armies　to　Sicily　where　a　rich　soil　and　a　bad　government　invited
  foreign　interference。
  The　war　which　followed　（the　so…called　first　Punic　War）
  lasted　twenty…four　years。　It　was　fought　out　on　the　high　seas
  and　in　the　beginning　it　seemed　that　the　experienced　Car…
  thaginian　navy　would　defeat　the　newly　created　Roman　fleet。
  Following　their　ancient　tactics；　the　Carthaginian　ships　would
  either　ram　the　enemy　vessels　or　by　a　bold　attack　from　the　side
  they　would　break　their　oars　and　would　then　kill　the　sailors　of
  the　helpless　vessel　with　their　arrows　and　with　fire　balls。　But
  Roman　engineers　invented　a　new　craft　which　carried　a　boarding
  bridge　across　which　the　Roman　infantrymen　stormed　the
  hostile　ship。　Then　there　was　a　sudden　end　to　Carthaginian
  victories。　At　the　battle　of　Mylae　their　fleet　was　badly　defeated。
  Carthage　was　obliged　to　sue　for　peace；　and　Sicily　became　part
  of　the　Roman　domains。
  Twenty…three　years　later　new　trouble　arose。　Rome　（in
  quest　of　copper）　had　taken　the　island　of　Sardinia。　Carthage
  （in　quest　of　silver）　thereupon　occupied　all　of　southern　Spain。
  This　made　Carthage　a　direct　neighbour　of　the　Romans。　The
  latter　did　not　like　this　at　all　and　they　ordered　their　troops　to
  cross　the　Pyrenees　and　watch　the　Carthaginian　army　of　occupation。
  The　stage　was　set　for　the　second　outbreak　between　the　two
  rivals。　Once　more　a　Greek　colony　was　the　pretext　for　a　war。
  The　Carthaginians　were　besieging　Saguntum　on　the　east　coast
  of　Spain。　The　Saguntians　appealed　to　Rome　and　Rome；　as
  usual；　was　willing　to　help。　The　Senate　promised　the　help　of
  the　Latin　armies；　but　the　preparation　for　this　expedition　took
  some　time；　and　meanwhile　Saguntum　had　been　taken　and　had
  been　destroyed。　This　had　been　done　in　direct　opposition　to
  the　will　of　Rome。　The　Senate　decided　upon　war。　One　Roman
  army　was　to　cross　the　African　sea　and　make　a　landing　on　Carthaginian
  soil。　A　second　division　was　to　keep　the　Carthaginian
  armies　occupied　in　Spain　to　prevent　them　from　rushing　to　the
  aid　of　the　home　town。　It　was　an　excellent　plan　and　everybody
  expected　a　great　victory。　But　the　Gods　had　decided
  otherwise。
  It　was　the　fall　of　the　year　218　before　the　birth　of　Christ
  and　the　Roman　army　which　was　to　attack　the　Carthaginians　in
  Spain　had　left　Italy。　People　were　eagerly　waiting　for　news　of
  an　easy　and　complete　victory　when　a　terrible　rumour　began　to
  spread　through　the　plain　of　the　Po。　Wild　mountaineers；　their
  lips　trembling　with　fear；　told　of　hundreds　of　thousands　of
  brown　men　accompanied　by　strange　beasts　‘‘each　one　as　big　as
  a　house；''　who　had　suddenly　emerged　from　the　clouds　of　snow
  which　surrounded　the　old　Graian　pass　through　which　Hercules；
  thousands　of　years　before；　had　driven　the　oxen　of　Geryon　on
  his　way　from　Spain　to　Greece。　Soon　an　endless　stream　of
  bedraggled　refugees　appeared　before　the　gates　of　Rome；　with
  more　complete　details。　Hannibal；　the　son　of　Hamilcar；　with
  fifty　thousand　soldiers；　nine　thousand　horsemen　and　thirty…
  seven　fighting　elephants；　had　crossed　the　Pyrenees。　He　had
  defeated　the　Roman　army　of　Scipio　on　the　banks　of　the　Rhone
  and　he　had　guided　his　army　safely　across　the　mountain　passes
  of　the　Alps　although　it　was　October　and　the　roads　were　thickly
  covered　with　snow　and　ice。　Then　he　had　joined　forces　with
  the　Gauls　and　together　they　had　defeated　a　second　Roman
  army　just　before　they　crossed　the　Trebia　and　laid　siege　to
  Placentia；　the　northern　terminus　of　the　road　which　connected
  Rome　with　the　province　of　the　Alpine　districts。
  The　Senate；　surprised　but　calm　and　energetic　as　usual；
  hushed　up　the　news　of　these　many　defeats　and　sent　two　fresh
  armies　to　stop　the　invader。　Hannibal　managed　to　surprise
  these　troops　on　a　narrow　road　along　the　shores　of　the　Trasimene
  Lake　and　there　he　killed　all　the　Roman　officers　and　most
  of　their　men。　This　time　there　was　a　panic　among　the　people
  of　Rome；　but　the　Senate　kept　its　nerve。　A　third　army　was
  organised　and　the　command　was　given　to　Quintus　Fabius　Maximus
  with　full　power　to　act　‘‘as　was　necessary　to　save　the　state。''
  Fabius　knew　that　he　must　be　very　careful　lest　all　be　lost。
  His　raw　and　untrained　men；　the　last　available　soldiers；　were
  no　match　for　Hannibal's　veterans。　He　refused　to　accept　battle
  but　forever　he　followed　Hannibal；　destroyed　everything　eatable；
  destroyed　the　roads；　attacked　small　detachments　and　generally
  weakened　the　morale　of　the　Carthaginian　troops　by　a
  most　distressing　and　annoying　form　of　guerilla　warfare。
