This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Excerpt from A Dictionary of Science, Literature, and Art, Vol. 3 of 3: Comprising the Definitions and Derivations of the Scientific Terms in General Use, Together With the History and Descriptions of the Scientific Principles of Nearly Every Branch of Human Knowledge The downfall of the Roman empire is trace able in no slight degree to the practical defiance of economical principles. M. Guizot, in his History of Civilized tion, has shown how the fiscal regulations of the empire were fatal to the prosperity of the provincials, and we all know how wide-spread was the evil of slavery in the ancient world. It would seem, too, that any economical reform in the public policy of the Romans was dangerous in the highest sense to those who pro and furthered it. The fate of the Gracchi and of the schemes which they furthered for the social improvement of Italy furnished a stern warning to all innovators. The authors of a necessa reform, and of a set of economical changes w 'ch were absolutely obligatory for the reservation of the national life, were murder by the aristocracy, and by a most perverse destiny their names have been thenceforward identified with sedition, confis cation, and robbery. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.