HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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Augustus, under whom the power and splendor of the Roman name is thoughtto have reached its greatest height, when arts and science are said to haveattained such perfection as to have become in a manner proverbial even to thepresent moment, were materially different, or much improved beyond thosewhich had contended against Asdrubal, or Amilcar, and in the end annihilatedthe navy of Carthage.

The naval history of Rome, considered as a republic, may be compressed intoa compass almost inconceivably narrow. Carthage, the most dangerous, becausethe most powerful of her enemies, maintained indeed a well contested and reite-rated warfare against her, but at length miserably sunk before her arms. Othernations, less capable of maintaining the sanguinary dispute, fell a much easierprey. The consular or republican form of government, at length becameunequal to the task of ruling so extensive a territory. In vain was it par-celled out, according to the arbitrary will of the mighty conquerors, into dif-ferent divisions or districts. The mighty and stupendous fabric tottered underits own weight, and nothing but the assumption of the imperial diadem byCaesar and his successors, could have preserved the power of Rome from fallingto decay, many ages ere its ruin was at length effected.

The concentered authority constituted by this very unexpected usurpa-tion, averted for many years the impending destruction. But the dominion’had been too unwisely and extravagantly extended, to render it possible theutmost stretch of human power and ability should minister, as they ought todo, to those wants, to punish those rebellions, and reward those instances ofloyalty properly, which were perpetually arising in quarters of the empire*perhaps diametrically opposite to each other. Hence it happened that therevolt of one territory or district, no matter whether originating in groundsreal or fictitious, appeared, as it were, the certain prelude of some similardefalcation in another, arising probably from the same cause.

When Rome had reached the utmost limits of that dominion which she wascapable of acquiring by means of her fleets, as certainly was the case manyyears previous to the birth of Julius Caesar, she naturally became, without beingsensible of the neglect, inattentive to her navy, because enemies were wantingwith whom she could contend. The warfare which took place between therival competitors for empire, Caesar, Pompey, Augustus, Anthony, and others*raised a temporary spirit, which naturally subsided soon as the cause whichgave it birth ceased. The very conquests made by the mistress of the world

became