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Since the remaining small farmers could not compete

因为剩下的小农无法与大庄园竞争

with the latifundia, they were lucky just to survive.

他们能生存下来就很幸运了

That is, the farmers who had survived the

指在第二次布匿战争幸存下来的

Second Punic War. The widows of soldiers who died

战士死于战争，他们的寡妇

in the war,uncompensated for the loss of their husbands

无法获得赔偿

usually sold their land to latifundia operators at

通常只好向大庄园运营者出卖他们的土地

ridiculously low prices. Some small farmers left

价格低得惊人，有的小农离开了

because they couldn't even afford to pay their taxes.

因为他们甚至无法缴足够的税

With nowhere else to go, these former small farmers

无处可去，这些以前的小农和他们的家人

and their families were forced to move to the big city,

被逼搬往大城市，一般是去罗马

which almost always Rome. By this time,

在那个时候

the old patrician-plebeian breakdown had faded away,

老的贵族平民没有了

surviving only in the office of the Tribunate and

幸存在位的只有护民官

in the existence of the Popular Assembly. Thanks

和全民议会

to the Sextio-Licinian laws of three sixty seven BC,

多亏了公元前367年的Sextio-Licinian法律

the classes had been permitted to intermarry.

不同阶级之间允许通婚

This brought fresh blood into the upper class and it

上层阶级有新鲜血液

gave ambitious and gifted plebeians something to

有野心，有天赋的平民有了机会

shoot for. The old patrician class had been replaced

老的贵族阶级被贵族取代

by the nobility. Membership in the noble class was

要想成为贵族阶级的一员

determined by being elected consul, or by being the

必须被选为执政员或者

descendant of somebody who had been elected consul.

是过去执政员的后代

Rome was still, surely, an oligarchy in keeping with

罗马当然依然还是寡头政治

the dear old mos maiorum.

维护老的祖制

It's just that plebeian blood had revitalized the

只是平民血液为老旧的统治阶级

old ruling class. As elsewhere, Rome profited from

注入了青春，正如其它地方一样，罗马

its adaptability in allowing social mobility.

从社会流动性中获益

The only drawback to being a member of the noble

作为贵族或者元老院阶级的一员的

or senatorial class was that senators were expected

唯一缺点是元老不应有

to be above having business interests.

商业利益

According to the mos maiorum, it was assumed that

根据祖制，元老们

senators were already wealthy farmers in need of

已经是富有的农民

no additional income. Since they still wanted

不需要额外的收入

additional income, because who doesn't?

但他们依旧想要额外的收入，谁不想呢?

The latifundia were the perfect business venture.

大庄园制就是完美的商业投机

Romans who chose not to be in the senatorial class

罗马人中不愿意成为元老院阶级

and compete for slots on the cursus honorum could

而竞争于晋升体系的

belong to the equestrian class, also known as the

归为马术阶级，也被称为骑士阶级

class of knights. Once a term for Roman soldiers who

曾经指作为骑兵的罗马战士

served as cavalrymen, the equestrian class of Rome's

罗马共和国晚期的骑士阶级由那些

late Republic was made up of those who chose to

关注商业利益而非政治的

focus upon business interests instead of politics.

人组成

These men were often but not always from less

这些人来自暂时

established families, and less wealthy, temporarily.

不太有名望不太富有的家庭

Some equestrians later aspired to become members of

一些骑士后来渴望成为

the senatorial class,but for the most part equestrians

元老阶级的一员，但是大多是的骑士

were happy making money and adopting individual

只想很高兴的赚钱并把元老

senators as their patrons. Also about this time

作为保护人

politicians began to sort themselves out into

同时政治家开始把他们自己分为两派

two factions called optimates and populares.

贵族派和民众派

Neither faction, the optimates and populares,

就美国意义而言两派都无法被成为

could be called a political party in the American sense,

政治派别

neither had a particular agenda or world view

两派都没有一个具体的议程或者世界观

other than getting the people who belonged to it

只是帮助属于这一派别的人

elected to the cursus honorum. The factions differed

进入晋升体系罢了

primarily in the noises they made in order to get

两派主要不同于他们为了获得一席政治职位

political office. The populares talked furiously about

而发出的声音，平民派激烈地讨论

their deep concern for the Roman masses.

他们对于罗马大众的深切关注

They applauded the powers of the tribunes and

他们欢迎护民官获得权力

appealed to the Council of the Plebeians,

上诉庶民委员会

but basically they just wanted to get elected.

但是基本上他们只是想赢得竞选

视频及简介

课程介绍:
本课程对罗马帝国和前苏联的兴衰进行回顾，探讨它们历史变迁的内在规律，并将现代的超级大国——美国与它们进行比较，从而作出对未来可能的一些预测。

原声视频：