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A priucipal source of the vices of the age was the boundless prodi- 

 gality of the upper classes. Nor was this of recent growth. It had 

 kept pace with the gradual expansion of the republic, and the poverty 

 of Cincinnatus or Curias was not less a thing of the past in the time 

 of the Scipios than an inroad of the Acquians or Samnites into the 

 Roman territory. The political wisdom of antiquity sought a remedy 

 for this inevitable result of growing prosperity, not in the counter- 

 acting agency of morality and religion, but in the enaction of sumptuary 

 laws, fancying, that the natural propensities of mankind could be 

 repressed by coercive legislation. Laws were accordingly enacted to 

 prescribe the maximum amount of gold and silver ornaments for 

 women, and to restrict the expenses of the household, the table, and 

 the furniture ; but experience proved, that all such laws were utterly 

 futile. As the wealth of the conquered provinces was poured into 

 Kome, the expenditure of the Roman nobility expanded to princely 

 proportions ; their town residences became palaces, replete with the 

 sculptures and pictures of Greece ; their country houses grew into 

 stately villas, surrounded by extensive parks, which absorbed the fields 

 and swept away the homestead of the free cultivator of the ancient 

 times. Italy became covered with the vast estates of a few rich 

 families ; corn-fields were changed into pleasure-grounds or forests for 

 the sport of the great, and Italy became more and more dependent on 

 the provinces, even for the supply of the necessary food. Fabulous 

 prices were paid for the luxuries of the table, for curiosities, works 

 of art, slaves, dancers, actors, and the ministers of pleasure and 

 debauchery. All sumptuary laws proved fruitless. Augustus neverthe- 

 less again attempted to remedy the growing evil by a new series of restric- 

 tive laws, but his efforts were alike ineffectual. All this experience 

 failed to convince the social reformers of that time of the futility of 

 their endeavoui's ; accordingly in the eighth year of Tiberius a pro- 

 posal was made by the Aediles to re-enforce the old sumptuary laws ; 

 and they no doubt considered themselves sure of the approval of 

 Tiberius, whose economy and frugality were in strong contrast to the 

 general luxury of his contemporaries. The matter was referred to him 

 and maturely considered. The result of his reflections is embodied in 

 a letter to the senate, which Tacitus gives at full length, and which is 

 a signal instance of the Emperor's sound judgment and firmness. He 

 confesses the inability of legislative measures to compete with evils of 

 such magnitude, which have their source in the economical and moral 

 condition of society ; he shows, that a remedy would be as great an evil 

 as that attempted to be removed ; that half measures are ridiculous, 

 and increase the boldness of the offenders ; he justly complains of 



