10. Side by side with the rise in overhead costs went the
increase of parasitism among the rich and among the poor.
Something-for-nothing was the order of the day. Speculation
was rampant. Gambling was universal. Instead of
living by production of goods and services, Romans let
the slaves do their work and lived by their wits.

11. From top to bottom of Roman society negative forces
replaced positive forces. Self directed labor gave place to
slavery; participation in productive activity yielded to
parasitism; productivity was subordinated to destructivity;
the spirit of independence was replaced by the acceptance
of increasing arbitrary individual authority.

12. Roman society constantly faced and consistently failed
to solve the contradiction between centralism and local
interests and local rights. This contradiction increased
with increasing size, diversity and complexity.

13. Psychological forces played a part in the breakdown and
break-up of Roman civilization. People lost faith and hope.
They became disillusioned and cynical. They forgot the
common good and devoted themselves to the gratification
of body hungers. They turned from proud service of
fatherland to the pursuit of pleasure for pleasure's sake.
Romans lost freshness and vigor. Creativeness had never
been as highly regarded among the Romans as it was
among the Greeks. Life was lived closer to the surface. It
was confined more and more to the present. Growth in
the volume of Roman life sapped its vitality so that there