In War 



Besten "), and all that remains to the 

 historian is to give the details of this 

 extermination. He says, " In Greece 

 a wealth of spiritual power went down 

 in the suicidal wars." In Rome " Ma- 

 rius and Cinna slew the aristocrats 

 by hundreds and thousands. Sulla de- 

 stroyed no less thoroughly the demo- 

 crats, and whatever of noble blood sur- 

 vived fell as an offering to the pro- 

 scription of the triumvirate." " The 

 Romans had less of spontaneous power 

 to lose than the Greeks, and so desola- 

 tion came to them all the sooner. He 

 who was bold enough to rise politi- 

 cally was almost without exception 

 thrown to the ground. Only cowards 

 remained, and from their brood came 

 forward the new generations. Cowar- 

 dice showed itself in lack of originality 

 and slavish following of masters and tra- 

 ditions." Had the Romans been still 

 alive, the Romans of the old republic, 



53 



