unscrupulous, resistless, all-pervading, all-absorbing, all-conquering.
Success in war gave consideration, dignity, honor beyond all other
successes. It always has called out popular admiration, and its glory
has ever been highly prized, and it always will be so, but it has not
monopolized all offices and dignities as among the Romans. The Greeks
thought of art, of literature, and of philosophy as well as of war, and
gave their crowns of glory for civic and artistic excellence as well as
for military success. The Greeks fought to preserve or extend their
civilization; the Romans, in order to rule. They had very little respect
for any thing beyond military genius. The successful warrior alone was
the founder of a great family. The Roman aristocracy, so proud, so rich,
so powerful, was based on the glory of battle-fields. Every citizen was
trained to arms, and senators and statesmen commanded armies. The whole
fabric of the State was built up on war, and for many centuries it was
the leading occupation of the people. How insignificant was a poet, or a
painter, or a philosopher by the side of a warrior! Rome was a city of
generals, and they preoccupied the public mind.

[Sidenote: Value placed by the Romans on military art.]

To a Roman, military art was the highest of all. It was constantly being
improved, until it reached absolute perfection, with the old weapons and
implements of war. To its perfection the whole genius of the people was
consecrated; it was to them what the fine arts were to the Greeks, what
priestly domination was to the Middle Ages, and what material inventions
to abridge human labor are to us. The Romans despised literature, art,
philosophy, commerce, agriculture, and even luxury, when they were
making their grand conquests; they only respected their fortunate
generals. Hence there was no great encouragement to genius or ambition
in any other field; but in this field, the horizon perpetually expanded.