Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/64

 28 THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE the ruling class, who had hitherto been distinguished for their ability, integrity, and devotion to the State, could not resist the temptation, but now devoted themselves to battening upon the poor Italians and other conquered peo- ples, and became corrupt and inefficient. The rank and file of the citizens were dissatisfied with their small share of the plunder, but could see no better way to increase it than by forwarding the ambition of some city official who would give them amusing shows and cheap food, or by serving under some military leader who would let them sack cities and gorge themselves with loot, and then, when their fighting days were over, settle them somewhere in a colony where each would be provided with a farm of his own. This delec- table devastation could not go on forever, however, espe- cially since the ruling class became so inordinately ambi- tious and avaricious that they were not content to divide things decently with one another. The result was civil war, revolts of Italians, revolts of provincials, assassinations, massacres, until finally the exhausted combatants gladly welcomed the strong rule of one man and until at last that one man came to see that it was bad policy to kill the geese that laid the golden eggs. This consummation was practically completed under Augustus Caesar, 31 &.C.-14 a.d., whose rule marks the transition from Republic to Empire. He pretended to share his power with the senate, but was commander-in-chief {imperator) of the entire army, appointed the governors of half the provinces, and had vast private estates scattered all over the Empire and bringing him in a princely income. These private possessions of his included all Egypt, whose fertile soil alone had once sufficed to support the pomp of Pharaohs and of Ptolemies and to pay the cost of huge temples and pyramids. In the city of Rome he was protector of the common people and was constantly being elected to this or that office. The successors of Augustus kept increas- ing their own authority and lessening that of the senate until after about a hundred years the imperator had become indeed an emperor.