登陆注册
5214200000051

第51章

For it was this which made Regulus willing to return to his enemies, and this which made the Saguntines unwilling to revolt to their enemies.Does, then, the keeping of faith provoke the gods to anger? Or is it possible that not only individuals, but even entire communities, perish while the gods are propitious to them? Let our adversaries choose which alternative they will.If, on the one hand, those gods are enraged at the keeping of faith, let them enlist perjured persons as their worshippers.If, on the other hand, men and states can suffer great and terrible calamities, and at last perish while favored by the gods, then does their worship not produce happiness as its fruit.Let those, therefore, who suppose that they have fallen into distress because their religious worship has been abolished, lay aside their anger; for it were quite possible that did the gods not only remain with them, but regard them with favor, they might yet be left to mourn an unhappy lot, or might, even like Regulus and the Saguntines, be horribly tormented, and at last perish miserably.

CHAP.21.--OF THE INGRATITUDE OF ROME TO SCIPIO, ITS DELIVERER, ANDOF ITS MANNERS

DURING THE PERIOD WHICH SALLUST DESCRIBES AS THE BEST.

Omitting many things, that I may not exceed the limits of the work Ihave proposed to myself, I come to the epoch between the second and last Punic wars, during which, according to Sallust, the Romans lived with the greatest virtue and concord.Now, in this period of virtue and harmony, the great Scipio, the liberator of Rome and Italy, who had with surprising ability brought to a close the second Punic war--that horrible, destructive, dangerous contest--who had defeated Hannibal and subdued Carthage, and whose whole life is said to have been dedicated to the gods, and cherished in their temples,--this Scipio, after such a triumph, was obliged to yield to the accusations of his enemies, and to leave his country, which his valor had saved and liberated, to spend the remainder of his days in the town of Liternum, so indifferent to a recall from exile, that he is said to have given orders that not even his remains should lie in his ungrateful country.It was at that time also that the pro-consul Cn.

Manlius, after subduing the Galatians, introduced into Rome the luxury of Asia, more destructive than all hostile armies.It was then that iron bedsteads and expensive carpets were first used; then, too, that female singers were admitted at banquets, and other licentious abominations were introduced.But at present I meant to speak, not of the evils men voluntarily practise, but of those they suffer in spite of themselves.So that the case of Scipio, who succumbed to his enemies, and died in exile from the country he had rescued, was mentioned by me as being pertinent to the present discussion; for this was the reward he received from those Roman gods whose temples he saved from Hannibal, and who are worshipped only for the sake of securing temporal happiness.But since Sallust, as we have seen, declares that the manners of Rome were never better than at that time, I therefore judged it right to mention the Asiatic luxury then introduced, that it might be seen that what he says is true, only when that period is compared with the others during which the morals were certainly worse, and the factions more violent.For at that time--I mean between the second and third Punic war--that notorious Lex Voconia was passed, which prohibited a man from making a woman, even an only daughter, his heir; than which law I am at a loss to conceive what could be more unjust.It is true that in the interval between these two Punic wars the misery of Rome was somewhat less.Abroad, indeed, their forces were consumed by wars, yet also consoled by victories; while at home there were not such disturbances as at other times.But when the last Punic war had terminated in the utter destruction of Rome's rival, which quickly succumbed to the other Scipio, who thus earned for himself the, surname of Africanus, then the Roman republic was overwhelmed with such a host of ills, which sprang from the corrupt manners induced by prosperity and security, that the sudden overthrow of Carthage is seen to have injured Rome more seriously than her long-continued hostility.

During the whole subsequent period down to the time of Caesar Augustus, who seems to have entirely deprived the Romans of liberty,--a liberty, indeed, which in their own judgment was no longer glorious, but full of broils and dangers, and which now was quite enervated and languishing,--and who submitted all things again to the will of a monarch, and infused as it were a new life into the sickly old age of the republic, and inaugurated a fresh rÈgime;--during this whole period, I say, many military disasters were sustained on a variety of occasions, all of which Ihere pass by.There was specially the treaty of Numantia, blotted as it was with extreme disgrace; for the sacred chickens, they say, flew out of the coop, and thus augured disaster to Mancinus the consul; just as if, during all these years in which that little city of Numantia had withstood the besieging army of Rome, and had become a terror to the republic, the other generals had all marched against it under unfavorable auspices.

CHAP.22.--OF THE EDICT OF MITHRIDATES, COMMANDING THAT ALL ROMAN CITIZENSFOUND

IN ASIA SHOULD BE SLAIN.

同类推荐
  • Up From Slavery

    Up From Slavery

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 闽都记

    闽都记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 云南机务抄黄

    云南机务抄黄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 商虫篇

    商虫篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 众事分阿毗昙论

    众事分阿毗昙论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 模仿天才

    模仿天才

    本书为“中国当代故事文学读本”幽默讽刺系列之三,囊括了当今故事界优秀作者的幽默讽刺精品力作,还首次整合了《故事会》杂志创刊以来尚未开发的幽默讽刺类中篇故事资源。故事会编辑部编著的这本《模仿天才》收录的都是幽默讽刺精品力作!故事或幽默风趣,或辛辣讽刺,让热爱幽默讽刺故事的读者尽享故事的乐趣。
  • 星空之下的成长

