Page:General History of Europe 1921.djvu/218

 154 General History of Europe did not advocate any further conquests. It was bounded on the south by the Sahara Desert and on the west by the Atlantic. The Euphrates River was established as the frontier on the east, and the Danube and Rhine on the north. For the defense of these frontiers it was necessary to maintain a large standing army on the average probably two hundred and twenty-five thousand men. The troops were recruited chiefly from the Roman provinces. Henceforth the legions were posted far out on the boundaries, and the citizens in Italy saw few troops except the emperor's bodyguard. 245. Great Task of organizing the Empire. Augustus faced the task of providing a newer and better government for all the various peoples and nations that made up the Empire. The selec- tion of the governors of the provinces was almost wholly in his hands, and the governors knew that they were responsible to him for the wise and honest performance of their duties. Each gov- ernor also knew that if he proved successful he would be permitted to retain his post for years or be promoted to a better one. The whole Mediterranean world now entered upon a period of peace and prosperity. Formerly the various peoples had been accustomed to fight one another, but now the Roman peace en- veloped them all. The threads of our historical narrative have hitherto been numerous as we followed the stories of Egypt, Babylonia, Assyria, Persia, Athens, Macedonia, Rome, and Car- thage. With the exception of the regions east of the Euphrates these separate strands now become twisted together into the single thread of history, that of the Roman Empire. 246. The Rebuilding of Rome. Augustus also undertook to rebuild Rome and make it the most magnificent city of the world. He remodeled several private houses into a mansion for his own use. From this royal residence, which was on the Palatine Hill, our English word "palace" is derived. The palace looked down upon an imposing array of new marble buildings surrounding the ancient Forum. The finest of these was the magnificent business hall (basilica) erected by Julius Caesar and restored and completed by Augustus. On the north of the