HISTORY OF THE ROMAN FROM THE ACCESSION OF AUGUSTUS TO THE END OF THE EMPIRE OF THE WEST; BEING A CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF ROME. BY THOMAS KEIGHTLEY, AUTHOR OF HISTORY OF GREECE," “ HISTORY OF ROME," EDITED BY JOSHUA TOULMIN SMITH, AUTHOR OF "PROGRESS OF PHILOSOPHY AMONG THE ANCIENTS,' BOSTON : HILLIARD, GRAY, AND COMPANY. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1840, BY HARRISON Gray, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. STEREOTYPED AT THE 011-13- JIA 11-10-33 PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. وو THE present valuable addition to the "History of Rome was not published in England when that work was prepared for the press in this country. It is, therefore, thought better to publish it, as it was published in England, as a separate work, than as a second volume of that work, although none can feel the history of Rome to be complete without tracing it, not only from its rise to its highest pitch of greatness, but through the gradual steps of its decline and fall. The present volume is peculiarly valuable on many accounts. It embraces a period, the history of which exists in no accessible form, while its facts are of a most interesting and important nature, as connected with the rise, and spread, and influence, and corruptions of the Christian church. It forms a connecting link between the times and nations properly called ancient, and those properly called modern, inasmuch as it displays the first inroads of the peoples and races destined gradually to mould the latter, upon the strength, and power, and sway of the former, and their final rise upon their ruins. The same impartiality marks this History, both in its treatment of civil and ecclesiastical affairs, as marks Mr. Keightley's other histories. |