Library of the world's best literature, ancient and modern . imarily interested in the life and growth of politi-cal institutions. All his manifold activity is centred about this chiefstudy. It was natural, then, that the Roman State, the greatest organ-ization in all human history, should have engaged his lifelong devo-tion. Professor Mommsen is most widely known to the general readingpublic, in and out of Germany, as the author of a ** popular * Romanhistory. This great work is indeed put forth with little citation ofauthorities. The solid pages usually run calmly on without any arrayof pole
Library of the world's best literature, ancient and modern . imarily interested in the life and growth of politi-cal institutions. All his manifold activity is centred about this chiefstudy. It was natural, then, that the Roman State, the greatest organ-ization in all human history, should have engaged his lifelong devo-tion. Professor Mommsen is most widely known to the general readingpublic, in and out of Germany, as the author of a ** popular * Romanhistory. This great work is indeed put forth with little citation ofauthorities. The solid pages usually run calmly on without any arrayof polemic or pedantic foot-notes. Nevertheless, the apparatus, thescaffolding as it were, undoubtedly exists still in the authors note-books. Indeed, such material has been liberally furnished wheneverthe same subject has been treated in University lectures. More-over, this stately masterpiece of constructive work is firmly foundedupon special studies as wide-reaching and as thorough as were everundertaken. Professor Mommsens practical and juristic mind inclines. TIIKODOR MOMMSEN I0207 him to brush aside the fables and romances of Livys first , he endeavors to recover from the usages and institutionsof later Rome the probable conditions of the earlier time. Naturallythis often necessitates closely reasoned argument,— and uncertainresults at best. In the later portions Professor Mommsen is on firmer ground;but his judgments of men like Cicero, whom he detests, and Caesar,whom he almost adores, are as far as possible from a mere scholarlydependence on ancient authorities. Everywhere he is quite suffi-ciently inclined to appeal to modern parallels and illustrations. Thesection on the political history of the early empire has never yetappeared; but the imperial government of Roman provinces is treatedin exhaustive volumes, already published, and destined to become anintegral part of the completed work. This latter essay may serve to remind us that Professor Mommsenhas acc
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