It occupied a larger portion of the earth's surface, it affected the lives and fortunes of a larger number of human beings, than any other revolution on record.

For it was essentially one, though it took centuries to consummate, and though it had for its theatre the civilised world.

Great evolutions and catastrophes happened before it, and have happened since, but nothing which can compare with it in volume and mere physical size.

Nor was it less morally.

The destruction of Rome was not only a destruction of an empire, it was the destruction of a phase of human thought, of a system of human beliefs, of morals, politics, civilisation, as all these had existed in the world for ages.