324--an admirable summary of the Roman constitutional history .-- M.] "Wheresoever the Roman conquers, he inhabits," is a very just observation of Seneca, [30] confirmed by history and experience.

The natives of Italy, allured by pleasure or by interest, hastened to enjoy the advantages of victory; and we may remark, that, about forty years after the reduction of Asia, eighty thousand Romans were massacred in one day, by the cruel orders of Mithridates.

[31] These voluntary exiles were engaged, for the most part, in the occupations of commerce, agriculture, and the farm of the revenue.

But after the legions were rendered permanent by the emperors, the provinces were peopled by a race of soldiers; and the veterans, whether they received the reward of their service in land or in money, usually settled with their families in the country, where they had honorably spent their youth.

Throughout the empire, but more particularly in the western parts, the most fertile districts, and the most convenient situations, were reserved for the establishment of colonies; some of which were of a civil, and others of a military nature.