History of Rome and of the Roman people, from its origin to the Invasion of the Barbarians; . riumphalstatues, for the prince his column, andthe poets dreamed of epic songs inhonour of the new Rome. How canyou find, wrote Pliny to his friendCaninius, a subject so fruitful, andalthough all truth, more like a fable ?You will show us vast rivers turned intoarid plains,^ new bridges thrown acrossrivers, camps established upon steep moun-tains, and a resolute king driven from Trajans Return to capital and deprived of life.^ But, as the Latin spirit wasalready on the decline, in letters a
History of Rome and of the Roman people, from its origin to the Invasion of the Barbarians; . riumphalstatues, for the prince his column, andthe poets dreamed of epic songs inhonour of the new Rome. How canyou find, wrote Pliny to his friendCaninius, a subject so fruitful, andalthough all truth, more like a fable ?You will show us vast rivers turned intoarid plains,^ new bridges thrown acrossrivers, camps established upon steep moun-tains, and a resolute king driven from Trajans Return to capital and deprived of life.^ But, as the Latin spirit wasalready on the decline, in letters at least, it is in the metre andidiom of Homer that Caninius purposed to write his national poem;and Pliny, feeling the same solicitude as Boileau did, found onlyone difficulty in the task, that of introducing barbarous names intoGreek verse. However, when the conqueror of ])acia Avas back again in thecity, one might have thought, looking at things from without, thatthere was only one senator more at Rome. This is the epigram ofMartial. That impure poet, who styled Domitian a god, does not. her hands bound behind her back, seated or thrown down upon shields. (Cohen, ii., Traj., ) One other (No. 332), later than the conquest, bears for legend : Daeia Aw/, pi-ov. s. c, andshows Dacia seated upon a rock holding an ensign surmounted by an eagle ; on the left a childholding ears of corn ; before her, another child holding a bunch of grapes. It is the medal ofthe colonization. Allusion to some river, which Trajan had tunu-d from its course for some militaryoperation. ^ Bronze medallion, struck in lOtJ, on the return from tlie campaign in Daeia. Iheemperor, mounted, head bare, with cuirass and holding a spear, is preceded by Plenty andfollowed by three soldiers. ^ viii. 4. EEE 2 780 THE ANT0NINE8, 96 TO 180 even accord to Trajau the name of lord. We no longer beholda master here, he cries, but the most just of senators.^ He,in fact, discussed with his colleagues, leg
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