracle had been wrought. It had become alive.

After slow, persistent struggle with storm and frost, the delicate bare branches were no longer bare, but clothed in living green. The hard black earth too had stirred, and shoots and blades appeared, until at length the garden was ablaze with gold, purple, crimson.

Sometimes I dreamed that, in its own different way, the Story of Rome too was a miracle, wrought out of the tears and throes of a brave and ambitious people.

For the story tells of the birth of a city and of its growth through storm and struggle, until it became a great world empire.

The city which Romulus founded was built upon a single hill; soon seven hills were not great enough to contain her. And when Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome, began to reign, part of Europe, Asia Minor, Egypt, Syria, and a large portion of Africa formed his kingdom.

Although the story was written in the quiet of your garden, little of its peace has stolen into the tale, and for that you boys may care for it the more.

As you read, fierce battle-cries will ring in your ears, and the clash of arms will startle you. You will hear the tramp of armies marching to new lands to conquer them and their treasures for Rome, the city of their love.

Sometimes you will catch your breath in horror as you read of terrible and cruel deeds, for the Romans were often pitiless, showing little mercy to those they conquered.

But at other times your breath will come quick with wonder as you read of the dauntless courage, the rare endurance of these mighty men of old.

And if there are many things which you do not admire in the people of Rome, yet they possess one virtue which you and every British boy and girl may not only admire, but gladly imitate.

What that virtue is I will leave you to find out for yourselves as you read _The Story of Rome_.--Yours affectionately,

MARY MACGREGOR.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE
I. THE LADY ROMA 1

