SUMMARY
The Romans had lost their old simple ways. Much wealth had come to Rome , and there was a distinct line between the rich and the poor . The chief Roman amusements were the theatre and the gladiatorial combats . The Romans were cruel to their slaves .
2
Sheep -raising threw many out of employment . Tiberius Grac chus tried to help the poor by limiting the amount of land held by any one person . In the attempt to pass this law ( 133 B. c .) he re sorted to force. This act was the beginning of the downfall of the republic . Later, Caius Gracchus attempted similar reforms, but was slain in a riot . The slaves in Sicily rebelled ( 133-132 B. c . ) . Gold had become the only power in Rome . Jugurtha was con quered . Marius rose from the ranks to the head of the army . The Cimbri and Teutones threatened Italy, but were driven away by Marius. The slaves in Sicily rebelled a second time . Marius plotted to overthrow the government .
SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK
A Roman talks about the old customs and the new .
A poor man tells of his sufferings because of the introduction of sheep -raising.
Cornelia's friend describes the " jewel " scene . X
THE RULE OF SULLA
WHEN Marius returned to Rome , he found the city in diffi culties. " Thus far, she had ruled the peoples of Italy with a high hand . If she chose to grant privileges to one city and not
to another, she did so , and those who were less favored could not help themselves .
The Romans were the only people who had full citizenship . If a Roman was condemned to die or to be flogged, he had the right of appealing to the people. Away from Rome, if a petty Roman officer flogged a non-citizen or killed him , he was in small danger of punishment; but in the farthest corners of the realm , it was a protection to a man to be able to declare himself a Roman citizen. Some years later than this time, a Roman captain in Je - ru'sa - lem bound the apostle Paul and ordered him to be scourged ; but one of his officials whispered, This man is a Roman, and then the captain was greatly alarmed be cause he had ventured even to bind a Roman . It is no wonder that the Italians were eager to become citizens . Many of them had fought for the republic , and they thought it only right that they should have a share in the government. Marcus Livius Dru'sus, a trib une , came out boldly and proposed that the Italians be made citizens . The Romans were indignant at such a suggestion , and Drusus was murdered in his own house . As soon as the Italians heard of this murder, they saw that the only way to gain what they believed their rights was to fight for them . They fought with such energy and determination that the Romans were greatly alarmed lest the republic be overthrown . Marius took up arms and overcame them in a great battle . The story is told
STANDARD BEARER
If
that an Italian general tried by sneers and taunts to force him to fight when he did not think it best, and called out, you are a great general , Marius, come down and fight." Marius retorted , If you are a great general , make me come down and fight.
When the Romans at last learned that they could not resist all Italy, they yielded , but very grudgingly. First, they gave citizenship to those communities that were not fighting against them ; then to all Italians who within two months should declare before a magistrate that they wished to be Roman citizens . This struggle was called the Social War, that is , the war of the so'ci- i, or allies. When it was over, nearly all the Italian freemen had become Roman citizens .
Citizenship was a valuable right, but the people who lived in Rome still remained the real rulers, because those who lived away from the city could not often come to Rome to vote. No one had yet thought of having one man chosen to represent each community. The Italians , then , had gained the right to vote , but they could not exercise it ; and it must have been most exasperating to have the idlers and vagabonds of Rome make laws for them simply because these idlers lived in the city and they did not.
There was a power in Rome which was fast coming to be above the laws , and that was the army. In the earlier days,
every citizen was a soldier when need came . He defended his country as he would have defended his own house, and never thought of demanding pay for the service. At the long siege of Veii the soldiers were kept on duty through the year and could give no care to their crops or business, and there fore, as has been said before, wages were paid them. Under Marius , any citizen might enlist ; and now men who had no other way of supporting themselves might always join the army, receive wages, and have a part of whatever plunder might be obtained . They were ready to follow their com mander wherever he led , for they knew that if he was success ful , there would always be a share in the booty for them . A new master was growing up in the state , for the successful general with his army was more powerful than the senate with the idle , luxurious folk of the capital.
When the army of a state is stronger than the law -making power, there is almost sure to be a struggle between the two for the mastery . The time of struggle in Rome was postponed for a while because of amazing events that had come to pass in the East . Mith -ri- da'tes, king of Pon'tus , kept close watch of what was going on in Rome , and when he saw that the Romans were fully occupied with the Social War, he seized the opportunity to get possession of nearly all the lands bordering on the Eux'ine, or Black Sea, and also to capture some of the Roman lands in Asia Minor. He did not have much time for these exploits , but he did have an ex ceedingly good opportunity , for the magistrates sent to the countries conquered by the Romans had allowed the money making Italians who followed them to extort money from the
