Why did the Roman Empire fall?
The story of its ruin is simple and obvious; and instead of inquiring why the Roman empire was destroyed, we should rather be surprised that it lasted so long.’ – Edward Gibbon. The Roman Empire was one of the most successful empires of all time, covering an astounding 4.4 million km2 and spanning over 40 countries. To quote Adrian Goldsworthy “The Roman Empire was also exceptionally large – no other power has ever controlled all the lands around the Mediterranean – and left traces behind in many countries”
So, what could have caused an empire of such great power and influence to fall? The Roman Empire had been surrounded on all fronts by hostile neighbouring peoples. Despite this near constant friction, the Roman Empire had largely (with a few minor exceptions) managed to repel the threats. The Empire achieved this did this through a combination of manpower, an expertly trained and maintained army and a certain amount of financial power, which for the best part of three centuries resulted in imperial expansion and a successful defence of the frontiers.
So, what could have caused an empire of such great power and influence to fall? It is logical to determine that the fall of the Roman Empire is a domino effect, a cocktail of reasons that when put together result in the decline and ultimate fall of the Roman Empire in 476 AD.
These reasons can be narrowed down to the three most noticeable and impactful; The Barbarians, Economic troubles and overreliance on slave labour as well as a decline in the Roman Military.
Therefore, it is insightful to analyse the most prominent causes as to how the Roman Empire Collapsed.
One of the most common answers to the debate surrounding why the Roman Empire fell is as a result of invasions by barbarian tribes. Despite conflict in the past with nomadic “Barbarian” tribes, due to widespread decline in the military (Which will be discussed later). In the summer of 376AD, a group of Goths crossed the Danube and forced their way into the Empire, seeking asylum. This event began a series of events that eventually resulted in the Visigoth King Alaric managing to successfully ransack the city of Rome in 410. “In one city the whole world
While the fall of the Roman Empire is well known, the exact causes of why it fell can be difficult to pinpoint. Many historians believe that Rome 's downfall was due to poor leadership, weakened economics, or perhaps a combination of the two along with other seemingly unrelated factors. However, there is a string of evidence suggesting that there were three main components that took place to bring about the fall of the Roman Empire. These determinant attributes did not happen all at once, and there was a domino effect with each one directly influencing the others. The fall of Rome occurred after a series of preventable events, including unacceptable emperors, the heavy reliance on slaves, and the increasingly uncontrollable borders of Rome.
The seemingly unstoppable Roman empire was certain to fall in a matter of time. Even though Rome was majorly affected by external attacks, I feel like the fall was because of the internal decline. The economy and social issues were the key factors that led to the descent of the large empire. A vast amount of their problems came from within the city. Every decision that Rome made had an extensive effect on the city itself and the rest of the world. Many foolish decisions made by terrible emperors weakened the city and eventually cause the many aspects of Roman life to crumble.
The Roman Empire took over after the Greeks fell and it thrived over the years. But when the Pax Romana came along, the empire was developing a “soft belly” which was becuase of the upper class becoming lazy and losing their edge. At this point is where they fall. The reasons for the great empire fell because of their government, military, and the natural disaster problems.
The Roman Empire was one of the most impregnable empires at it’s time. It conquered the Mediterranean Sea and was a well organized and blooming empire, at first. Many problems began to hit Rome straight in the face, three of the main problems that ended this magnificent empire were the economic problems, the weakness and vulnerability of their army, and the fallibility of the leaders and politics.
Did you know that the Roman empire was one of the strongest and one of the most powerful empire? Well as we all know the Roman empire fell for these reasons. The first reason is because the population decreased. The next reason is because the Roman empire had a economic crisis. The final reason is because the Roman empire had tons of invaders invading Rome at the same time so Rome couldn’t fight all those empires!.
The Roman Empire was without a doubt the most powerful governing body in its day, but it had fallen! There was not any single cause for the fall of Rome. Many things occurred in a short period of time, which lead to the fall of such a powerful empire. Why did Rome fall? Some of the reasons that caused the fall of Rome was Natural disasters, a weak military, and the collapse of their economy.