    星空之下的成长

    一部游戏,一段青春“青春就像那片星空,而我们,就是那一颗颗流星,转瞬即逝,却光芒永存。”——陆晚星
  • 罪推理

    罪推理

    推理作家庄梦蝶有两个追求者,一个是警界鼎鼎大名的神探、现任特案组组长叶天,一个是京城金牌大律师吴铮。叶天说,“梦蝶,嫁给我吧。”吴铮说,“梦蝶,嫁给我吧。”庄梦蝶诡笑,“那个,可不可以两个都嫁啊。”(第一案墙中碎尸,富豪妻子神秘失踪,别墅墙中惊现碎尸,凶手究竟是谁?)
  • 和大佬隐婚后我爆红娱乐圈

    和大佬隐婚后我爆红娱乐圈

    推荐新书《夫人她马甲又轰动全城了》暴雨天,浑身湿透了的男人夹着风寒将一颗感冒胶囊喂到了她嘴边。人人都知道高冷矜贵的厉总有病。只有容颜知道,他只是占有欲超强的偏执狂。那天,她被堵在卧室门口,他霸道地长臂勾过她,“颜颜,你想什么时候跟我结婚?”容颜挣扎未果,无奈地说,“我有男朋友了,我们交往五年了。”“你说的男朋友就是我儿子?”为了宝贝儿子,她隐婚千亿总裁,从此之后,她成了京市最权势的男人心尖尖上的宠!从此一路打脸虐渣渣,从十八线走到星光璀璨!京市的人都知道,神秘强大的厉氏集团总裁有个不能踩的底线,谁碰谁完蛋。那条底线叫——容颜!
  • 血战神古

    血战神古

    飞升之后,死亡阴云笼罩。万族强势,太古人族势弱。无尽苍茫之中,浩淼神古之内。孟飞,刚刚飞升,便被强行推上仙帝一位。是福?是祸?
  • 先生离婚吧

    先生离婚吧

    “大小姐,你回来啦。”叶行音推开门迎面走来的王妈恭敬的问候,点了点头,叶行音嗯了一声当作回答,面上漠然。“太太说今天是二小姐的生日,还请大小姐不要随意走动。”王妈冷漠的说着,眼里闪过一丝的不屑和快意。在叶家大宅里谁不知道叶家大小姐不得宠,甚至可以说是连他们这些佣人都不如。真是活该,妈妈是破坏人家家庭的小三,孩子也贱到骨子里!“哦。”心里抽疼抽疼的,面上却做不在乎的应了一声,……
  • 我们的余生暖又暖

    我们的余生暖又暖

    “可可,跟我结婚你愿意吗?”暗恋多年的对象忽然跟自己求婚,于是苏可可婚了!不喜欢我?不爱我?没关系,先嫁了再说,女追男隔层纱!信心满满的苏可可开启她的追夫之路。婚后他处处护着着她,但却无关爱情。一份录音曝光,人人都说她为了嫁入顾家而不择手段的蛇蝎女人!提出离婚不同意?苏可可找人演一出出轨的戏码逼迫顾远衡签下离婚协议,可是谁能告诉她为什么出现在酒店的会是她的老公?计划失败,心冷的苏可可采取了分居策略。平日忙的日夜颠倒的人,却像个跟屁虫似的,看到她跟异性吃饭,不要脸的黏在身边霸道的宣示他的主权。看到有人给她送花,幼稚的将她办公室都堆成了花海!顾先生说,他这辈子就没想过离婚两个字!
  • 九域商女

    九域商女

    九域列国,各方势力搅动风云,这是一场权利角逐的盛宴,她重生而来步步为营智斗后宅,从深闺走向列国,以天下为局列国为棋,开创九域繁华盛世。《书友群536667356》
  • 重生复仇:夜帝的罗刹妃

    重生复仇:夜帝的罗刹妃

    前世,她的夫君为了医治她的姐姐,不惜将他们幼小的孩子残忍的杀害,换来他们狰狞的笑声,她带着满腔的心碎含恨而亡。天见尤怜,她重生了!这一世她一改曾经的懦弱,她陌听雪踏着鲜血而来,她的心中只有满腔的恨意,她要复仇,一一归还!想要利用我上位?很好,我陌听雪发誓,今世前生的两笔账一起算,若是不将负我之人挫骨扬灰,誓不为人!当前世她错过的他,再次温柔的出现在她的眼前,执子之手:“我愿为你撑起一片天!”他爱她至深,宠她入骨,她却开始迷茫、迟疑了!今生,她还配拥有一份真挚的感情吗?她还来得及弥补那份曾经错过的爱?本故事纯属虚构,请勿模仿。
  • 荒村归来

    荒村归来

    《荒村公寓》出版半年后,“我”收到了一张看起来很诡异的书迷会通票,荒村幸存者苏天平也在这时发来求救短信。“我”和春雨在苏天平的电脑里发现一张美得令人窒息的面孔。她叫阿环,良渚古国的末代女王,她说自己只能活七天。而几小时后,“我”在酒吧里离奇地遇到了一个与阿环长着相同面孔的女服务生林幽。为了再见到深爱的小枝,“我”不由得听信阿环,重新戴上了荒村的玉指环,竟然忽略了从苏天平出事算起,已经过去了整整六天,“我”和春雨不得不再去荒村……荒村故事更进一步,良诸魔咒仍待破解。究竟是女王重生,还是双重人格,抑或魔鬼与天使共生于一个人的身上?当近乎完美的推理让答案就在眼前时,大结局却在瞬间改变。