Ancient Rome : from the earliest times down to 476 A. D.

ial centre. Her citizens prospered and grew wealthy, and wealth is power. Her hills were natural strongholds, easily held against a foe. Thus we see that she soon beca

cessor, Ancus Marcius, subdued several cities along the river, and at

ing irregular in shape, but lying mostly along the southern bank of the Tiber and extending about

alled CLIENTS, who, though free, enjoyed no civil rights, i. e. they had no voice in the government, but were bound to assist in every way the Patrician, called PATRON, to whom they were attached. In return, the latter gave them his support, and looked after their interests. These

masters, and could be bought or sold at pleasure. Sometimes a slave was freed, and

might be called resident foreigners, corresponding in general to the Metics at Athens. Such were many merchants and

t foreigners, were all of a different race from t

civil rights. Most of them were farmers and peasants. Many of them were wealthy. This class of inhabitants on the ager Romanus, or in Rome itself, were called Plebeians (Plebs, multitude). Their very name shows that the

AR

g levy), and numbered three thousand infantry called milites, from mille, a thousand, one thousand being levied from each tribe.

males were liable to service. To accomplish this, every one who was a land-owner, provided he owned two acres, was enrolled and ranked according to his property. There were five "Classes" of them. The several classes were divided into 193 sub

each, ten in active service, and ten in reserve. The fifth class ha

g-pieces), spear, and sword. The fifth rank was composed of the second class, who were armed like the first, without breastplate. The sixth rank was composed of t

n equipments; the cavalry, however, received

ed among all the people. But gradually, as the influence of the wealthy plebeians began to be felt, the organization was found well adapted for political purposes, and all the people

ame amount of property, the centuries in the upper or richer classes were much smaller than those in the lower or poorer classes, so that a majority of the centuries might represent a small minority of the people. The ma

ation: C