DAILY LIFE IN ROME.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2488, 5 July 1909, Page 7

DAILY LIFE IN ROME.

i (By H. Hamilton Fyfe.) , 1 “At the close of the Great War, when ’’ the danger which threatened so seriously k had been averted, the country became ' rapidly rich. “Government contractors especially : amassed huge fortunes. The idea of * money-making took possession of the national mind to the exclusion in many ! cases of the sense of duty to the State. ; This was the result of the accumulation ' of wealth being so sudden, and being par- ’ ticipated in by merely a small class. “As was only natural, the standard of living among the wealthy went up with astonishing rapidity. Dress, particularly women’s dress, became more expensive. Money was spent recklessly upon entertainments. Ostentation and extravagance affected the whole of the upper class. “Along with this change went a great* increase in wild speculation and a rapid inflation of the business' of money-lenders. Everyone wanted money, and few were scrupulous as to how they satisfied their needs. “Inevitably the moral standard of the nation declined. Politics ceased to be a serious business and became a mere game. Flagrant ‘jobs’ were perpetrated by politicians. Parliament lost its traditional character and influence. Its procedure was antiquated and clumsy, and frequently it was found impossible to secure the attendance of sufficient members to transact public business. “In private life the same slackening of the old standard was noticeable. Divorce became frequent. Men avoided marriage as a harassing tie. Women gave way to passion and excitement. ‘Race suicide’ became a fear which haunted the minds of public men. —The Interests of Capital.— “Colonies were regarded as possessions which were valuable because they enabled those who exploited them to grow rich. Wars even were sometimes undertaken in defence of the interests of capital and the investments of private but powerful dtizens. “Art suffered in common with the other branches of national activity. The interest in drama flagged. Spectacles and shows were preferred to serious plays. The stage degenerated into an entertainment for the brainless mob. “Yet, oddly enough, there was at. the same time a decided revival of the love of country life. A well-known writer of the day complained that in town therewas ‘no time to breathe.’ All who could afford it had country houses to which they went as often as possible for the refreshment of good air, of leisure, and of rural pursuits.” Suppose you came across such a passage as Ibis m a book which you had opened at random, what country would you suppose the author referred to? “Surely,” you would say, “this must be a sketch of the history of England during the nineteenth century.” It would, stand for that certainly, but it is, in reality, a rough summary of Mr Ward-Flower's very interesting book on the life of the Romans during the century, or so, which preceded the fall of the Republic and the establishment of the Empire. At this time Rome still seemed to be at the height of her greatness. But the seeds of decay had ben sown. The disease which always attacks powerful and wealthy nations had begun its ravages. The Romans were losing the qualities which had made them conquerors of the world. Their doom had already been written in the Book of Fate, which is nothing but the Book of Character, for it is upon the character of nations that their destiny must depend. It is true that Rome remained a Great Power, to use the modern phrase, for another four centuries. She seemed from time to time to recover something of her ancient spirit—under Hadrian, under the Antonines, under Julian, to take a few obvious examples which will occur to everybody. In many ways the social life of the later Empire showed improve- * meats upon that of Cicero’s time. For instance, there came into existence with the spread of Christianity a feeling of social sympathy which was, as far as we can judge, almost entirely lacking in the last age of the Republic. It is surely too much to say, as Mr Fowler does, that 'disregard of misery” had become second nature even to the best men of the age. It is impossible to believe that individual cases of misery did not arouse pity. But it is clear that there was no general feeling of sympathy with regard to the slave class. The Romans looked upon slaves just as the West Indian planters and the Americans in the South did not so very long ago. Slaves were considered to be part ot the natural and necessary order of society. But we know that both in the West Indies and in the Southern States individual masters were often very kind to individual slaves,, and it was certainly the same at Rome, as we know from Roman literature. As time went on, however, a new bond of unity between classes made itself lelt. _• Social legislation of all kinds, designed to ■■ make the condition of the poor more bearable, was proposed and put into effect. Philanthropy and charity which had not come into being under the Republic, blossomed and grew to vast proportions. The more the rich upper classes did for the poor lower classes the worse the state of things became. These are matters for us to ponder. It is still possible that, with the “awful examples” of other countries to warn us, we might avoid their ignominious downfall, The day of England as a GreatPower may be over, as many think. But the day of the British Empire may be yet to come, an Empire of which the centre may be at Winnipeg or Toronto (Ottawa smells of political corruption too much), or at Melbourne, or at Pretoria perhaps. As yet there is no British Empire in reality. There is merely the well-sound-ing phrase. The statesman who could bring the reality into being—and the moment is ripe for it now —would ensure to the British race the continued hegemony of the universe and leave behind him as famous a name as that of anv who have ever left their mark upon the history of the world. If I have wandered a long way from M. War de-Fowler it is his own fault for having written such a suggestive volume; For the last half-century the Germans have done much the best work in the direction of interpreting the life of bygone ages and making it real. . But the reproach upon English scholarship is being rapidly removed. This intensely interesting study, which can be warmly recommended to every intelligent reader, is as welcome as were Dr Dill’s valuable works on later periods. The defect in our classical education is not that' we set the young to study the wrong subject but that they are not encouraged to study it in the right way. It schoolboys could be persuaded that Greeks and Romans were real people, and could be got to understand how they lived, the reading of, Cicero and Thucydides, and Tacitus and 1 Virgil would be not only useful as mental gymnastics but a training of the imagination, the judgment, and the historical sense as well. Mr Warde-Fowler has written just the kind v of book that every public schoolmaster ought to be compelled to read. It draws a most interesting picture of a social life strangely resembling in many respects our own; gives one a fresh insight into history and sociology; offers constant shrewd comments for our instrmr tion; and from all points of view merits warm gratitude, while leaving us, like little Oliver, greedly “asking for more.”

To climb far a man must surmount at least one obstacle —a fear, a temptation, or an evil habit—every day of his life. ,v »■»