133—The eldest7 son of a noble house, the Gracchi, undertook to stem the torrent8 that was sweeping9 away the ancient barriers of the constitution, and to raise the people from the misery10 into which the increase of patrician5 wealth and power and the innumerable multitudes of slaves had plunged11 them. In the year in which Numantia fell and Spain was thoroughly12 subdued13, Tiberius Gracchus was slain14 in a tumult15, produced by the patricians, who determined16 that his project should not succeed. He had attempted to revive the old agrarian17 law, by which the landed possessions of the republic were shared among the people as well as the patricians, which would have rescued the plebeans from poverty and oppression; but the patricians were too powerful and too violent. He was removed by assassination18.
2.
121—Twelve years later his brother, Caius Gracchus, attempted the same thing and was likewise slain. This point was vital to the internal liberties of Rome. The failure of the Gracchi announced the overthrow19 of the constitution; and, after seventy years of civil anarchy20 and the murderous conflict of rival factions21, the empire was found the only refuge against the ruin[99] of the state. Vigorous Rome, who could govern all the world but herself, must have a master, and became the prey23 of the strongest. It is a melancholy24 history, a sad conclusion for a people whose strength and grandeur25 of character had made them masters of the world, but a perfectly26 legitimate27 result of the immoral28 principle that lay at the foundation of the state. That principle legalized the doctrine29 of force, or robbery on the grandest scale. They carried it out with great consistency30 and skill, with all the ability of a race eminently32 sagacious and steady in the pursuit of an end. The conservative force that dwelt in their organization, so instinctively33 and exceptionally wise, and the power of religious faith, strong in a hardy34 and simple people, however weakened by pagan ignorance and superstition35, long maintained the integrity of their institutions—but Greek culture, too imperfect not to culminate36 in skepticism, came in to confuse their moral sense at the same time that boundless37 wealth flowed into their hands to corrupt38 their manners, that slavery assumed gigantic proportions to demoralize labor39, and the conquest of the world relieved them from the severe discipline that might not, otherwise, have left them the leisure to become deeply vicious.
The sternness of even Roman character was unequal to the heavy strain and virtue40 gave way. The native vigor22 of the race made them as excessive in unrestrained passion as wise in council and invincible41 in war. The cruelty and rapacity42 that were common in the civil wars of the Republic, and under many of the early emperors, educated giants in crime, and only the Roman spirit in the army, and the vigorous organization everywhere maintained through the institutions established in the subject world by Roman law, could have held its vast dominions43 together. Rome had vitality44 and sense to govern others, even in the midst of civil war.
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3. From the death of the Gracchi to the consulship46 107—Of Marius, Rome was in a tumult of corrupt intrigue48, which rendered easy the usurpation49 and inhuman50 cruelty of Jugurtha, king of Numidia. Marius, a plebian of the lowest rank, became consul45. He was unequaled at once as a general and a tyrant51. He conquered 106—Jugurtha, who was brought to Rome and starved in prison. In the same year Cicero, the great Roman orator52, was born.
A vast horde53 of Cimbri and Teutons from northern 105—Europe, invaded Gaul and defeated several Roman consuls47.
100—Marius led an army against these barbarians54 and defeated them, more than 100,000 being slain or made prisoners. He was equally successful in a second engagement. During the war 200,000 barbarians were slain and 90,000 taken prisoners. A revolt of the slaves was put down about the same time with circumstances of extreme cruelty. More than a million of these unfortunates were slain or thrown to wild beasts for the amusement of the Roman populace.
4.
100—In this year Julius C?sar, one of the greatest men of any time, and virtual founder55 of the Roman Empire, was born. His supreme56 ability put an end to civil dissention and saved society from total ruin.
90—The Italian allies revolted against Rome. They claimed the privileges of Roman citizenship57, which the Senate refused. A war of three years followed and half a million of men perished, when, having conquered them, the Senate granted their first request.
88—Mithridates, king of Pontus, talented and ambitious, sought to drive the Romans out of Asia and Greece, and warred with them for twenty-five years. Sylla procured58 the banishment59 of his rival, Marius, and conducted the war against Mithridates.
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86—Marius regained60 power in the absence of Sylla and slaughtered61 his enemies, the patricians, without mercy, but soon after died.
83—Sylla, after obliging Mithridates to sue for peace, hastened to Rome, conquered his enemies, and slew63 more than 6,000 Roman citizens in revenge.
81—Sylla caused himself to be made perpetual dictator
77—But after three years resigned and soon after died from the effects of his vices64. Civil war was continued for a time in Spain and Italy, but finally put down by Pompey, 70—the greatest general of the patrician party.
The war of the gladiators—men trained to fight in the theatres for the amusement of the populace—broke out under an able leader, Spartacus, who, collecting an army of 120,000 gladiators, endangered Rome itself, but 70—he was conquered by Crassus. Spartacus was defeated and killed. It was the inhuman oppression of the patricians that produced all these dreadful conflicts.
