Athens was less populous than New York; and yet how great it was in art, in literature, in philosophy, and in patriotism! [1022] But it was the fatal weakness of Athens that its citizens had no true family or home life, while its freemen were greatly outnumbered by its slaves.

Its public men were loose, if not corrupt, in morals.

Its women, even the most accomplished, were unchaste.

Hence its fall became inevitable, and was even more sudden than its rise.
In like manner the decline and fall of Rome was attributable to the general corruption of its people, and to their engrossing love of pleasure and idleness--work, in the later days of Rome, being regarded only as fit for slaves.

Its citizens ceased to pride themselves on the virtues of character of their great forefathers; and the empire fell because it did not deserve to live.