Page:A Short History of the World.djvu/189

Rome Gomes into History 169 her citizenship by the inclusion of more and more " outsiders." For while she still struggled at home, she was extending her power abroad. The extension of Roman power began in the fifth century b.c. Until that time they had waged war, and generally unsuccessful war, with the Etruscans. There was an Etruscan fort, Veii, only a few miles from Rome which the Romans had never been able to Photo : Undenoood &■ Underwood. REMAINS OF THE ANCIENT ROMAN CISTERNS AT CARTHAGE capture. In 474 B.C. however, a great misfortune came to the Etrus- cans. Their fleet was destroyed by the Greeks of Syracuse in Sicily. At the same time a wave of Nordic invaders came down upon them from the north, the Gauls. Caught between Roman and Gaul, the Etruscans fell — and disappear from history. Veii was captured by the Romans. The Gauls came through to Rome and sacked the city (390 B.C.) but could not capture the Capitol. An attempted night surprise was betrayed by the cackling of some geese, and finally the invaders were bought off and retired to the north of Italy again.