. The story of the ancient nations : a text-book for high schools . have been the homes of the wild tribes ofScythians, Germans, and Gauls. These tribes needed agreat area to maintain them, because they had not outgrownthe hunting stage of existence. At intervals, one or anotherof them nearest the Greek and Roman borders would be dis-lodged and forced down into the rich and smiling land of thesouth. Inspired by the hope of great booty, they came downto meet defeat and death, or slavery, because of the bettermilitary tactics and arms of the more civilized Greeks andRomans. Examples of such move
. The story of the ancient nations : a text-book for high schools . have been the homes of the wild tribes ofScythians, Germans, and Gauls. These tribes needed agreat area to maintain them, because they had not outgrownthe hunting stage of existence. At intervals, one or anotherof them nearest the Greek and Roman borders would be dis-lodged and forced down into the rich and smiling land of thesouth. Inspired by the hope of great booty, they came downto meet defeat and death, or slavery, because of the bettermilitary tactics and arms of the more civilized Greeks andRomans. Examples of such movements are the Gallic in-vasion, which resulted in the burning of Rome in 382 b. c;the movementsof the Cimbriand Teutons,who were drivenback by Marius;the invasion ofGaul by the Ger-mans under Ari-ovistus, whichwas checked byCaesar; and themovement which brought on the border wars when MarcusAurelius fought against the barbarians along the upperDanube. As one reviews these attacks from the north, it becomesclear that the Roman Empire must keep its strength un- 461. Fortifications Along the Danube in the Time ofMarcus Aurelius. From a Roman Relief. 462 THE STORY OF ROME weakened in order to repel them. The danger was seenquite clearly by the Roman emperors themselves. It is theglory of the Empire that it met this great task so success-fully and for so long; but the time of weakness had comewhen the northern nations were to pour their surplus popula-tion across the borders. A new people with new ideas and adifferent character came into the Empire, and changed it socompletely that the time we now discuss may be called the twilight of the ancient world. 585. Description of the Germans.—In the story of hiscampaigns in Gaul. Julius Caesar has described the Germansliving east of the Rhine and north of the Alps as a peoplewho did not care to raise crops. They lived upon milk andcheese and the meat they got from their herds, or by hunt-ing. Over a century later Tacitus wrote his German
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