The Story of the Greeks and the Romans

Tarquin and the Eagle

The Roman Youths

The King Outwitted

The Murder of Tarquin

The Ungrateful Children

The Mysterious Books

Tarquin's Poppies

The Oracle of Delphi

The Death of Lucretia

The Stern Father

A Roman Triumph

A Roman Triumph (Cont.)

Defense of the Bridge

The Burnt Hand

The Twin Gods

The Wrongs of the Poor

Fable of the Stomach

The Story of Coriolanus

The Farmer Hero

The New Laws

Death of Virginia

Plans of a Traitor

A School-Teacher Punished

Invasion of the Gauls

The Sacred Geese

Two Heroes of Rome

Disaster at Caudine Forks

Pyrrhus and His Elephants

The Elephants Routed

Ancient Ships

Regulus and the Snake

Hannibal Crosses the Alps

The Romans Defeated

The Inventor Archimedes

The Roman Conquests

Destruction of Carthage

Roman Amusements

The Jewels of Cornelia

Death of Tiberius Gracchus

Caius Gracchus

Jugurtha, King of Numidia

The Barbarians

The Social War

The Flight of Marius

The Proscription Lists

Sertorius and His Doe

Revolt of the Slaves

Pompey's Conquests

Conspiracy of Catiline

Caesar's Conquests

Crossing of the Rubicon

Battle of Pharsalia

The Death of Caesar

The Second Triumvirate

The Vision of Brutus

Antony and Cleopatra

The Poisonous Snake

The Augustan Age

Death of Augustus

Varus Avenged

Death of Germanicus

Tiberius Smothered

The Wild Caligula

Wicked Wives of Claudius

Nero's First Crimes

Christians Persecuted

Nero's Cruelty

Two Short Reigns

The Siege of Jerusalem

The Buried Cities

The Terrible Banquet

The Emperor's Tablets

The Good Trajan

Trajan's Column

The Great Wall

Hadrian's Death

Antoninus Pius

The Model Pagan

Another Cruel Emperor

An Unnatural Son

The Senate of Women

The Gigantic Emperor

Invasion of the Goths

Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra

A Prophecy Fulfulled

First Christian Emperor

Roman Empire Divided

An Emperor's Penance

Sieges of Rome

End of the Western Empire

The First Settlers

You are now going to hear about the building of Rome, the capital of Italy, in Europe. By looking at your maps, you will soon find in Europe a peninsula, shaped somewhat like a boot, and surrounded on three sides by the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas. This peninsula is Italy. To the north are the snow-topped Alps, a chain of high mountains which separate this country from the rest of Europe; and through the peninsula run the Apennines, a less lofty mountain range.

As Italy is in the southern part of Europe, it has a very mild and delightful climate. The tall mountains in the north prevent the cold winds from sweeping down upon it, and many plants which you see here in hothouses grow there in the open ground.

Orange and almond trees, camellias and pomegranates, are all covered with fruit or flowers, and the vine and olive both yield rich harvests in this beautiful land. The soil is so rich that people do not need to work very hard in order to have fine crops, and, as the weather is generally clear, they can live out of doors almost all the year round.

As the climate is so pleasant, the land so fertile, the skies so blue, and the views so beautiful, travelers have always liked to visit Italy, and have spoken about its charms to all they met. It is no wonder, therefore, that many people have gone to settle there, and you will easily understand that the whole country was occupied long, long ago.