The Blood of the Nation 



neither inside nor outside forces could 

 have worked the fall of Rome. But 

 the true Romans passed away early. 

 Even Caesar notes the " dire scarcity of 

 men " (" Seu^v oXiyavOpoiriav "). Still there 

 were always men in plenty, such as they 

 were. Of this there is abundant testi- 

 mony. Slaves and camp-followers were 

 always in evidence. It was the men of 

 strength and character, " the small farm- 

 ers/' the " hardy dwellers on the flanks 

 of the Apennines," who were gone. 



" The period of the Antonines was 

 a period of sterility and barrenness. 

 The human harvest was bad." Augus- 

 tus offered bounties on marriage until 

 " celibacy became the most comfortable 

 and most expensive condition of life." 

 " Marriage," says Metellus, " is a duty 

 which, however painful, every citizen 

 ought manfully to discharge." 



"The mainspring of the Roman 

 army," says Hodgkin, "for centuries 



54 



