Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-04-24
sCrAps FROM ANctESr HISTORY.
woman's Virtue the Guardian Of Roman
Greatness LiceutiOnsness, Bribery and
the Downfall Of Rome.

1t is through the medium Of history that
we are enabled to perpetuate the occur
renee Of events, and bring up tho past and
compare with modern times
II is our purpose in producing the fol-
lowing scrap from very old history,
(kindly furnished us to read by Mr.. g. B..
CREps,) to show the causes that led to the
ignoble downfall Of Rome, that our
readers may be the better able to judge
whittier our Republic is drifting
Amidst all the guardians Of Roman great
ness, and Roman virtue stood woman; she by
her smil es, or her frUwns, moved the hrbiter Of
manners, VI morals, and Of virtue by the dig
nifty and magesty Of her character, commanded
the admiration aud respect OF all classes and
ranks Of citizens and by the splender OF
her virtue gave q lustre 10 the Roman
name. Nothing 10 Rome, was held more
sacred than the majesty of woman. Such was
the character Of the Ruman matrons, that
Il stan recorded to their eternal honor, that
not one single divorce stained the marriage COW
enants Of Rome for mere ihau hve hundred
years after the days Of Romulus.
Rome In her infancy, thus having laid the
| foundation Of her future greatness, was soen
visited by the philosophers of Greece, Pytha-
Roras and others, who introduced the Grecian
Mythology, which detied all the virtues, gave
them the FIRST rank in their temples, and thus
perpetuated their value BY their religious ador-
| alton.
The religious homage paid 10 the virtues, per-
petuated the purity Of the state, as their splen-
did truphs perpetua,ed the lustre Of their arms.
| Trained in this school Of temperance, aud the
| virtues, the Roman armies from the consul to
the soldier, carried to the field a Roman soul
warmed with Roman Greatness AID valOr, aud
never once dreamed that they could sheath the
sword, until they had executed the DEGREES ol
| the senate.
Rome began the second war with Carthage,
b. G. 2ls; and the third Punic war, l40
| Carthage was destroyed by Scipio the Roman
consul, 146.
Marius the consul obtained the Roman tri.
! umph, with the conquest and spOils Of Numidiai
and her captive prince, 1903.
These were the days Of virtue these were the
days in which Rome under the consular arms
subdued all Europe, south Of the Danube, from
the Atlantic on the west to the Hellespout on the
east These were the days in which Pumpey tls
+ Great rescued his country from the civil wars
of Marius and Sylla, carried his arms into Asia
and after long and distressing conquests, dedi
Gated to his triumphant country. the whol'
extent Of the states and Kingdoms, bstween tn'
Black Sea en- the north, and the Red Sea on the
south, brought Mithfidates aud Tigranes, th'
| greatest monaTchs of Asia, to submit tO the RO
man arms, and settled the Dominion of the East
Al the head Of his victorious legiank, he die
homage To the laws OF his country, resigned hi
authority, aud again became a private citizen
about the year 60.
fhe subversiun of Roman liberty under Cesar
we have uaticed also, the glorious reign OF Au
gustus, the first emperor; the fatal effects of tn
division of tho empire by Constantine, and tn,
fual overthrow tat followed the loss Of Romai
virtue, and the corruptinn Of Roman manners.
L. III a u. -.
of manners Temained, 50 leBg Roman wisdom
and the public good, supplied the place Of
balance Of power in the government; the foil
Of the populRce, was controlled by the wisduu
and virtue of the senate, and the energies u
the consuls, supported the glory of the state
Then Carthage had fallen, and with her all fear
of rival; when the wealth and luxury o
Asia, with the refnements of Gresce, hpwe
into Rome, and corrupted her manners aD
morals, by changing pnbli, respect for vir
tu0us poverty, iutn the admiration Of licentiull
wealth then money supplanlsd all the virtues
bribery and CORRUPTION followed, the folly 0f III
populace ovsrpowered the wisdom Of the senate
the consular energies were turned agains
} the liberties Of Rome, Caesar triumphed owe
Z Pornpey. and this mighty Government. whc
had given law to the world. fell under the 70
Of despot.
Rome in the midst Of her corruption coul
boast Of her Catulus. Lentulus, Gotta her Hnr
tensius, Calvus. and Cicero her Metellus, an
Luculus; her POmpey and Cato but her vlr
tue was gone, her morals were gone and abOv
all. tue magesty of woman was gone; th
smiles or the frowns Of this key Of virtue, n
longer rewarded the pure, aud controlled th
corrupt. With the fall Of woman, fell III
, manners of Rome and elegance purity an
refinement. were swallowed up In luxury. ei
, feminaey, dissipation and corruption. Wisdom
eloquence, manners and morals, with the X,
man virtues, and Rnman liberty, all tell pre-
: to all-cnnquering luxury. and corrupt ambiiio
in regular suece-sion, until they we're swa
lowed ap, with Rome herself, in the deluge
: nnrIhern barharism.