CHAPTER V
THE FALL OF ROME
I N Greece and Rome, war had been a necessity
for so long a time that it came to be regarded as
something almost sacred. It was considered the only
honorable occupation; and valor became the national
ideal. The military profession, therefore, afforded
the only means of illustrating the popular ideal.
In Rome, as in Greece, industry was considered de
grading; because it was thought that it had a tend
ency to tame the spirit, and make a man common
place and unheroic. The farming class, which was
held in contempt as being beneath the standard of re
spectability, was oppressed with unreasonable taxa
tion for the support of the military establishment,
until farming became impossible, and the plains of
Italy were abandoned to nature, which reduced them
again to a state of wilderness; and the rural popula
tion crowded into the city, where they had to be
fed with grain taken from the conquered provinces,
either at public expense or by private charity. Un
der these circumstances the government became en
feebled, so that it was unable to carry on further
wars of conquest, or even to guard its long frontier
from the barbarians of central Europe.
SI