Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Don't blame the plebes, or even the barbarians, for what happened to Rome.
The blame then, as today, lies with the greed and hypocrisy of the oligarchy, the ruling elites: the lawyers, politicians, priests, generals and merchants. Especially the merchants, for they, after all, make all the others possible--and necessary. They benefitted the most from the status quo, and they had the resources to bring change. They were in charge, they made (or failed to make) the key decisions. They have no one to blame but themselves.
The artists try to warn us, but nobody listens, and the masses simply respond as best they can.