The Roman Empire Fell because of internal and external problems. The primary causes for the fall of Rome were because of government corruption, weak military, and disaster & disease. Government corruption was a great contributor to the fall of Rome. From 235-285 C, there were 19 Roman Emperors and 13 of the emperors were assassinated (Doc A). The people
The Romans had huge lands that were very difficult for one person to control which made it extremely easy for invaders to take advantage and invade their lands. The three invaders that came from Asia were the Huns, Vandals, and Ostrogoths (Doc C). The invasions were mostly unexpected by the Roman people and thought they could easily take them off, not until suddenly three groups arrived at different locations that slowly weakened down the locals and armies at Rome. This attack was what really made Rome to fall apart. If it wasn’t for the foreign invasions, Rome would have been an empire that would have lasted for another few thousand
The Roman Empire: one of the world’s greatest ever civilizations, was in existence from 700 BC to 476 AD. Although the empire was not ever an extremely weak world power, it’s “highest” point in time was from about 50 BC to 200 AD. During this time period, it was at its all-time high. The empire spanned across what is today 3 continents (Asia Minor, Europe, Northern Africa), was home to 50 million people, and had a its capital city, Rome, had a population of 1 million people. But what can make such a huge world superpower collapse? The “Fall of Rome” can be accredited to a weakened central government troubled by political assassinations, disease, and foreign invasion, during the empire’s last century of sheer existence.
The great Romans fell to the hands of the Huns. Rome was a worldwide phenomenon, ready to destroy anything in their territory. The Roman Empire fell because of inside corruption along with, a weak military being attacked by multiple outside groups. They fell because of a lack of dedication to keep the Empire going.
Although some people think that there were many other reasons causing this major crash like moral decline, military mistakes and political instability were the primary reasons for the “fall” of Rome. The military became lazy, which led to the falling point of Rome’s Empire. Political Instability led to miserable Roman citizens and messed up laws.
In the 5th century C.E, the Roman Empire, a shell of what it once was, was sacked due to multiple problems inside and outside its huge borders. Weak leadership, military problems, & foreign invasions were the 3 primary reasons for the “fall” of Rome. Due to these unresolved issues, the Romans lost the power & authority that once made them so powerful and revered across the world and fell to enemies that they once could have easily defeated. To begin with, a constant change of weak leadership lead to an unstable empire. In Document A, emperors were constantly changing, often in violent ways such as assassination & suicide.
The Roman Empire may have been massive and strong, but that didn’t always work out for them. With an empire stretching to it’s very limits there wasn’t a chance of doubt on whether it’s borders were hard to defend from raids and attacks. According to the DBQ, “Rome’s fall was an inevitable effect of it’s grand size…borders became difficult to secure…” (Doc 2). The Roman Empire was an incredible feat of the ancient world but it wasn’t also the easiest thing to defend.
Though Rome was a great empire that conquered countless territories, it was not immune to the numerous attacks from barbarians such as the Huns, the Visigoths, the Vandals, and others. The barbarians would raid and sack the capital and other cities in ancient Rome, leaving them without money or tradable items. The Vandals did so much damage to the cities that their name is associated with the crime of extensive damage to property. The Huns were another destructive group of barbarians that were led by Attila. They raided Rome in 451 AD, leaving an immense trail of destruction. Other barbarians attacked Rome at different times, each leaving Rome weaker and helpless. Each attack destroyed their economy and left them desperate for a solution. The Ostrogoths finally caused the Western Empire to fall when Odoacer chased Romulus Augustus, the last of the Roman emperors, off the
Ancient Rome was an empire so dominant, wealthy and economically- stable which came to a dramatic fall in the period of 250AD- 500AD. Ancient Rome faced unexplained unfortunate events which crumbled the Great Empire from the affluent empire to a impoverished society. For centuries historians have timelessly theorised and analysed many debates and research in relation to the Fall of the Roman Empire. What really caused the predominate Roman Empire to fall? Did Rome fall naturally? Was disease, such as malaria a major contributor to the Fall of the Empire, Was man -made infrastructure a problem during Ancient Roman times? Was the fall a natural event? Was the climate changing causing natural disasters? Maybe, perhaps, all the theories interweaved with each other at the same time causing a catastrophic downfall, defeating the Ancient Roman Empire. Edward Gibbon (Gibbon, 1909, pp 173-174.) quoted,