But with the Romans political economy had naturally not advanced so far as with us.

A subversion of property had to a great extent taken place no later than in Sulla's time.

How this had been effected the story of the property of Roscius Amerinus has explained to us.

Under Sulla's enactments no man with a house, with hoarded money, with a family of slaves, with rich ornaments, was safe.

Property had been made to change hands recklessly, ruthlessly, violently, by the illegal application of a law promulgated by a single individual, who, however, had himself been instigated by no other idea than that of re-establishing the political order of things which he approved.