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 474 THE DECLINE AND FALL [Chap, xliv of Campania and Sicily relieved the wants of a people whose agriculture was often interrupted by war and faction; and, since the trade was established, 15 the deputies who sailed from the Tiber might return from the same harbours with a more precious cargo of political wisdom. The colonies of Great Greece had transported and improved the arts of their mother- country. Cumse and Ehegium, Crotona and Tarentum, Agri- gentum and Syracuse, were in the rank of the most flourishing cities. The disciples of Pythagoras applied philosophy to the use of government ; the unwritten laws of Charondas accepted the aid of poetry and music ; 16 and Zaleucus framed the republic of the Locrians, which stood without alteration above two hundred years. 17 From a similar motive of national pride, both Livy and Dionysius are willing to believe that the deputies of Eome visited Athens under the wise and splendid administration of Pericles; and the laws of Solon were transfused into the Twelve Tables. If such an embassy had indeed been received from the barbarians of Hesperia, the Boman name would have been familiar to the Greeks before the reign of Alexander; 18 this oontroversy were oalled forth by honour and resentment. [Samwer and Bahr- feldt, Geschichte des alteren romischen Miinzwesens, 1883 ; Haeberlin, Systematik dee altesten romischen Miinzwesens, 1905 ; Mommsen, Historie de la monnaie romaine (tr. by Blacas and de Witte), 1865-75 ; Babelon, Monnaies de la r^publique romaine, 1885-6.] 16 The Komans, or their allies, sailed as far as the fair promontory of Africa (Polyb. 1. iii. p. 177, edit. Casaubon, in folio). Their voyages to Cumre, &c. are noticed by Livy and Dionysius. 16 This circumstance would alone prove the antiquity of Charondas, the legis- lator of Rhegium and Catana, who, by a strange error of Diodorus Siculus (torn. i. 1. xii. p. 485-492 [c. 11]), is celebrated long afterwards as the author of the policy of Thurium. 17 Zaleuous, whose existence has been rashly attacked, had the merit and glory of converting a band of outlaws (the Loorians) into the most virtuous and orderly of the Greek republics (see two Memoires of the Baron de St. Croix, sur la Legis- lation de la Grande Grece ; M6m. de l'Academie, torn. xlii. p. 276-333). But the laws of Zaleucus and Charondas, which imposed on Diodorus and Stobceus, are the Bpurious composition of a Pythagorean sophist, whose fraud has been detected by the critical sagacity of Bentley (p. 335-377). 18 I seize the opportunity of tracing the progress of this national intercourse : 1. Herodotus and Thucydides (a.u.c. 300-350) appear ignorant of the name and existence of Rome (Joseph, contra Apion. torn. ii. 1. i. c. 12, p. 444, edit. Havercamp). 2. Theopompus (a.u.c. 400, Plin. iii. 9) mentions the invasion of the Gauls, which is noticed in looser terms by Heraclides Ponticus (Plutaroh in Camillo, p. 292, edit. H. Stephan. [o. 16]). 3. The real or fabulous embassy of the Romans to Alexander (a.u.c. 430) is attested by Clitarohus (Plin. iii. 9), by Aristus and Asclepiades (Arrian, 1. vii. p. 294, 295 [c. 15]), and by Memnon of Heraolea (apud Photium, cod. coxxiv. p. 725) ; though tacitly denied by Livy. 4. Theophrastus (a.u.c. 440) primus externorum aliqua de Romanis diligentius scripsit (Plin. iii. 9). 5. Lycophron (a.u.c.