The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Mediaeval India c1.1

c1.1

The first of these causes was the want of a common language. The Latin tongue, which was the language of the court, the army, and the law, was never spoken by the great body of the people, who continued to use their native dialects. This diversity of language was a constant source of confusion and misunderstanding, and it prevented the formation of a national character. The second cause was the want of a common religion. The Roman religion, which was a mixture of various superstitions, had no hold on the minds of the people, and it was easily supplanted by the new religions which were introduced from the East. The third cause was the want of a common interest. The Roman Empire was a vast collection of different nations, held together only by the force of arms, and there was no bond of union between the different parts of the empire. The fourth cause was the corruption of the government. The Roman government, which had been originally a republic, had become a military despotism, and it was administered by a succession of tyrants who were only interested in their own power and wealth. The fifth cause was the decline of the military spirit. The Roman army, which had once been the finest in the world, had become a mercenary force, and it was no longer able to defend the empire against the barbarians.