The Greatness of Cities [2]
near to Rialto, into one body, and so by that means grew Venice magnificent and great.
4. How the Romans increased the city of Rome by wasting their neighbours' towns
The Romans, to make their own country in any sort great and famous, furnished themselves very carefully ever with strength and power. For to make their neighbour people of necessity glad and willing to draw themselves to Rome and there to dwell, they overthrew their towns even down to the ground. So did Tullus Hostilius cast Alba down to the earth, a most strong city; Tarquinius Priscus laid also plain Cornicolo, a city abounding in mighty wealth. Servius Tullius made Pometia desert, and in the time of liberty they utterly destroyed Veii, a city of such strength and power that with much ado, after a siege of ten years, it was by cunning more than strength vanquished and overthrown. Now these people, and such other, having no dwelling place to draw themselves unto nor to live secure and safe, they were enforced to change their countries with Rome, which by this means waxed great, both in people and riches.
5. That some have gotten the inhabitants of other towns into their own towns
The like means to the former, but somewhat more gentle, the Romans used to populate and make great their own city, and that was, to bring the people home whom they had subdued, or the most of them, to Rome. Romulus in this matter drew into the city the Ceuinenses, the Antennati and the Crustumini. But no country amplified more the city of Rome than the Sabines. For in a sharp and mighty fight with them, after a long and hard conflict, he made a peace; and the condition was that Tatius the King of the Sabines should come with all his people to dwell in Rome. Which condition Tatius did accept, and made choice of the Capitol and of the Mount Quirinal for his seat and palace. The same course did Ancus Martius take, who gave the hill Aventine to the Latins when they were taken from their cities Politorio, Tellenae and Ficana. The great Tamberlane also, he amplified and enlarged mightily the great Samarkand in bringing to it the richest and the wealthiest persons of the cities he had subdued. And the Ottomans, to make the city of Constantinople rich and great, they have brought to it many thousand families, especially artificers, out of the cities they have subdued, as Mahomet II from Trebizond, Selim I from Cairo and Soliman from Tauris.
6. Of pleasure
Men are also drawn to live together in society through the delight and pleasure that either the site of the place or the art of man doth minister and yield unto them. The site, by the freshness of the air, the pleasant view of the valleys, the pleasing shade of the woods, the commodity to hunt, and the abundance of good waters, of all which good things Antioch in Syria is liberally endowed, and Damascus no less, and Brusa in Bithynia, Cordova and Seville in Spain, and many other good towns elsewhere. Unto art belongeth the straight and fair streets of a city, the magnificent and gorgeous buildings therein either for art or matter, the theatres, porches, circles, races for running horses, fountains, images, pictures, and such other excellent and wonderful things as delight and feed the eyes of the people with an admiration and wonder at them. The city of Thespis was frequented for the excellent workmanship sake of the image of Cupid, Samos for the marvellous greatness of the temple, Alexandria for the tower of Pharos, Memphis for the Pyramids, Rhodes for the Colossus. And how many shall we think have gone to Babylon to see the wondrous walls that Semiramis had made about it? The Romans many times willingly went for their recreations' sake to Syracuse, Mytilene, Smyrna, Rhodes and Pergamum, even to take the benefit of the air and to behold the beauty of those same cities. To conclude, all that ever feedeth the eye and delighteth the sense of man and hath any exquisite and curious workmanship in it, all that ever is rare, strange, new, unwonted, extraordinary, admirable, magnificent, great or singular
4. How the Romans increased the city of Rome by wasting their neighbours' towns
The Romans, to make their own country in any sort great and famous, furnished themselves very carefully ever with strength and power. For to make their neighbour people of necessity glad and willing to draw themselves to Rome and there to dwell, they overthrew their towns even down to the ground. So did Tullus Hostilius cast Alba down to the earth, a most strong city; Tarquinius Priscus laid also plain Cornicolo, a city abounding in mighty wealth. Servius Tullius made Pometia desert, and in the time of liberty they utterly destroyed Veii, a city of such strength and power that with much ado, after a siege of ten years, it was by cunning more than strength vanquished and overthrown. Now these people, and such other, having no dwelling place to draw themselves unto nor to live secure and safe, they were enforced to change their countries with Rome, which by this means waxed great, both in people and riches.
5. That some have gotten the inhabitants of other towns into their own towns
The like means to the former, but somewhat more gentle, the Romans used to populate and make great their own city, and that was, to bring the people home whom they had subdued, or the most of them, to Rome. Romulus in this matter drew into the city the Ceuinenses, the Antennati and the Crustumini. But no country amplified more the city of Rome than the Sabines. For in a sharp and mighty fight with them, after a long and hard conflict, he made a peace; and the condition was that Tatius the King of the Sabines should come with all his people to dwell in Rome. Which condition Tatius did accept, and made choice of the Capitol and of the Mount Quirinal for his seat and palace. The same course did Ancus Martius take, who gave the hill Aventine to the Latins when they were taken from their cities Politorio, Tellenae and Ficana. The great Tamberlane also, he amplified and enlarged mightily the great Samarkand in bringing to it the richest and the wealthiest persons of the cities he had subdued. And the Ottomans, to make the city of Constantinople rich and great, they have brought to it many thousand families, especially artificers, out of the cities they have subdued, as Mahomet II from Trebizond, Selim I from Cairo and Soliman from Tauris.
6. Of pleasure
Men are also drawn to live together in society through the delight and pleasure that either the site of the place or the art of man doth minister and yield unto them. The site, by the freshness of the air, the pleasant view of the valleys, the pleasing shade of the woods, the commodity to hunt, and the abundance of good waters, of all which good things Antioch in Syria is liberally endowed, and Damascus no less, and Brusa in Bithynia, Cordova and Seville in Spain, and many other good towns elsewhere. Unto art belongeth the straight and fair streets of a city, the magnificent and gorgeous buildings therein either for art or matter, the theatres, porches, circles, races for running horses, fountains, images, pictures, and such other excellent and wonderful things as delight and feed the eyes of the people with an admiration and wonder at them. The city of Thespis was frequented for the excellent workmanship sake of the image of Cupid, Samos for the marvellous greatness of the temple, Alexandria for the tower of Pharos, Memphis for the Pyramids, Rhodes for the Colossus. And how many shall we think have gone to Babylon to see the wondrous walls that Semiramis had made about it? The Romans many times willingly went for their recreations' sake to Syracuse, Mytilene, Smyrna, Rhodes and Pergamum, even to take the benefit of the air and to behold the beauty of those same cities. To conclude, all that ever feedeth the eye and delighteth the sense of man and hath any exquisite and curious workmanship in it, all that ever is rare, strange, new, unwonted, extraordinary, admirable, magnificent, great or singular