State and Family in Early Rome. By Charles W. L.
Launspach. (G. Bell and Sons. 7s. 6d. net.)—Mr. Launspach brings out into strong relief the religious element in the development of the Roman State. In this ho does good service to the student, who is apt to lose sight of the fact because it has been obscured by that part of Roman life With which he is necessarily most familiar. In Latin literature the real national religion has practically dis- appeared. It has become Hellenised. The Jupiter of Virgil, for instance, is practically the Olympian Zeus with another name. There is much else of value in Mr. Launspach's volume. We do not always agree with him. He makes too little, we think, of legend and tradition. This was Niebuhr's line, and though Niebuhr did good service to the study of history, in this particular he has become obsolete.
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