We know, too, the rule of civilized white men over civilized white men--of Russian (for example) over Pole, where the individualities of two kindred and similarly civilized races clash in undying conflict.

The Roman conquest of western Europe resembled neither of these.

Celt, Iberian, German, Illyrian, were marked off from Italian by no broad distinction of race and colour, such as that which marked off Egyptian from Italian, or that which now divides Englishman from African or Frenchman from Algerian Arab.

They were marked off, further, by no ancient culture, such as that which had existed for centuries round the Aegean.

It was possible, it was easy, to Romanize these western peoples.
Even their geographical position helped, though somewhat indirectly, to further the process.