  Such　methods　however　did　not　satisfy　the　fearsome　crowds
  who　had　found　safety　behind　the　walls　of　Rome。　They　wanted
  ‘‘action。''　Something　must　be　done　and　must　be　done　quickly。
  A　popular　hero　by　the　name　of　Varro；　the　sort　of　man　who
  went　about　the　city　telling　everybody　how　much　better　he　could
  do　things　than　slow　old　Fabius；　the　‘‘Delayer；''　was　made
  commander…in…chief　by　popular　acclamation。　At　the　battle　of
  Cannae　（216）　he　suffered　the　most　terrible　defeat　of　Roman
  history。　More　than　seventy　thousand　men　were　killed。　Hannibal
  was　master　of　all　Italy。
  He　marched　from　one　end　of　the　peninsula　to　the　other；
  proclaiming　himself　the　‘‘deliverer　from　the　yoke　of　Rome''
  and　asking　the　different　provinces　to　join　him　in　warfare　upon
  the　mother　city。　Then　once　more　the　wisdom　of　Rome　bore
  noble　fruit。　With　the　exceptions　of　Capua　and　Syracuse；　all
  Roman　cities　remained　loyal。　Hannibal；　the　deliverer；
  found　himself　opposed　by　the　people　whose　friend　he　pretended
  to　be。　He　was　far　away　from　home　and　did　not　like
  the　situation。　He　sent　messengers　to　Carthage　to　ask　for　fresh
  supplies　and　new　men。　Alas；　Carthage　could　not　send　him
  either。
  The　Romans　with　their　boarding…bridges；　were　the　masters
  of　the　sea。　Hannibal　must　help　himself　as　best　he　could。
  He　continued　to　defeat　the　Roman　armies　that　were　sent　out
  against　him；　but　his　own　numbers　were　decreasing　rapidly　and
  the　Italian　peasants　held　aloof　from　this　self…appointed
  ‘‘deliverer。''
  After　many　years　of　uninterrupted　victories；　Hannibal
  found　himself　besieged　in　the　country　which　he　had　just
  conquered。　For　a　moment；　the　luck　seemed　to　turn。　Hasdrubal；
  his　brother；　had　defeated　the　Roman　armies　in　Spain。　He　had
  crossed　the　Alps　to　come　to　Hannibal's　assistance。　He　sent
  messengers　to　the　south　to　tell　of　his　arrival　and　ask　the　other
  army　to　meet　him　in　the　plain　of　the　Tiber。　Unfortunately　the
  messengers　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　Romans　and　Hannibal
  waited　in　vain　for　further　news　until　his　brother's　head；　neatly
  packed　in　a　basket；　came　rolling　into　his　camp　and　told　him
  of　the　fate　of　the　last　of　the　Carthaginian　troops。
  With　Hasdrubal　out　of　the　way；　young　Publius　Scipio
  easily　reconquered　Spain　and　four　years　later　the　Romans
  were　ready　for　a　final　attack　upon　Carthage。　Hannibal　was
  called　back。　He　crossed　the　African　Sea　and　tried　to　organise
  the　defences　of　his　home…city。　In　the　year　202　at　the　battle
  of　Zama；　the　Carthaginians　were　defeated。　Hannibal　fled　to
  Tyre。　From　there　he　went　to　Asia　Minor　to　stir　up　the　Syrians
  and　the　Macedonians　against　Rome。　He　accomplished　very
  little　but　his　activities　among　these　Asiatic　powers　gave　the
  Romans　an　excuse　to　carry　their　warfare　into　the　territory　of
  the　east　and　annex　the　greater　part　of　the　AEgean　world。
  Driven　from　one　city　to　another；　a　fugitive　without　a　home；
  Hannibal　at　last　knew　that　the　end　of　his　ambitious　dream　had
  come。　His　beloved　city　of　Carthage　had　been　ruined　by　the
  war。　She　had　been　forced　to　sign　a　terrible　peace。　Her　navy
  had　been　sunk。　She　had　been　forbidden　to　make　war　without
  Roman　permission。　She　had　been　condemned　to　pay　the　Romans
  millions　of　dollars　for　endless　years　to　come。　Life　offered
  no　hope　of　a　better　future。　In　the　year　190　B。C。　Hannibal　took
  poison　and　killed　himself。
  Forty　years　later；　the　Romans　forced　their　last　war　upon
  Carthage。　Three　long　years　the　inhabitants　of　the　old　Phoenician
  colony　held　out　against　the　power　of　the　new　republic。
  Hunger　forced　them　to　surrender。　The　few　men　and　women
  who　had　survived　the　siege　were　sold　as　slaves。　The　city　was
  set　on　fire。　For　two　whole　weeks　the　store…houses　and　the　pal…
  aces　and　the　great　arsenal　burned。　Then　a　terrible　curse　was
  pronounced　upon　the　blackened　ruins　and　the　Roman　legions
  returned　to　Italy　to　enjoy　their　victory。
  For　the　next　thousand　years；　the　Mediterranean　remained
  a　European　sea。　But　as　soon　as　the　Roman　Empire　had　been
  destroyed；　Asia　made　another　attempt　to　dominate　this　great
  inland　sea；　as　you　will　learn　when　I　tell　you　about　Mohammed。
  THE　RISE　OF　ROME
  HOW　ROME　HAPPENED
  THE　Roman　Empire　was　an　accident。　No　one　planned　it。
  It　‘‘happened。''　No　famous　general　or　statesman　or　cut…
  throat　ever　got　up　and　said　‘‘Friends；　Romans；　Citizens；　we
  must　found　an　Empire。　Follow　me　and　together　we　shall　conquer
  all　the　land　from　the　Gates　of　Hercules　to　Mount　Taurus。''
  Rome　produced　famous　gene