ir wars to an end as
rapidly as they could, that they might enjoy the honours of a triumph.
The usage of planting colonies was recommended by the great advantage
and convenience which resulted from it. In dealing with the spoils of
warfare their practice, no doubt, in a measure changed, so that in this
respect they were not afterwards so liberal as they were at first;
partly, because liberality did not seem so necessary when their soldiers
were in receipt of pay; and, partly, because the spoils themselves being
greater than before, they thought by their help so to enrich the public
treasury as to be able to carry on their wars without taxing the city;
and, in fact, by pursuing this course the public revenues were soon
greatly augmented. The methods thus followed by the Romans in dividing
plunder and in planting colonies had, accordingly, this result, that
whereas other less prudent princes and republics are impoverished by
war, Rome was enriched by it; nay, so far was the system carried, that
no consul could hope for a triumph unless he brought back with him for
the public treasury much gold and silver and spoils of every kind.
By methods such as these, at one time bringing their wars to a rapid
conclusion by invasion and actual defeat, at another wearing out an
enemy by protracted hostilities, and again by concluding peace on
advantageous terms, the Romans continually grew richer and more
powerful.
CHAPTER VII.--_Of the Quantity of Land assigned by the Romans to each
Colonist_.
It would, I think, be difficult to fix with certainty how much land the
Romans allotted to each colonist, for my belief is that they gave more
or less according to the character of the country to which they sent
them. We may, however, be sure that in every instance, and to whatever
country they were sent, the quantity of land assigned was not very
large: first, because, these colonists being sent to guard the newly
acquired country, by giving little land it became possible to send more
men; and second because, as the Romans lived frugally at home, it is
unreasonable to suppose that they should wish their countrymen to be too
well off abroad. And Titus Livius tells us that on the capture of Veii,
the Romans sent thither a colony, allotting to each colonist three
jugera and seven unciae of land, which, according to our measurement
would be something under two acres.
Besides the above reasons, the Romans may likely enough have thought
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