65—Pompey and Crassus, by paying court to the people, were made consuls. Pompey proceeded to Asia and made war on Mithridates, who was again formidable, 63—whom he defeated and slew in battle. He subdued nearly all western Asia, visiting Jerusalem, and treating the Jews with kindness. He also cleared the Mediterranean65 of pirates, who had always infested66 it.
62—A dangerous conspiracy67 of Cataline, a patrician of the most corrupt morals, at the head of the depraved young nobility of the time, would have been successful but for the ability and eloquence68 of Cicero, who was consul. Cataline and his fellow conspirators69 were taken and slain.
59—C?sar, Pompey, and Crassus formed the first “Triumvirate,” and divided the rule of the world between them. C?sar was the head of the popular party. He 57—took Gaul as his government. Here he spent eight years in his “Gallic wars,” showing unparalleled talents[102] as a general, training his army to become invincible in battle, and completely subduing70 the fierce Gauls. He 55—entered Britain and laid the foundation of civilization there, thus carrying the march of empire to its farthest bounds in Europe.
5.
49—He was ordered to return and lay down his authority by the Roman Senate, headed by Pompey, who was now his enemy. They were the rival champions of the two parties in the state, the people and the patricians, whose quarrels had so long filled Rome with tumult and slaughter62. The tribunes in C?sar’s interest interposed a veto, which the Roman Constitution authorized71 them to do. The Senate voted to suspend the Constitution, which really terminated the Roman Republic, Jan. 7, B. C. 49. C?sar at once crossed the river Rubicon, the boundary of his government, and marched his army on Rome. Pompey and the aristocratic party fled in haste, leaving the public treasure behind. In sixty days C?sar had possession of all Italy. Sicily, Sardinia, and Spain were next conquered from the officers of Pompey, when he returned to Rome, and was created dictator by his party. He treated all his enemies with clemency72. Pompey had gone into Greece, 48—where he gathered a large army. C?sar followed with his veteran legions, and defeated him in the battle of Pharsalia in Thessaly. Pompey fled to Egypt, where he was treacherously73 slain, to the great indignation of C?sar, who would shed no blood but in necessary battle. Thus he became sole master of the world.
In a conflict with the Egyptians in Alexandria C?sar set on fire their fleet, he being attended by but few troops, and the conflagration74 extended to the Alexandrian Library, filled with inestimable treasures of ancient literature, which were destroyed, to the great loss of future generations. C?sar soon subdued Egypt,[103] 47—defeated Pharnaces, son of Mithridates, and returned to Rome.
46—He soon passed into Africa, where he defeated his enemies. The celebrated75 Cato, an inflexible76 enemy of C?sar, committed suicide rather than submit to him. In Spain he soon after defeated the sons of Pompey, the last of his foes77 in arms. He rebuilt Carthage and 45—Corinth. He projected many great public works and useful reforms. The whole power of Roman sovereignty 44—was formally conferred on him by the people, when he was suddenly assassinated78 by a band of senators and certain conspirators, who imagined it possible to restore the ancient Republic. His nephew, Augustus, succeeded him soon after.
42—The republican and aristocratic conspirators were defeated by Augustus and Antony at Philippi, in Greece. Brutus and Cassius, the republican leaders, and assassins of C?sar, were slain. The second “Triumvirate,” composed of Augustus, Antony and Lepidus, having acquired possession of all the powers of the state, ruthlessly murdered thousands of their political enemies. They soon grew jealous of each other, and fought and intrigued80 for eleven years, Augustus, with great prudence81, firmly settling himself in Rome, and Antony becoming the slave of the beautiful and infamous82 Cleopatra, queen of Egypt.
31—At length, at the battle of Actium, Antony was defeated, and soon after both Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide. Egypt became formally a Roman province, and Augustus absolute emperor of the world.
