These Were The Sitones, Who, According To Tacitus, Had Powerful
Fleets; Their Ships Were Built With Two Prows, So As
To steer at both ends,
and prevent the necessity of putting about; their oars were not fixed, like
those of
The Mediterranean vessels, but loose, so that they could easily
and quickly be shifted: they used no sails. The people of Taprobane
(Ceylon) - the Byzantines, and, on some occasions, the Romans also, employed
vessels, like those of the Sitones, which could be steered at both ends.
One of the most considerable revolutions in the maritime and commercial
affairs of Rome, was brought about by the battle of Actium. The fleet of
Anthony was composed chiefly of ships belonging to the Egyptians, Tyrians,
and other nations of the east, and amounted, according to some accounts, to
200 sail, whereas the fleet of Augustus consisted of 400 sail. Other
authors estimate them differently; but all agree that the ships of Anthony
were much larger, stronger, and loftier, than those of Caesar: they were
consequently more unwieldy. We have the express testimony of Plutarch, that
it was principally this victory which convinced Caesar of the advantages
and extraordinary use of the Liburnian ships; for though they had been
employed before this time in the Roman fleet, yet they had never been so
serviceable in any previous battle. Augustas, therefore, as well as most of
the succeeding emperors of Rome, scarcely built any other ships but those
according to the Liburnian model.
One of the first objects of Augustus, after he had obtained the empire, was
to secure the command of the sea: he made use of the ships which he had
captured from Anthony to keep the people of Gaul in subjection; and he
cleared the Mediterranean of the pirates which infested it and obstructed
commerce. He formed two fleets, one at Ravenna, and the other at Misenum;
the former to command the eastern, the latter the western division of the
Mediterranean: each of these had its own proper commanders, and to each was
attached a body of several thousand mariners. Ravenna, situated on the
Adriatic, about ten or twelve miles from the most southern of the seven
mouths of the Po, was not a place of much consequence till the age of
Augustus: that emperor, observing its advantages, formed at the distance of
about three miles from the old town and nearer the sea, a capacious
harbour, capable of containing 250 ships of war. The establishment was on a
large and complete scale, consisting of arsenals, magazines, barracks, and
houses for the ship-carpenters, &c.: the principal canal, which was also
formed by Augustus, and took its name from him, carried the waters of the
river through the middle of Ravenna to the entrance of the harbour. The
city was rendered still stronger by art than nature had formed it. As early
as the fifth or sixth centuries of the Christian era the port was
converted, by the retreat of the sea, into dry ground, and a grove of pines
grew where the Roman fleet had anchored.
Besides the principal ports of Ravenna and Misenum, Augustus stationed a
very considerable force at Frejus, on the coast of Provence, forty ships in
the Euxine, with 3000 soldiers; a fleet to preserve the communication
between Gaul and Britain, another near Alexandria, and a great number of
smaller vessels on the Rhine and the Danube. As soon as the Romans had
constant and regular fleets, instead of the legionary soldiers, who used to
fight at sea as well as at land, a separate band of soldiers were raised
for the sea service, who were called Classiarii; but this service was
reckoned less honourable than that of the legionary soldiers.
The period at which we are arrived seems a proper one to take a general
view of the commerce of the Roman empire; though, in order to render this
view more complete, it will be necessary in many instances to anticipate
the transactions posterior to the reign of Augustus. We shall, therefore,
in the first place, give a statement of the extent of the Roman empire when
it had reached its utmost limits; secondly, an account of its roads and
communications by land; and, lastly, an abstract of the principal imports
into it, and the laws and finances, so far as they respect its commerce.
1. The empire, at the death of Augustus, was bounded on the west by the
Atlantic ocean, on the north by the Rhine and the Danube, on the east by
the Euphrates, and on the south by the deserts of Arabia and Africa. The
only addition which it received during the first century was the province
of Britain: with this addition it remained till the reign of Trajan. That
emperor conquered Dacea, and added it to the empire: he also achieved
several conquests in the east; but these were resigned by his successor
Adrian. At this period, therefore, the Roman empire may be considered as
having attained its utmost limits. It is impossible to ascertain the number
of people that were contained within these limits. In the time of Claudius
the Roman citizens were numbered; they amounted to 6,945,000: if to these
be added the usual proportion of women and children, the number will be
encreased to about 20,000,000. If, therefore, we calculate, as we may
fairly do, that there were twice as many provincials as there were citizens
with their wives and children, and that the slaves were at least equal in
number to the provincials, the total population of the Roman empire will
amount to 120,000,000.
Our ideas of the vastness and wealth of the empire will be still farther
encreased, if we regard the cities which it contained, though it is
impossible to decide in most instances the extent and population of many
places which were honoured with the appellation of cities. Ancient Italy is
said to have contained 1197, Gaul 1200, of which many, such as Marseilles,
Narbonne, Lyons, &c. were large and flourishing; Spain 300, Africa 300, and
Asia Proper 500, of which many were very populous.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 84 of 268
Words from 84822 to 85848
of 273188
