[what's up]

Horace to Livy to Petronius to Juvenal) felt that the enormous influx of unearned wealth from conquered provinces had undermined the old republican virtues of small farmers and merchants

Reminds me of the world-view of Thomas Jefferson who fought tooth and nail against Alex Hamilton's different vision of an increasingly capitalistic society. Hamilton won out and the result was the metropolis of NYC.

[JasonC]

And oh yeah, we conquered the world. Just little things you know, like that.

Actually to Jefferson's credit, he recognized that the Louisiana purchase meant putting the US on Hamilton's road and not on his own preferred small yeoman republic one. But he also recognized it was in the interests of the country. When push came to shove, he chose greatness.

Hamilton knew greatness was the thing to aim for, all along...