Part 4 (2/2)
I. The AGER ROMa.n.u.s, including about one quarter of the whole, bounded on the north by CAERE, on the south by FORMIAE, and on the east by the APENNINES.
II. The DEPENDENT COMMUNITIES.
The _Ager Roma.n.u.s_ was subdivided, for voting and financial purposes, into thirty-three, afterwards thirty-five districts (tribes), four of which were in Rome. The elections were all held at Rome.
These districts were made up,--
a. Of ROME.
b. Of the ROMAN COLONIES, mostly maritime, now numbering seven, but finally increased to thirty-five.
c. Of the MUNICIPIA (towns bound to service).
d. Of the PRAEFECTuRAE (towns governed by a praefect, who was sent from Rome and appointed by the Praetor).
The DEPENDENT COMMUNITIES were made up,--
a. Of the LATIN (military) COLONIES, now numbering twenty-two, afterwards increased to thirty-five.
b. Of the ALLIES of Rome (_Socii_), whose cities and adjoining territory composed more than one half of the country controlled by Rome.
These allies were allowed local government, were not obliged to pay tribute, but were called upon to furnish their proportion of troops for the Roman army.
The inhabitants of this country were divided into five cla.s.ses, viz.--
a. Those who possessed both PUBLIC and PRIVATE RIGHTS as citizens, i. e.
FULL RIGHTS. (Footnote: Public rights consisted of the _jus suffragii_ (right of voting at Rome); _jus honorum_ (right of holding office), and _jus provocationis_ (right of appeal). Private rights were _jus connubii_ (right of intermarriage); and _jus commercii_ (right of trading and holding property). Full rights were acquired either by birth or gift. A child born of parents, both of whom enjoyed the _jus connubii_, was a Roman citizen with full rights. Foreigners were sometimes presented with citizens.h.i.+p (_civitas_))
b. Those who were subjects and did not possess full rights.
c. Those who were ALLIES (_Socii_).
d. Those who were SLAVES, who possessed no rights.
e. Those who were RESIDENT FOREIGNERS, who possessed the right of trading.
To cla.s.s _a_ belonged the citizens of Rome, of the Roman colonies, and of some of the Municipia.
To cla.s.s _b_ belonged the citizens of most of the Municipia, who possessed only private rights, the citizens of all the _Praefecturae_, and the citizens of all the Latin colonies.
ROADS.
Even at this early date, the necessity of easy communication with the capital seems to have been well understood. Roads were pushed in every direction,--broad, level ways, over which armies might be marched or intelligence quickly carried. They were chains which bound her possessions indissolubly together. Some of them remain today a monument of Roman thoroughness, enterprise, and sagacity,--the wonder and admiration of modern road-builders. By these means did Rome fasten together the constantly increasing fabric of her empire, so that not even the successes of Hannibal caused more than a momentary shaking of fidelity, for which ample punishment was both speedy and certain.
<script>