The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 43, July 1939 - April, 1940 Page: 420
576 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
forms of the Gracchi and the domination of a succession of
"strong men" in Marius, Sulla, Pompey, and Caesar. An out-
standing contribution of this book is that it explains for the
first time the techniques through which the senatorial "machine"
was able to control the popular assemblies and so to manipulate
elections and legislation in its own interest. The causes leading
to the collapse of the republican form of government are clearly
indicated, a subject which Dr. Marsh had earlier handled with
distinction in his The Founding of the Roman Empire (second
edition, Oxford University Press, 1927). Omitting unessential
details, the author carries the reader with masterly skill through
the period of confusion which followed the assassination of Caesar
in 44 B. C. and ended only with Octavian's victory at Actium in
31 B. C., and what is usually a maze of bewildering events be-
comes an intensely interesting, easily followed narrative. The
concluding chapters of the book treat social and economic mat-
ters, the army, the provinces, and the literature of the period.
Of the eight appendices, particularly important are those dealing
with the historical sources, the political machine, and the legal
issue between Caesar and the Senate.
The final volume of the series is by Professor Parker of Mag-
dalen College, Oxford, and covers the two centuries from the
accession of Antoninus Pius in A. D. 138 to the death of Con-
stantine in 337. The largest amount of space is given to the
reigns of Diocletian and Constantine and their administrative,
military, economic, and social reforms, and the development of
the caste system. An important chapter treats of Constantine and
Christianity. The historical narrative is followed by some sixty
pages of detailed notes. There are also genealogical and chrono-
logical tables.
The entire series represents a noteworthy contribution to the
historical literature of Greece and Rome. Not too technical for
the layman, yet sufficiently full and authoritative for even the
fairly advanced student, these volumes merit a place in every
public and college library, as well as in the private libraries of
those who wish to be well equipped in this field. One may well
hope that the war in Europe will not retard the publication of
the remaining volumes of this valuable series.
H. J. LEON.
The University of Texas.420
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 43, July 1939 - April, 1940, periodical, 1940; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101111/m1/444/?rotate=270: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.