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[2] Now if I must add to my account of
Italy
a summary account also of the Romans who took possession of it and equipped it as a base of operations for the universal hegemony, let me add as follows: After the founding of
Rome
, the Romans wisely continued for many generations under the rule of kings. Afterwards, because the last Tarquinius was a bad ruler, they ejected him, framed a government which was a mixture of monarchy and aristocracy, and dealt with the Sabini and Latini as with partners. But since they did not always find either them or the other neighboring peoples well intentioned, they were forced, in a way, to enlarge their own country by the dismemberment of that of the others. And in this way, while they were advancing and increasing little by little, it came to pass, contrary to the expectation of all, that they suddenly lost their city,
1
although they also got it back contrary to expectation. This took place, as Polybius
2
says, in the nineteenth year after the naval battle at
Aegospotami
, at the time of the Peace of Antalcidas.
3
After having rid themselves of these enemies, the Romans first made all the Latini their subjects; then stopped the Tyrrheni and the Celti who lived about the
Padus
from their wide and unrestrained licence; then fought down the Samnitae, and, after them, the Tarantini and Pyrrhus; and then at last also the remainder of what is now
Italy
, except the part that is about the
Padus
. And while this part was still in a state of war, the Romans crossed over to
Sicily
, and on taking it away from the Carthaginians came back again to attack the peoples who lived about the
Padus
; and it was while that war was still in progress that Hannibal invaded
Italy
. This latter is the second war that occurred against the Carthaginians; and not long afterwards occurred the third, in which
Carthage
was destroyed; and at the same time the Romans acquired, not only
Libya
, but also as much of
Iberia
as they had taken away from the Carthaginians. But the Greeks, the Macedonians, and those peoples in
Asia
who lived this side the
Halys River
and the
Taurus Mountains
joined the Carthaginians in a revolution, and therefore at the same time the Romans were led on to a conquest of these peoples, whose kings were Antiochus, Philip, and Perseus. Further, those of the Illyrians and Thracians who were neighbors to the Greeks and the Macedonians began to carry on war against the Romans and kept on warring until the Romans had subdued all the tribes this side the Ister and this side the Halys. And the Iberians, Celti, and all the remaining peoples which now give ear to the Romans had the same experience. As for
Iberia
, the Romans did not stop reducing it by force of arms until they had subdued the of it, first, by driving out the Nomantini,
4
and, later on, by destroying Viriathus
5
and Sertorius, and, last of all, the Cantabri, who were subdued by Augustus Caesar. As for Celtica (I mean Celtica as a whole, both the Cisalpine and Transalpine, together with
Liguria
6
), the Romans at first brought it over to their side only part by part, from time to time, but later the Deified Caesar, and afterwards Caesar Augustus, acquired it all at once in a general war. But at the present time the Romans are carrying on war against the Germans, setting out from the Celtic regions as the most appropriate base of operations, and have already glorified the fatherland with some triumphs over them. As for
Libya
, so much of it as did not belong to the Carthaginians was turned over to kings who were subject to the Romans, and, if they ever revolted, they were deposed. But at the present time
Juba
has been invested with the rule, not only of Maurusia, but also of many parts of the rest of
Libya
, because of his loyalty and his friendship for the Romans. And the case of
Asia
was like that of
Libya
. At the outset it was administered through the agency of kings who were subject to the Romans, but from that time on, when their line failed, as was the case with the Attalic, Syrian, Paphlagonian, Cappadocian, and Egyptian kings, or when they would revolt and afterwards be deposed, as was the case with Mithridates Eupator and the Egyptian Cleopatra, all parts of it this side the
Phasis
and the
Euphrates
, except certain parts of
Arabia
, have been subject to the Romans and the rulers appointed by them. As for the Armenians, and the peoples who are situated above
Colchis
, both Albanians
7
and Iberians,
8
they require the presence only of men to lead them, and are excellent subjects, but because the Romans are engrossed by other affairs, they make attempts at revolution—as is the case with all the peoples who live beyond the Ister in the neighborhood of the Euxine, except those in the region of the
Bosporus
9
and the Nomads,
10
for the people of the
Bosporus
are in subjection, whereas the Nomads, on account of their lack of intercourse with others, are of no use for anything and only require watching. Also the remaining parts of
Asia
, generally speaking, belong to the Tent-dwellers and the Nomads, who are very distant peoples. But as for the Parthians, although they have a common border with the Romans and also are very powerful, they have nevertheless yielded so far to the preeminence of the Romans and of the rulers of our time that they have sent to
Rome
the trophies which they once set up as a memorial of their victory over the Romans, and, what is more, Phraates has entrusted to Augustus Caesar his children and also his children’s children, thus obsequiously making sure of Caesar’s friendship by giving hostages; and the Parthians of today have often gone to
Rome
in quest of a man to be their king,
11
and are now about ready to put their entire authority into the hands of the Romans. As for
Italy
itself, though it has often been torn by factions, at least since it has been under the Romans, and as for
Rome
itself, they have been prevented by the excellence of their form of government and of their rulers from proceeding too far in the ways of error and corruption. But it were a difficult thing to administer so great a dominion otherwise than by turning it over to one man, as to a father; at all events, never have the Romans and their allies thrived in such peace and plenty as that which was afforded them by Augustus Caesar, from the time he assumed the absolute authority, and is now being afforded them by his son and successor, Tiberius, who is making Augustus the model of his administration and decrees, as are his children, Germanicus and Drusus, who are assisting their father.
Geography. Strabo. Horace Leonard Jones (Translator). London. 1924-1929.
Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.
Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.