the story of mankind-第16章

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the　rulers　of　the　western　half　of　the　Mediterranean　just　when

the　eastern　half　has　become　a　Greek　（or　Indo…European）　possession。



This；　as　you　shall　see　in　a　moment；　leads　to　a　terrible　conflict

between　the　two　rival　races；　and　out　of　their　struggle　arises

the　victorious　Roman　Empire；　which　is　to　take　this　Egyptian…

Mesopotamian…Greek　civilisation　to　the　furthermost　corners　of

the　European　continent；　where　it　serves　as　the　foundation　upon

which　our　modern　society　is　based。



I　know　all　this　sounds　very　complicated；　but　if　you　get　hold

of　these　few　principles；　the　rest　of　our　history　will　become　a

great　deal　simpler。　The　maps　will　make　clear　what　the　words

fail　to　tell。　And　after　this　short　intermission；　we　go　back　to

our　story　and　give　you　an　account　of　the　famous　war　between

Carthage　and　Rome。







ROME　AND　CARTHAGE



THE　SEMITIC　COLONY　OF　CARTHAGE　ON　THE

NORTHERN　COAST　OF　AFRICA　AND　THE

INDO…EUROPEAN　CITY　OF　ROME　ON　THE

WEST　COAST　OF　ITALY　FOUGHT　EACH

OTHER　FOR　THE　POSSESSION　OF　THE

WESTERN　MEDITERRANEAN　AND　CARTHAGE

WAS　DESTROYED





THE　little　Phoenician　trading　post　of　Kart…hadshat　stood

on　a　low　hill　which　overlooked　the　African　Sea；　a　stretch　of

water　ninety　miles　wide　which　separates　Africa　from　Europe。

It　was　an　ideal　spot　for　a　commercial　centre。　Almost　too　ideal。

It　grew　too　fast　and　became　too　rich。　When　in　the　sixth　century

before　our　era；　Nebuchadnezzar　of　Babylon　destroyed

Tyre；　Carthage　broke　off　all　further　relations　with　the　Mother

Country　and　became　an　independent　statethe　great　western

advance…post　of　the　Semitic　races。



Unfortunately　the　city　had　inherited　many　of　the　traits

which　for　a　thousand　years　had　been　characteristic　of　the

Phoenicians。　It　was　a　vast　business…house；　protected　by　a

strong　navy；　indifferent　to　most　of　the　finer　aspects　of　life。

The　city　and　the　surrounding　country　and　the　distant　colonies

were　all　ruled　by　a　small　but　exceedingly　powerful　group　of

rich　men；　The　Greek　word　for　rich　is　‘‘ploutos''　and　the　Greeks

called　such　a　government　by　‘‘rich　men''　a　‘‘Plutocracy。''　Carthage

was　a　plutocracy　and　the　real　power　of　the　state　lay　in

the　hands　of　a　dozen　big　ship…owners　and　mine…owners　and

merchants　who　met　in　the　back　room　of　an　office　and　regarded

their　common　Fatherland　as　a　business　enterprise　which　ought

to　yield　them　a　decent　profit。　They　were　however　wide　awake

and　full　of　energy　and　worked　very　hard。



As　the　years　went　by　the　influence　of　Carthage　upon　her

neighbours　increased　until　the　greater　part　of　the　African

coast；　Spain　and　certain　regions　of　France　were　Carthaginian

possessions；　and　paid　tribute；　taxes　and　dividends　to　the　mighty

city　on　the　African　Sea。



Of　course；　such　a　‘‘plutocracy''　was　forever　at　the　mercy　of

the　crowd。　As　long　as　there　was　plenty　of　work　and　wages

were　high；　the　majority　of　the　citizens　were　quite　contented；

allowed　their　‘‘betters''　to　rule　them　and　asked　no　embarrassing

questions。　But　when　no　ships　left　the　harbor；　when　no　ore

was　brought　to　the　smelting…ovens；　when　dockworkers　and

stevedores　were　thrown　out　of　employment；　then　there　were

grumblings　and　there　was　a　demand　that　the　popular　assembly

be　called　together　as　in　the　olden　days　when　Carthage　had

been　a　self…governing　republic。



To　prevent　such　an　occurrence　the　plutocracy　was　obliged

to　keep　the　business　of　the　town　going　at　full　speed。　They

had　managed　to　do　this　very　successfully　for　almost　five　hun…

dred　years　when　they　were　greatly　disturbed　by　certain　rumors

which　reached　them　from　the　western　coast　of　Italy。　It　was

said　that　a　little　village　on　the　banks　of　the　Tiber　had　suddenly

risen　to　great　power　and　was　making　itself　the　acknowledged

leader　of　all　the　Latin　tribes　who　inhabited　central　Italy。

It　was　also　said　that　this　village；　which　by　the　way　was　called

Rome；　intended　to　build　ships　and　go　after　the　commerce　of

Sicily　and　the　southern　coast　of　France。



Carthage　could　not　possibly　tolerate　such　competition。　The

young　rival　must　be　destroyed　lest　the　Carthaginian　rulers

lose　their　prestige　as　the　absolute　rulers　of　the　western

Mediterranean。　The　rumors　were　duly　investigated　and　in　a

general　way　these　were　the　facts　that　came　to　light。



The　west　coast　of　Italy　had　long　been　neglected　by　civilisation。

Whereas　in　Greece　all　the　good　harbours　faced　eastward

and　enjoyed　a　full　view　of　the　busy　islands　of　the　AEgean；

the　west　coast　of　Italy　contemplated　nothing　more　exciting

than　the　desolate　waves　of　the　Mediterranean。　The　country

was　poor。　It　was　therefore　rarely　visited　by　foreign　merchants

and　the　natives　were　allowed　to　live　in　undisturbed　possession

of　their　hills　and　their　marshy　plains。



The　first　serious　invasion　of　this　land　came　from　the　north。

At　an　unknown　date　certain　Indo…European　tribes　had　managed

to　find　their　way　through　the　passes　of　the　Alps　and　had

pushed　southward　until　they　had　filled　the　heel　and　the　toe　of

the　famous　Italian　boot　with　their　villages　and　their　flocks。

Of　these　early　conquerors　we　know　nothing。　No　Homer　sang

their　glory。　Their　own　accounts　of　the　foundation　of　Rome

（written　eight　hundred　years　later　when　the　little　city　had　become

the　centre　of　an　Empire）　are　fairy　stories　and　do　not　belong

in　a　history。　Romulus　and　Remus　jumping　across　each

other's　walls　（I　always　forget　who　jumped　across　whose　wall）

make　entertaining　reading；　but　the　foundation　of　the　City　of

Rome　was　a　much　more　prosaic　affair。　Rome　began　as　a　thousand

American　cities　have　done；　by　being　a　convenient　place

for　barter　and　horse…trading。　It　lay　in　the　heart　of　the　plains

of　central　Italy　The　Tiber　provided　direct　access　to　the　sea。

The　land…road　from　north　to　south　found　here　a　convenient

ford　which　could　be　used　all　the　year　around。　And　seven　little

hills　along　the　banks　of　the　river　offered　the　inhabitants　a　safe

shelter　against　their　enemies　who　lived　in　the　mountains　and

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　alphab