. Rome : its rise and fall ; a text-book for high schools and colleges. arena, and more than ten thousand wildbeasts were 316. Luxury. — By luxury, as we shall use the word, wemean extravagant and self-indulgent living. This viceseems to have been almost unknown in early Rome. Theprimitive Romans were men of frugal habits, who, likeFabricius (par. 82), found contentment in poverty and dis-dained riches. A great change, however, as we have seen, passed overRoman society after the conquest of the East and the5 For the suppression of the gladiatorial games, see par. 270. SOCIAL LIFE. 521
. Rome : its rise and fall ; a text-book for high schools and colleges. arena, and more than ten thousand wildbeasts were 316. Luxury. — By luxury, as we shall use the word, wemean extravagant and self-indulgent living. This viceseems to have been almost unknown in early Rome. Theprimitive Romans were men of frugal habits, who, likeFabricius (par. 82), found contentment in poverty and dis-dained riches. A great change, however, as we have seen, passed overRoman society after the conquest of the East and the5 For the suppression of the gladiatorial games, see par. 270. SOCIAL LIFE. 521 development of the corrupt provincial system of the laterrepublic. The colossal fortunes quickly and dishonestlyamassed by the ruling class marked the incoming at Romeof such a reign of luxury as perhaps no other capital of theworld ever witnessed. This luxury was at its height in the last century of therepublic and the first of the empire. Never has greatwealth been more grossly misused than during this periodat Rome. The establishment of the empire, however, and. Semicircular Dining-Couch. (From a Pompeian wall-painting.) the accompanying reform of the administration of theprovinces, gradually destroyed those sources whence hadbeen drawn many, at least, of the ill-gotten and rapidlyaccumulated fortunes of the earlier period. There wasstill, of course, a wealthy class ; but the fortunes of thesehad generally come to them through inheritance. Therewere fewer new men. This later aristocracy was morelike the English landed aristocracy of to-day. In such asociety there will be found less foolish ostentation andgross living than in a society like that of the days of thefailing republic of Rome. 522 ARCHITECTURE, LITERATURE, LAW. The character of the expenditures of this later Romanaristocracy was determined very largely by the circum-stances of the times. Among ourselves the greater part ofthe income of the wealthy classes is employed in industrialenterprises. At Rome it was not
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