PREFACE

This sketch of the History of Rome to 565 A. D. is primarily intended to meet the needs of introductory college courses in Roman History. However, it is hoped that it may also prove of service as a handbook for students of Roman life and literature in general. It is with the latter in mind that I have added the bibliographical note. Naturally, within the brief limits of such a text, it was impossible to defend the point of view adopted on disputed points or to take notice of divergent opinions. Therefore, to show the great debt which I owe to the work of others, and to provide those interested in particular problems with some guide to more detailed study, I have given a list of selected references, which express, I believe, the prevailing views of modern scholarship upon the various phases of Roman History.

I wish to acknowledge my general indebtedness to Professor W. S. Ferguson of Harvard University for his guidance in my approach to the study of Roman History, and also my particular obligations to Professor W. L. Westermann of Cornell, and to my colleagues, Professors A. L. Cross and J. G. Winter, for reading portions of my manuscript and for much helpful criticism.

A. E. R. Boak.

University of Michigan,
October, 1921


[pg vii]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTIONPAGE
The Sources for the Study of Early Roman History[xiii]
PART I
THE FORERUNNERS OF ROME IN ITALY
CHAPTER I
The Geography of Italy[3]
CHAPTER II
Prehistoric Civilization in Italy[7]
CHAPTER III
The Peoples of Historic Italy[13]
The Etruscans; the Greeks.
PART II
THE EARLY MONARCHY AND THE REPUBLIC, FROM PREHISTORIC TIMES TO 27 B. C.
CHAPTER IV
Early Rome to the Fall of the Monarchy[25]
The Latins; the Origins of Rome; the Early Monarchy; Early Roman Society.
CHAPTER V
The Expansion of Rome to the Unification of the Italian Peninsula: c. 509–265 b. c.[33]
To the Conquest of Veii, c. 392 B. C.; the Gallic Invasion; the Disruption of the Latin League and the Alliance of the Romans with the Campanians; Wars with the Samnites, Gauls and Etruscans; the Roman Conquest of South Italy; the Roman Confederacy.
CHAPTER VI
The Constitutional Development of Rome to 287 b. c.[47]
The Early Republic; the Assembly of the Centuries and the Development of the Magistracy; the Plebeian Struggle for Political Equality; the Roman Military System.
CHAPTER VII
Religion and Society in Early Rome[61]
CHAPTER VIII
Roman Domination in the Mediterranean: The First Phase—the Struggle with Carthage, 265–201 b. c.[67]
The Mediterranean World in 265 B. C.; the First Punic War; the Illyrian and Gallic Wars; the Second Punic War; the Effect of the Second Punic War upon Italy.
CHAPTER IX
Roman Domination in the Mediterranean: The Second Phase—Rome and the Greek East[89]
The Second Macedonian War; the War with Antiochus the Great and the Ætolians; the Third Macedonian War; Campaigns in Italy and Spain.
CHAPTER X
Territorial Expansion in Three Continents: 167–133 b. c.[99]
The Spanish Wars; the Destruction of Carthage; War with Macedonia and the Achæan Confederacy; the Acquisition of Asia.
CHAPTER XI
The Roman State and the Empire: 265–133 b. c.[105]
The Rule of the Senatorial Aristocracy; the Administration of the Provinces; Social and Economic Development; Cultural Progress.
CHAPTER XII
The Struggle of the Optimates and the Populares: 133–78 b. c.[125]
The Agrarian Laws of Tiberius Gracchus; the Tribunate of Caius Gracchus; the War with Jugurtha and the Rise of Marius; the Cimbri and the Teutons; Saturninus and Glaucia; the Tribunate of Marcus Livius Drusus; the Italian or Marsic War; the First Mithridatic War; Sulla’s Dictatorship.
CHAPTER XIII
The Rise of Pompey the Great: 78–59 b. c. [151]
Pompey’s Command against Sertorius in Spain; the Command of Lucullus against Mithridates; the Revolt of the Gladiators; the Consulate of Pompey and Crassus; the Commands of Pompey against the Pirates and in the East; the Conspiracy of Cataline; the Coalition of Pompey, Cæsar and Crassus.
CHAPTER XIV
The Rivalry of Pompey and Caesar: Caesar’s Dictatorship: 59–44 b. c.[166]
Cæsar, Consul; Cæsar’s Conquest of Gaul; the Civil War between Cæsar and the Senate; the Dictatorship of Julius Cæsar.
CHAPTER XV
The Passing of the Republic: 44–27 b. c.[185]
The Rise of Octavian; the Triumvirate of 43 B. C.; the victory of Octavian over Antony and Cleopatra; Society and Intellectual Life in the Last Century of the Republic.
PART III
THE PRINCIPATE OR EARLY EMPIRE: 27 B. C.–285 A. D.
CHAPTER XVI
The Establishment of the Principate: 27 b. c.–14 a. d.[205]
The Princeps; the Senate, the Equestrians and the Plebs; the Military Establishment; the Revival of Religion and Morality; the Provinces and the Frontiers; the Administration of Rome; the Problem of the Succession; Augustus as a Statesman.
CHAPTER XVII
The Julio-Claudian Line and the Flavians: 14–96 a. d.[226]
Tiberius; Caius Caligula; Claudius; Nero; the First War of the Legions or the Year of the Four Emperors; Vespasian and Titus; Domitian.
CHAPTER XVIII
From Nerva to Diocletian: 96–285 a. d.[244]
Nerva and Trajan; Hadrian; the Antonines; the Second War of the Legions; the Dynasty of the Severi; the Dissolution and Restoration of the Empire.
CHAPTER XIX
The Public Administration under the Principate[264]
The Victory of Autocracy; the Growth of the Civil Service; the Army and the Defence of the Frontiers; the Provinces under the Principate; Municipal Life; the Colonate or Serfdom.
CHAPTER XX
Religion and Society[293]
Society under the Principate; the Intellectual World; the Imperial Cult and the Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism; Christianity and the Roman State.
PART IV
THE AUTOCRACY OR LATE EMPIRE: 285–565 A. D.
CHAPTER XXI
From Diocletian to Theodosius the Great: the Integrity of the Empire Maintained: 285–395 a. d.[317]
Diocletian; Constantine I, the Great; the Dynasty of Constantine; the House of Valentinian and Theodosius the Great.
CHAPTER XXII
The Public Administration of the Late Empire[333]
The Autocrat and his Court; the Military Organization; the Perfection of the Bureaucracy; the Nobility and the Senate; the System of Taxation and the Ruin of the Municipalities.
CHAPTER XXIII
The Germanic Occupation of Italy and the Western Provinces: 395–493 a. d.[351]
General Characteristics of the Period; the Visigothic Migrations; the Vandals; the Burgundians, Franks and Saxons; the Fall of the Empire in the West; the Survival of the Empire in the East.
CHAPTER XXIV
The Age of Justinian: 518–565 a. d.[369]
The Germanic Kingdoms in the West to 533 A. D.; the Restoration of the Imperial Power in the West; Justinian’s Frontier Problems and Internal Administration.
CHAPTER XXV
Religious and Intellectual Life in the Late Empire[385]
The End of Paganism; the Church in the Christian Empire; Sectarian Strife; Monasticism; Literature and Art.
Epilogue[403]
Chronological Table[405]
Bibliographical Note[415]
Index[423]