Chapter 1: Rome at the Cross-Roads September 14, 2004 I)<Tab/>Introductory ~ * The two chief themes of this book: a)<Tab/>First the century in which the Republic failed to meet the challenge and in consequence crashed to its ruin amid civil war and military dictatorship. b)<Tab/>Then the following century when the war-weary world was given peace and a stable government though at the …showed first 75 words of 1818 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1818 total…were kept in their town houses and employed as secretaries, teachers and doctors. (i)<Tab/>these domestic slaves were often well treated and they had a good chance of saving up sufficient pocket-money (peculium) to buy their freedom before they were too old to enjoy it. * The standard of provincial administration was threatened by the selfishness of individual governors and by the growing pressure of Roman business interests in their provinces.