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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 generals and equally distinguished
statesmen and cut…throats； and Roman armies fought all over
the world。 But the Roman empire…making was done without
a preconceived plan。 The average Roman was a very matter…
of…fact citizen。 He disliked theories about government。 When
someone began to recite ‘‘eastward the course of Roman Empire；
etc。； etc。；'' he hastily left the forum。 He just continued
to take more and more land because circumstances forced him
to do so。 He was not driven by ambition or by greed。 Both
by nature and inclination he was a farmer and wanted to stay
at home。 But when he was attacked he was obliged to defend
himself and when the enemy happened to cross the sea to ask
for aid in a distant country then the patient Roman marched
many dreary miles to defeat this dangerous foe and when this
had been accomplished； he stayed behind to adminster｛sic｝ his
newly conquered provinces lest they fall into the hands of
wandering Barbarians and become themselves a menace to
Roman safety。 It sounds rather complicated and yet to the
contemporaries it was so very simple； as you shall see in a moment。
In the year 203 B。C。 Scipio had crossed the African Sea
and had carried the war into Africa。 Carthage had called Hannibal
back。 Badly supported by his mercenaries； Hannibal
had been defeated near Zama。 The Romans had asked for his
surrender and Hannibal had fled to get aid from the kings of
Macedonia and Syria； as I told you in my last chapter。
The rulers of these two countries （remnants of the Empire
of Alexander the Great） just then were contemplating an
expedition against Egypt。 They hoped to divide the rich Nile
valley between themselves。 The king of Egypt had heard of
this and he had asked Rome to come to his support。 The stage
was set for a number of highly interesting plots and counter…
plots。 But the Romans； with their lack of imagination； rang
the curtain down before the play had been fairly started。
Their legions completely defeated the heavy Greek phalanx
which was still used by the Macedonians as their battle formation。
That happened in the year 197 B。C。 at the battle in the
plains of Cynoscephalae； or ‘‘Dogs' Heads；'' in central Thessaly。
The Romans then marched southward to Attica and informed
the Greeks that they had come to ‘‘deliver the Hellenes
from the Macedonian yoke。'' The Greeks； having learned
nothing in their years of semi…slavery； used their new freedom
in a most unfortunate way。 All the little city…states once more
began to quarrel with each other as they had done in the good
old days。 The Romans； who had little understanding and less
love for these silly bickerings of a race which they rather despised；
showed great forebearance。 But tiring of these endless
dissensions they lost patience； invaded Greece； burned down
Corinth （to ‘‘encourage the other Greeks''） and sent a Roman
governor to Athens to rule this turbulent province。 In