The climax of civilisation / by Correa Moylan Walsh.

  • Correa Moylan Walsh
Date:
1917
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The climax of civilisation / by Correa Moylan Walsh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    118/170 (page 104)
    decreased in numbers, “ destroyed as they were by poverty, taxes, and military service. Even when times of peace came,” he adds, “they were doomed to inactivity, because the rich were in possession of the soil-and employed slaves only.” * Juvenal also hints at unjust practices — of first trampling down and ruining the fields of small owners desirous of retaining their land, to compel them to sell.** The large plantations, or latifundia, were perceived by Pliny to be causing the ruin of Italy,*°— of her agriculture first, and then of her civilisation. The heart of the empire was eaten up, and the canker spread outward to the extremities. All this meant the disappearance of the middle classes. Most of the charges of the state were, in fact, thrown upon them, and they succumbed. The richer burghers were en- rolled as curiales and compelled to serve in the magistracies; and upon them was laid the responsibility for the collection of the tribute due to the imperial’ government. They were thereby made into tyrants over their fellow citizens; *® but as they had to supply any deficiency out of their own pockets, their office became a burden which they tried to avoid, and when this was not allowed, from which they tried to escape.*’ They could escape by selling out, by going into bankruptcy, by en- tering the army, the civil service of the empire, or (when Chris- tianity prevailed) the clergy, or by running away to the bar- barians. These means, all but the clerical refuge, were one after another closed to them ‘by the emperor, except he granted special honour (such as the senatorial dignity) to some of them as a peculiar privilege. The wealthiest became thus privileged. Their heirs remained so; but the heirs of the others inherited their duties, which went with the property.*® Other privileged ones were the very poorest of the cities, especially of Rome, for whose benefit, to appease them and keep them quiet, much of the money collected was spent. The middling rich had to 43 Civil Wars, I. 7. . 44 Sat. XIV. 140-51; Cf. Sallust, Bel. Jug. 41 (8), Horace, Odes, II. xviii. 23-8, Apuleius, Metamor. IX. 35-0. 45 Loc. cit. 46 “Quot curiales, tot tyranni,” Salvianus, De Gubernatione Dei, V. 47 An early instance of avoidance, under Trajan, in Bithynia, is mentioned by Pliny the Younger, Ep. X. 113 (or 114). ; 48 See Guizot, Essais sur Histowre de France, Essai I.