Considerations on the Causes of the Grandeur and Decadence of the Romans

her public structures. The works which heretofore have given, and which yet give, the highest idea of her power, were constructed under the kings.' (a) The building of the eternal city was already commenced. For the purpose of procuring citizens, wives or lands, Eomulus and his successors were almost incessantly engaged in war with their neighbors. They returned home bringing with them the spoils of vanquished peoples— consisting of herds of cattle and sheaves of grain. These were occasions of great rejoicing in the city ; and such was the origin of those Triumphs, which were in after times the principal cause of the grandeur of the Eomans. The power of Eome was greatly increased by her tinion with the Sabines, a people as hardy and as warlike as the Lacedaemonians, from whom they were descended. Eomulus adopted their buckler, which was large, instead of the small Argive buckler which he had previously used.' And it should be noted, that the circumstance which contributed most to render the Eomans masters of the world was, that having contended successively against all nations, they invariably renounced their own usages as soon as they found better. ° Witnesa the astonishment of Dionysius of Halicarnassus in connection with the sewers constructed by Tarquin. (Ant. Horn. Book III ) They exist yet, (a) Consult my Note at the end of this chapter. — Tkanslator, * Plutarch, Idfe of Emnulvs. CHAP. I.] OP THE ROMANS.…