Hitherto the catastrophes of empires had rarely reached the hearts of the people; it was kings who fell, majesties that vanished, nothing more.

The lightning struck only in the upper regions, and, as we have already pointed out, events seemed to succeed one another with all the solemnity of the epic.

In the ancient society, the individual occupied so lowly a place that, to strike him, adversity must needs descend to his family.

So that he knew little of misfortune outside of domestic sorrows.

It was an almost unheard of thing that the general disasters of the state should disarrange his life.