Divorce, while rare, was not the traumatic event it is today as the family system nurtured the children. This was not by any means an idyllic setting. But men were secure in their roles, and there was not the horrendous, mindless violence that proliferates in today's world. Today, capitalism is the predominant influence on our lives. Its whole foundation and social structure is based on myths that are contrary to the reality of people's lives.
Life is equated to a game with individuals competing to succeed.
Our value is determined by our material possessions, not by our worth as caring, sharing human beings. The cult of the individual who strives to succeed, whose individual family rises and falls with the fortunes of the individual, is particularly hard on males. When a man, as provider, loses his job, his identity as a worthwhile person suffers accordingly. Since the social system is in decline, and since increasing numbers no longer have a chance at satisfying worthwhile lives as part of the community, crime and violence increase. The decline of Rome, with its orgies and violence, must be put in the context of the economic changes that had come about effecting peoples' lives.