II. THE SHE-WOLF 4

III. THE TWIN BOYS 6

IV. NUMITOR RECOGNISES HIS GRANDSON 8

V. THE SACRED BIRDS 10

VI. THE FOUNDING OF ROME 12

VII. THE SABINE MAIDENS 14

VIII. THE TARPEIAN ROCK 17

IX. THE MYSTERIOUS GATE 19

X. THE KING DISAPPEARS 22

XI. THE PEACE-LOVING KING 24

XII. HORATIUS SLAYS HIS SISTER 28

XIII. THE PRIDE OF TULLUS HOSTILIUS 31

XIV. THE KING WHO FOUGHT AND PRAYED 33

XV. THE FAITHLESS FRIEND 35

XVI. A SLAVE BECOMES A KING 38

XVII. THE CRUEL DEED OF TULLIA 40

XVIII. THE FATE OF THE TOWN OF GABII 43

XIX. THE BOOKS OF THE SIBYL 46

XX. THE INDUSTRY OF LUCRETIA 48

XXI. THE DEATH OF LUCRETIA 50

XXII. THE SONS OF BRUTUS 52

XXIII. HORATIUS COCLES, OR THE ONE-EYED 55

XXIV. GAIUS MUCIUS BURNS HIS RIGHT HAND 60

XXV. THE DIVINE TWINS 63

XXVI. THE TRIBUNES 66

XXVII. CORIOLANUS AND HIS MOTHER VETURIA 68

XXVIII. THE ROMAN ARMY IN A TRAP 73

XXIX. THE HATED DECEMVIRS 77

XXX. THE DEATH OF VERGINIA 80

XXXI. THE FRIEND OF THE PEOPLE 85

XXXII. CAMILLUS CAPTURES THE CITY OF VEII 88

XXXIII. THE STATUE OF THE GODDESS 92

XXXIV. THE SCHOOLMASTER WHO PROVED A TRAITOR 94

XXXV. THE BATTLE OF ALLIA 97

XXXVI. THE SACRED GEESE 99

XXXVII. THE CITY IS REBUILT 105

XXXVIII. CAMILLUS SETS THE CAMP OF THE VOLSCIANS ON FIRE 109

XXXIX. THE BATTLE ON THE BANKS OF THE ANIO 111

XL. THE CURTIAN LAKE 116

XLI. THE DREAM OF THE TWO CONSULS 119

XLII. THE CAUDINE FORKS 124

XLIII. THE DISGRACE OF THE CAUDINE FORKS AVENGED 129

XLIV. FABIUS AMONG THE CIMINIAN HILLS 131

XLV. THE BATTLE OF SENTINUM 135

XLVI. THE SON OF FABIUS LOSES A BATTLE 138

XLVII. PYRRHUS, KING OF THE EPIROTS 141

XLVIII. THE ELEPHANTS AT THE BATTLE OF HERACLEA 145

XLIX. PYRRHUS TRIES TO FRIGHTEN FABRICIUS 149

L. PYRRHUS IS DEFEATED 153

LI. THE ROMANS BUILD A FLEET 155

LII. THE BATTLE OF ECNOMUS 159

LIII. THE ROMAN LEGIONS IN AFRICA 161

LIV. REGULUS IS TAKEN PRISONER 164

LV. THE ROMANS CONQUER THE GAULS 168

LVI. THE BOY HANNIBAL 172

LVII. HANNIBAL PREPARES TO INVADE ITALY 176

LVIII. HANNIBAL CROSSES THE ALPS 178

LIX. THE BATTLE OF TREBIA 183

LX. THE BATTLE OF LAKE TRASIMENUS 187

LXI. HANNIBAL OUTWITS FABIUS 192

LXII. FABIUS WINS TWO VICTORIES 197

LXIII. THE BATTLE OF CANNÆ 200

LXIV. THE DESPAIR OF ROME 203

LXV. THE DEFEAT OF HASDRUBAL 208

LXVI. LIVIUS AND CLAUDIUS ENJOY A TRIUMPH 213

LXVII. THE CAPTURE OF NEW CARTHAGE 215

LXVIII. SCIPIO SAILS TO AFRICA 220

LXIX. THE ROMANS SET FIRE TO THE CAMP OF THE NUMIDIANS 223

LXX. HANNIBAL LEAVES ITALY 226

LXXI. THE BATTLE OF ZAMA 229

LXXII. SCIPIO RECEIVES A TRIUMPH 231

LXXIII. FLAMININUS IS COVERED WITH GARLANDS 233

LXXIV. THE DEATH OF HANNIBAL 238

LXXV. THE HATRED OF CATO FOR CARTHAGE 243

LXXVI. THE STERN DECREE 246

LXXVII. THE CARTHAGINIANS DEFEND THEIR CITY 249

LXXVIII. THE DESTRUCTION OF CARTHAGE 253

LXXIX. CORNELIA, THE MOTHER OF THE GRACCHI 258

LXXX. TIBERIUS AND HIS FRIEND OCTAVIUS 261

LXXXI. THE DEATH OF TIBERIUS GRACCHUS 266

LXXXII. THE DEATH OF GAIUS GRACCHUS 269

LXXXIII. THE GOLD OF JUGURTHA 278

LXXXIV. GAIUS MARIUS WINS THE NOTICE OF SCIPIO AFRICANUS 281

LXXXV. GAIUS MARIUS BECOMES COMMANDER OF THE ARMY 283

LXXXVI. THE CAPTURE OF JUGURTHA’S TREASURE TOWNS 287

LXXXVII. THE CAPTURE OF JUGURTHA 290

LXXXVIII. JUGURTHA IS BROUGHT TO ROME IN CHAINS 294

LXXXIX. MARIUS CONQUERS THE TEUTONES 297

XC. MARIUS MOCKS THE AMBASSADORS OF THE CIMBRI 303

XCI. METELLUS IS DRIVEN FROM ROME 307

XCII. SULLA ENTERS ROME WITH HIS TROOPS 311

XCIII. THE FLIGHT OF MARIUS 315

XCIV. THE GAUL DARES NOT KILL GAIUS MARIUS 318

XCV. MARIUS RETURNS TO ROME 320

XCVI. THE ORATOR ARISTION 325

XCVII. SULLA BESIEGES ATHENS 328

XCVIII. SULLA SAVES ROME FROM THE SAMNITES 331

XCIX. THE PROSCRIPTIONS OF SULLA 334

C. THE GLADIATORS’ REVOLT 337

CI. THE PIRATES 341

CII. POMPEY GOES TO WAR WITH MITHRIDATES 345

CIII. CICERO DISCOVERS THE CATILINARIAN CONSPIRACY 350

CIV. THE DEATH OF THE CONSPIRATORS 353

CV. JULIUS CÆSAR IS CAPTURED BY PIRATES 356

CVI. CÆSAR GIVES UP HIS TRIUMPH 360

CVII. CÆSAR PRAISES HIS TENTH LEGION 363

CVIII. CÆSAR WINS A GREAT VICTORY OVER THE NERVII 367

CIX. CÆSAR INVADES BRITAIN 370

CX. CÆSAR CROSSES THE RUBICON 374

CXI. CÆSAR AND THE PILOT 378

CXII. THE FLIGHT OF POMPEY 381

CXIII. CATO DIES RATHER THAN YIELD TO CÆSAR 386

CXIV. CÆSAR IS LOADED WITH HONOURS 389

CXV. THE NOBLES PLOT AGAINST CÆSAR 392

CXVI. THE ASSASSINATION OF CÆSAR 396

CXVII. BRUTUS SPEAKS TO THE CITIZENS 399

CXVIII. MARK ANTONY SPEAKS TO THE CITIZENS 402

CXIX. THE SECOND TRIUMVIRATE 405

CXX. THE BATTLE OF PHILIPPI 408

CXXI. THE DEATH OF BRUTUS 411

CXXII. ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA 413

CXXIII. THE BATTLE OF ACTIUM 418

CXXIV. ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA DIE 421

CXXV. THE EMPEROR AUGUSTUS 425

INDEX 427

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Verginius left his beautiful young daughter Verginia
in the care of her nurse, _Frontispiece_

AT PAGE
A she-wolf, coming to the edge of the river to drink, heard their
cries, 6

When she saw Horatius wearing on his shoulders the cloak of her
betrothed, she broke into bitter sobs, 30

She carried in her arms nine books, 46

‘O my mother, thou hast saved Rome, but thou hast lost thy son,’ 72

Seated in chairs of ivory, sat a number of strange, venerable old
men, 100

The youth laid the arms he had taken from his foe at his father’s
feet, 120

The armour of Pyrrhus was richer and more beautiful than that of
his soldiers, 146

‘I carry here peace and war, choose, men of Carthage, which ye
will,’ 176

‘We are beaten, O Romans, in a great battle, our army is
destroyed,’ 190

A messenger was seen spurring his horse toward the city, 213

His progress was as that of a king, 232

So Carthage was given to the flames, 258

Here it would be possible, he thought, to hold the enemy at bay, 276

Jugurtha came to the tent of his father-in-law unarmed, 292

Gaius Marius sitting in exile among the ruins of Carthage, 320

Lists of those who were doomed were hung up in the Forum, 336

The following morning Cicero made another speech against
Catiline, 352

Looking down upon the stream, he stood awhile deep in thought, 378

Here, sheltered by steep cliffs, he sat down to rest, 412

THE STORY OF ROME