The Inhabitants Are Represented
By Some Authors As Having Been The Inventors Of A Particular Kind Of Ship,
Which Retained In Some Degree The Form Of A Raft Or Float.
Their
government, which at first was aristocratical, was afterwards changed to a
democracy; and it is to this popular form of government that their
prosperity and wealth are ascribed.
The number of people in the whole state
amounted to 300,000; Tarentum had twelve other cities under its dominion.
Besides a considerable fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, they had constantly
on foot a very large army, principally of mercenaries. Eighteen years
before the first Punic war, the Romans had entered into a maritime treaty
with the Tarentines; according to this treaty, neither party were to
navigate beyond the Cape of Lacinia. Soon afterwards, however, the Roman
fleet accidentally appearing near Tarentum, the inhabitants took the alarm,
sunk four of the ships, killed or took prisoners the commander and some
other officers, sold the seamen for slaves, and behaved with great
insolence to the ambassador whom the Romans sent to remonstrate and demand
satisfaction. They were soon, however, obliged to submit to the superior
power of the Romans. In the second Punic war, it was finally subdued, and a
Roman colony planted there.
The Spinetes, Liburnians, and Locrians, were also celebrated for their
skill in naval affairs, and for their commerce, before Rome manifested the
slightest wish to distinguish herself in this manner. Indeed, the situation
of Italy naturally turned the attention of its inhabitants (especially of
those who were early civilized, as the Tuscans, or those who had emigrated
from a civilized country, as the nations in the south of Italy,) to naval
affairs and maritime commerce.
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