THE ROMAN CONQUEST IN EUROPE.

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 18, 9 January 1878, Page 2

THE ROMAN CONQUEST IN EUROPE.

Tho' last Übmnn conqqes* in' EuTopo' ' wns tho 1 niTciont Pncin, of which tho ' modern Uoumndia orWallnchia formed a ' part. Bilciii was finally conquered nnd"ir!>' ] | oprporatad with the all-dovouring Uomnn ' 'Empire about JOO aw>'.i by tho Emperor 1 Trajhn, tho lirat foreignofwho^ttainod'to 1 ' tlio I'mporial-'rurplo, nnd ortoof tho gron* ' tbst and boat of 1 tho Itamnn Jftnporors; } Tho famo of his-goodrcss doscorrriod oven c to Papal" times, nnd en old'SpnnUh his* ( torinn, who was proud to cnll him • a 1 emintry«inn}> thus conohidos his eulogy, cir c Trnjim's -ohnrnotor :*-""It is a groat pity ' that such nn exorllbnfc innn should bo lost ' nnd dnmned'ns dwibfclus ho wns."'Trnj(in' ( was a grcnt builder of bridgos and bar- ' ri6rs, and constructor of roads and causo- ( wnys. His namo is not assooiotod with' ' tho lioraun remains- in ■ J)rituin«-.bufc it is < indelibly impressod' on 1 tho ro^ion of the J DAnubo' wlicro tho wnr \n bciiiff waged. In ' doflninp; tho position ol tho combatantsi in ' tho present wnr botw.oon; I.tussia airidl 1 Turltoy, frcquont roferoiico is mado to J Tajqii'B wall, whioh was originuljy coi^"" 1 Btruotcd-.aadJortifiod.ia ordor to r*jpel l

the Scythians and Samaritans, , who in old times i&habited the delta of tho Danube, from Lower Mtoish, which is now called Bulgaria. The lino of the ancient -wall oxtends from near Kusteedjo on Iho sea coast to Rassova on tho Danube, a distanco bi about 37 ttiilos, and may bo said to mark the southern boundary of the Dobrudsolia. Another famous ftlto of Trnjaii exists on tho Danube. In order to Bocuro communication between 1 tho northern and souihorn bnnks and 1 to con fcrol tho navigation of the river, ho caused a groat bridge to bo" thrown noross f which was one of tho wondv>rs of the old world. It had 20 piers of hewn stone, «u:h 105' English feet in height, about tfO 1 fact in widths and Ifltf feet apart. Tho brrtlgi; waa destroyed by Hadrian, Trojan's protcgo and succossor, who is tho atrthor of tho lloman wall extending from tho TPyno to tho Sol way. Traces of Tfaj*n f » bridge remain, to tho prosont day in the shape of mounds of masonry ou each side of the Danube, jropafatod by a distance of 3000 English 1 feet, situated very near to 6Mnd" ova, on' the confines of Servia and BnU garia. Tho recent gigantic operations nro embraced within thusff two old wcrrld landmarks, ami siuco thfl 1 timo of their erection tlioy vrcro as mete milostonas to tho Hbman Empire,- they $ye us aorao idea of how vast that empifo was. The Cznr of al| the Hussias might 1 well scat' himself oft U» ono buttress of Trajab's bridgo and thro Sultan on tho other to muso on tho mutability of things-.