The Story of the Roman People Day 46

revolted against the Roman sway . For nine years the city withstood a siege , then famine set in and it was obliged to surrender. This city, too , was torn down .

Carthage fell in 146 B. C. , and Numantia thirteen years later. The Mediterranean Sea had now become a Roman lake, for the Romans ruled all the countries around it . These countries made up the world , as has been said be fore ; therefore the old prophecy had come to pass : Rome had become the capital of the world .

SUMMARY

The vast empire of Alexander was divided among his generals, but finally broke up into three kingdoms , Egypt, Syria and Asia Minor , and Macedonia and Greece .

Philip's attack upon some Greek cities caused the First Mace donian War in 214 B. C. The attempt of Philip and Antiochus of Syria to divide Egypt caused the Second Macedonian War . Flamininus routed Philip at Cynoscephalæ , in 197 B. C. , and an nounced his victory at the games .

Antiochus set out to free Greece from the Romans , but was driven across the Hellespont . He was routed at Magnesia in 190 B. c . At the demand of the Romans that Antiochus should give up Hannibal , the latter poisoned himself to avoid falling into their hands .

The Romans overcame Perseus at Pydna . They then controlled Macedonia , Greece, and Asia Minor . These countries were divided into small kingdoms .

Corinth resisted Rome by making war upon Sparta , and was destroyed by the Romans, in 146 B. c .

The Romans favored Masinissa rather than Carthage. Cato

108 STORY OF THE ROMAN PEOPLE

became a most severe censor . He declared continually that Car thage must be destroyed . Carthage defended herself against Masinissa , and in the attempt to ward off her overthrow at the hands of the Romans, entered upon the Third Punic War in 149 B. C. Carthage was destroyed ( 146 B. c . ) . Numantia revolted and was forced to surrender to the Romans. Rome became the capital of the world . .

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK

Two Romans discuss the plans of Philip and Antiochus . A boy describes the announcement at the games of the victory of Cynoscephalæ .

Why should Cato tax luxuries ?

THE GRACCHI ; THE RISE OF MARIUS

No nation is the same at the end of a war as at its beginning . The Romans had been carrying on warfare for a long period , and they were quite different people from the Romans of earlier times . They now tried to imitate the ways of the East , and especially of Greece. It had become the fashion to look down upon everything Roman and to think everything Grecian far superior . The Latin language now seemed to the Romans common and unpolished . They learned Greek and sent their sons to Greece for the last years of their educa tion . They scorned the old simple ways and delighted in the Eastern fashions of living in luxury and spending a great deal of money for amusements.