n obedience among the
myriads whom he governed. After the victory of Actium he was at the head
of upwards of forty veteran legions; and though some of these had been
decimated by war, yet, when recruited, and furnished with their full
complement of auxiliaries, they constituted a force of little less than
half a million of soldiers.

The arts of peace now nourished under the sunshine of imperial
patronage. Augustus could boast, towards the end of his reign, that he
had converted Rome from a city of brick huts into a city of marble
palaces. The wealth of the nobility was enormous; and, excited by the
example of the Emperor and his friend Agrippa, they erected and
decorated mansions in a style of regal magnificence. The taste cherished
in the capital was soon widely diffused; and, in a comparatively short
period, many new and gorgeous temples and cities appeared throughout the
empire. Herod the Great expended vast sums on architectural
improvements. The Temple of Jerusalem, rebuilt under his administration,
was one of the wonders of the world.

The century terminating with the death of Augustus claims an undisputed
pre-eminence in the history of Roman eloquence and literature. Cicero,
the prince of Latin orators, now delivered those addresses which
perpetuate his fame; Sallust and Livy produced works which are still
regarded as models of historic composition; Horace, Virgil, and others,
acquired celebrity as gifted and accomplished poets. Among the subjects
fitted to exercise and expand the intellect, religion was not
overlooked. In the great cities of the empire many were to be found who
devoted themselves to metaphysical and ethical studies; and questions,
bearing upon the highest interests of man, were discussed in the schools
of the philosophers.

The barbarous nations under the dominion of Augustus derived many
advantages from their connexion with the Roman empire. They had, no
doubt, often reason to complain of the injustice and rapacity of
provincial governors; but, on the whole, they had a larger share of
social comfort than they could have enjoyed had they preserved their
independence; for their domestic feuds were repressed by the presence of
their powerful rulers, and the imperial armies were at hand to protect
them against foreign aggression. By means of the constant intercourse
kept up with all its dependencies, the skill and information of the
metropolis of Italy were gradually imparted to the rude tribes