The Declination of Rome: What Does Freedom Mean?

This is a fictional account from Decimus, an Ephesian aristocrat, taken from A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. This account is on the lives his children lead and the declination of Rome.
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"'What has happened to virtue, honor, and ideals? Marcus believes nothing is true and anything is permitted. Julia thinks the only thing that matters is her own pleasure. I've worked my entire life in order to give my children everything I never had at their age—wealth, education, position. And now I look at them and wonder if my life is simple vanity. They are selfish, without the least restraint upon their appetites. They haven't the smallest fiber of moral character...They want complete control over their lives. They want to be free of the old standards. Whatever feels good is right. Whoever stands in the way of their pleasures, they want destroyed. They demand the moral chains be removed, never understanding that it's moral restraint that keeps men civilized...I am ashamed.
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"'What happens to society with all restraints are removed? I see our children consumed with watching blood be spilled in the arena. I see them seeking an unending diet of sensual pleasure. Where does it all lead? How can intemperate minds be free when they are slaves to their own passions?'... Rome tolerated every abominable practice, embraced every foul idea in the name of freedom and the rights of the common man. Citizens no longer carried on deviant behavior in private, but pridefully displayed it in public. It was those with moral values who could no longer freely walk a public park without having to witness a revolting display. Whatever happened to the public censors that protected the majority of citizens from moral decadence? Did freedom have to mean abolishing common decency? Did freedom mean anyone could do anything they wanted, without consequences?"
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What does freedom mean? This passage makes me think of the phrases: "Panem et circenses" which means bread and circuses, and relates to the fact that Romans only cared about pleasure, and the phrase "All roads lead to Rome." What does this mean to you? What answer do you have for either question? Answer in the comments below!
Thanks,
Mercy and peace to you,
Wolf of the Lion