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1 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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2 dominion | |
n.统治,管辖,支配权;领土,版图 | |
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3 equilibrium | |
n.平衡,均衡,相称,均势,平静 | |
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4 patricians | |
n.(古罗马的)统治阶层成员( patrician的名词复数 );贵族,显贵 | |
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5 patrician | |
adj.贵族的,显贵的;n.贵族;有教养的人;罗马帝国的地方官 | |
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6 disastrous | |
adj.灾难性的,造成灾害的;极坏的,很糟的 | |
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7 eldest | |
adj.最年长的,最年老的 | |
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8 torrent | |
n.激流,洪流;爆发,(话语等的)连发 | |
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9 sweeping | |
adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的 | |
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10 misery | |
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦 | |
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11 plunged | |
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
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12 thoroughly | |
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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13 subdued | |
adj. 屈服的,柔和的,减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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14 slain | |
杀死,宰杀,杀戮( slay的过去分词 ); (slay的过去分词) | |
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15 tumult | |
n.喧哗;激动,混乱;吵闹 | |
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16 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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17 agrarian | |
adj.土地的,农村的,农业的 | |
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18 assassination | |
n.暗杀;暗杀事件 | |
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19 overthrow | |
v.推翻,打倒,颠覆;n.推翻,瓦解,颠覆 | |
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20 anarchy | |
n.无政府状态;社会秩序混乱,无秩序 | |
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21 factions | |
组织中的小派别,派系( faction的名词复数 ) | |
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22 vigor | |
n.活力,精力,元气 | |
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23 prey | |
n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨 | |
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24 melancholy | |
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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25 grandeur | |
n.伟大,崇高,宏伟,庄严,豪华 | |
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26 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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27 legitimate | |
adj.合法的,合理的,合乎逻辑的;v.使合法 | |
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28 immoral | |
adj.不道德的,淫荡的,荒淫的,有伤风化的 | |
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29 doctrine | |
n.教义;主义;学说 | |
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30 consistency | |
n.一贯性,前后一致,稳定性;(液体的)浓度 | |
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31 eminent | |
adj.显赫的,杰出的,有名的,优良的 | |
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32 eminently | |
adv.突出地;显著地;不寻常地 | |
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33 instinctively | |
adv.本能地 | |
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34 hardy | |
adj.勇敢的,果断的,吃苦的;耐寒的 | |
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35 superstition | |
n.迷信,迷信行为 | |
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36 culminate | |
v.到绝顶,达于极点,达到高潮 | |
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37 boundless | |
adj.无限的;无边无际的;巨大的 | |
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38 corrupt | |
v.贿赂,收买;adj.腐败的,贪污的 | |
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39 labor | |
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦 | |
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40 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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41 invincible | |
adj.不可征服的,难以制服的 | |
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42 rapacity | |
n.贪婪,贪心,劫掠的欲望 | |
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43 dominions | |
统治权( dominion的名词复数 ); 领土; 疆土; 版图 | |
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44 vitality | |
n.活力,生命力,效力 | |
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45 consul | |
n.领事;执政官 | |
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46 consulship | |
领事的职位或任期 | |
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47 consuls | |
领事( consul的名词复数 ); (古罗马共和国时期)执政官 (古罗马共和国及其军队的最高首长,同时共有两位,每年选举一次) | |
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48 intrigue | |
vt.激起兴趣,迷住;vi.耍阴谋;n.阴谋,密谋 | |
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49 usurpation | |
n.篡位;霸占 | |
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50 inhuman | |
adj.残忍的,不人道的,无人性的 | |
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51 tyrant | |
n.暴君,专制的君主,残暴的人 | |
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52 orator | |
n.演说者,演讲者,雄辩家 | |
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53 horde | |
n.群众,一大群 | |
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54 barbarians | |
n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 );外国人;粗野的人;无教养的人 | |
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55 Founder | |
n.创始者,缔造者 | |
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56 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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57 citizenship | |
n.市民权,公民权,国民的义务(身份) | |
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58 procured | |
v.(努力)取得, (设法)获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 );拉皮条 | |
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59 banishment | |
n.放逐,驱逐 | |
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60 regained | |
复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 ); 赢回; 重回; 复至某地 | |
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61 slaughtered | |
v.屠杀,杀戮,屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62 slaughter | |
n.屠杀,屠宰;vt.屠杀,宰杀 | |
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63 slew | |
v.(使)旋转;n.大量,许多 | |
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64 vices | |
缺陷( vice的名词复数 ); 恶习; 不道德行为; 台钳 | |
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65 Mediterranean | |
adj.地中海的;地中海沿岸的 | |
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66 infested | |
adj.为患的,大批滋生的(常与with搭配)v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 );遍布于 | |
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67 conspiracy | |
n.阴谋,密谋,共谋 | |
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68 eloquence | |
n.雄辩;口才,修辞 | |
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69 conspirators | |
n.共谋者,阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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70 subduing | |
征服( subdue的现在分词 ); 克制; 制服; 色变暗 | |
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71 authorized | |
a.委任的,许可的 | |
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72 clemency | |
n.温和,仁慈,宽厚 | |
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73 treacherously | |
背信弃义地; 背叛地; 靠不住地; 危险地 | |
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74 conflagration | |
n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
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75 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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76 inflexible | |
adj.不可改变的,不受影响的,不屈服的 | |
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77 foes | |
敌人,仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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78 assassinated | |
v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 );中伤;诋毁;破坏 | |
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79 connivance | |
n.纵容;默许 | |
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80 intrigued | |
adj.好奇的,被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式);激起…的兴趣或好奇心;“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词 | |
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81 prudence | |
n.谨慎,精明,节俭 | |
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82 infamous | |
adj.声名狼藉的,臭名昭著的,邪恶的 | |
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