Download History of European Morals from Augustus to Charlemagne by William Edward Hartpole Lecky in PDF Full Free and published by . This book was released on 1869 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book examines the history of European morals. It focuses on the period of time from Augustus to Charlemagne. The first chapter in this volume examines the nature of the moral ideal that the new religion, Christianity, introduced, and also the methods by which it attempted to realise it. And at the very outset of this enquiry it is necessary to guard against a serious error. It is common with many persons to establish a comparison between Christianity and Paganism, by placing the teaching of the Christians in juxtaposition with corresponding passages from the writings of Marcus Aurelius or Seneca, and to regard the superiority of the Christian over the philosophical, teaching as a complete measure of the moral advance that was effected by Christianity. But a moment's reflection is sufficient to display the injustice of such a conclusion. The ethics of Paganism were part of a philosophy. The ethics of Christianity were part of a religion. In the second chapter in this Volume II, the author examines the position assigned to women in the community, and to the virtues and vices that spring directly from the relations of the sexes. The two first steps which are taken towards the elevation of woman are probably the cessation of the custom of purchasing wives, and the construction of the family on the basis of monogamy. In the first periods of civilisation, the marriage contract was arranged between the bridegroom and the father of the bride, on the condition of a sum of money being paid by the former to the latter." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).