After the consolidation of Roman power in Italy, it took but one hundred and fifty years more to complete the conquest of the world,—­of Northern Africa, Spain, Gaul, Illyria, Epirus, Greece, Macedonia, Asia Minor, Pontus, Syria, Egypt, Bithynia, Cappadocia, Pergamus, and the islands of the Mediterranean.  The conquest of Carthage left Rome without a rival in the Mediterranean, and promoted intercourse with the Greeks.  The Illyrian wars opened to the Romans the road to Greece and Asia, and destroyed the pirates of the Adriatic.  The invasion of Cisalpine Gaul, now that part of Italy which is north of the Apennines, protected Italy from the invasion of barbarians.  The Macedonian War against Philip put Greece under the protection of Rome, and that against Antiochus laid Syria at her mercy; when these kingdoms were reduced to provinces, the way was opened to further conquests in the East, and the Mediterranean became a Roman lake.

But these conquests introduced luxury, wealth, pride, and avarice, which degrade while they elevate.  Successful war created great generals, and founded great families; increased slavery, and promoted inequalities.  Meanwhile the great generals struggled for supremacy; civil wars followed in the train of foreign conquests; Marius, Sulla, Pompey, Caesar, Antony, Augustus, sacrificed the State to their own ambitions.  Good men lamented and protested, and hid themselves; Cato, Cicero, Brutus, spoke in vain.  Degenerate morals kept pace with civil contests.  Rome revelled in the spoils of all kingdoms and countries, was intoxicated with power, became cruel and tyrannical, and after sacrificing the lives of citizens to fortunate generals, yielded at last her liberties, and imperial despotism began its reign.  War had added empire, but undermined prosperity; it had created a great military monarchy, but destroyed liberty; it had brought wealth, but introduced inequalities; it had filled the city with spoils, but sown the vices of self-interest.  The machinery remained perfect, but life had fled.  It henceforth became the labor of Emperors to keep together their vast possessions with this machinery, which at last wore out, since there was neither genius to repair it nor patriotism to work it.  It lasted three hundred years, but was broken to pieces by the barbarians.

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AUTHORITIES.

Wilkinson is the best authority pertaining to Egyptian armies.  The highest authority in relation to the construction of an army is Polybius, contemporary with Scipio, when Roman discipline was most perfect.  The eighth chapter of Livy is also very much prized.  Salmasius and Lepsius wrote learned treatises.  Tacitus, Sallust, Livy, Dion Cassius, Pliny, and Caesar reveal incidentally much that we wish to know, the last giving us the liveliest idea of the military habits and tactics of the Romans.  Gibbon gives some important facts.  The subject of ancient machines is treated by Folard’s Commentary attached to