CHAPTER III.

FORMATION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

Meanings of the name Italy; its extent under the Roman commonwealth 43

Characteristics of the Italian peninsula; the great islands 44

§ 1. _The Inhabitants of Italy and Sicily._

Ligurians and Etruscans 45

The Italian nations; Latins and Oscans 45-46

Other nations; Iapygians; Gauls; Veneti; use of the name _Venetia_ 46-47

Greek colonies in Italy; Kymê and Ankôn 47

The southern colonies; their history 47-48

Inhabitants of Sicily; Sikanians and Sikels 48

Phœnician and Greek settlements; rivalry of Aryan and Semitic powers 48-49

§ 2. _Growth of the Roman Power in Italy._

Gradual conquest of Italy; different positions of the Italian states 49

Origin of Rome; its Latin element dominant 49-50

Early Latin dominion of Rome 50

Conquest of Veii; more distant wars 50

Incorporation of the Italian states 50-51

§ 3. _The Western Provinces._

Nature of the Roman provinces 51

Eastern and Western provinces 52

First Roman possessions in Sicily; conquest of Syracuse 53

State of Sicily; its Greek civilization 53

Sardinia and Corsica 53-54

Cisalpine Gaul 54-55

Liguria; Venetia; Istria; foundation of Aquileia 55

Spain; its inhabitants; Iberians; Celts; Greek and Phœnician colonies 55-56

Conquest and Romanization of Spain 56-57

Transalpine Gaul; the Province 57

Conquests of Cæsar; threefold division of Gaul 57-58

Boundaries of Gaul purely geographical; survival of nomenclature 57-58

Roman Africa; restoration of Carthage 58-60

§ 4. _The Eastern Provinces._

Contrast between the Eastern and Western provinces; Greek civilization in the East 60

Distinctions among the Eastern provinces; boundary of Tauros 60-61

The Illyrian provinces; kingdom of Skodra; conquest of Dalmatia and Istria 62-63

The outlying Greek lands: Crete, Cyprus, Kyrênê 63

The Asiatic provinces; province of Asia; Mithridatic War; independence of Lykia 64

Syria; Palestine 65

Rome and Parthia 65

Conquest of Egypt; the Roman Peace 66

§ 5. _Conquests under the Empire._

Conquests from Augustus to Nero; incorporation of vassal kingdoms 66-67

Attempted conquest of Germany; frontiers of Rhine and Danube; conquests on the Danube 67-68

Attempt on Arabia 68

Annexation of Thrace and Byzantion 68

Conquest of Britain; the wall 69

Conquests of Trajan; his Asiatic conquests surrendered by Hadrian 70

Arabia Petræa 70

Dacia; change of the name 70-71

Roman, Greek, and Oriental parts of the Empire 71