The decay of old Roman virtue became at the same time apparent in the
great increase of luxury. This displayed itself in houses, villas,
pleasure gardens, fish ponds, dress, food and drink. Extravagant
prices--as much as one hundred thousand sesterces (five thousand
dollars)--were paid for an exquisite cook. Costly foreign delicacies and
wines were affected, and the Romans in their banquets vied with one
another in displaying their hosts of slaves ministering to luxury, their
bands of musicians, their dancing girls, their purple hangings, their
carpets glittering with gold or pictorially embroidered, and their rich
silver plate.
In the midst of the system there were not wanting some noble patterns of
the old Roman type, among whom should be named Cato, who kept up a
constant protest all his life against the growing luxury of his
countrymen, and died declaring that they were a degenerate race. Such
men were, however, rare exceptions; and we shall hereafter see that the
evil system already operative in the second century went on increasing,
till finally, a century afterwards, it resulted in the total subversion
of the republic.
The picture just given of the state of Roman society in the last half of
the second century B. C. prepares us for the period of civil strife on
which we now enter.
IV. EPOCH OF THE CIVIL WARS, 146-31 B. C.--The fourth period extends
from the capture of Carthage and Corinth to the establishment of the
Imperial Government by the battle of Actium, B. C. 31. During this
whole time the Roman history is a continued tale of domestic
disturbances. From the fall of Carthage to the battle of Actium, it
presents but a melancholy picture, a blood-stained record of
sedition, conspiracy, and civil war.
A number of causes had resulted in the growth of an aristocracy founded
purely on wealth; the old division of society into patricians and
plebeians had ceased, and there arose a still worse division into
classes,--the rich and the poor.