Why The Decline Of The Roman Republic

Chalking up the fall of the Roman Republic to a decline in traditional Roman morality, while not false, sells the events and changes that were the causes for the fall of the Republic short. At the end of The Third Punic War with Carthage we arguably see the Republic at its height. However in only a decade things begin to change, we see events that send Rome as a Republic past a point that Rome could not recover. Gaius Marius’s military reforms, specifically that of allowing for the captive cencsi, men who owned no property, and the creation of professional soldiers is the true catalyst for the downfall of the Republic. By enacting these reforms Marius opened up military duty to Rome’s largest group of citizens, however it created unforeseen issues, such as what to do with these men once they returned from battle. These reforms opened the door for military generals like Sulla and Caesar to gain the unquestioned support of their troops, in many instances gaining more respect from the soldiers then they had for the Roman state itself. These military reforms are a constant through line through the fall of the Republic, touching large political issues such as the conflicts between the Populares and the Optimates, or the rise of The First Triumvirate; socioeconomic issues such as the rise of Roman aristocracy, development of a slave based agriculture system to the profits from war. The complexity in which these reforms help lead to this immoral Roman state is complex and has been

The great Roman Empire expanded across all of Europe and into the Middle East. Its military was one of the finest. With major trading in Africa and Britain, the economy flourished with brining many citizens a healthy income. With amazing advancements in culture and technology, Roman society was at its finest. During the Pax Romana, the Romans had 200 years of peace and good ruling by level headed dictators and emperors. Despite Rome’s greatness in all of these areas, Rome would eventually fall. Surprisingly all of these qualities that led up to a flourishing empire were the same ones that led to its demise. As Germanic tribes invaded, the military weakened and the government became unstable.

The expansion of Rome, the ruling of Julius Caesar and his death, and the civil war that followed his death all led to the collapse of the Roman Republic.

Arguably the greatest contribution to the eventual downfall of the Roman Republic was the institution of Gaius Marius' popular, yet dangerous reforms, and his repeated usage of questionable political tactics to achieve his underlying personal goals. By undermining the power of the senate through illegal political conduct, and by introducing reforms that created the open potential for abuse of military power, Marius paved the way for future military monarchies, civil conflict and the eventual downfall and segregation of the Roman Republic.

Three ideals and traditions of the Roman Republic, lust for power, greed, and loyalty, each contributed to the collapse of the Republic. Desire for power played a major role in the collapse of the Republic because Caesar, the man who arguably began the Republic’s downfall, marched on Rome because he wanted power. The second ideal that led to the Republic’s collapse was greed and the power of money, for example bribing officials in Rome, Crassus’ shocking alliance with Caesar, and Pompey’s strategy to fight Caesar during the first civil war. The last ideal that aided the downfall of the Republic was loyalty, specifically citizens’ loyalty to political leaders or military generals, loyalty between generals and their veterans, and loyalty between political leaders.

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.

The fall of the Roman Empire was an ambiguous process that many historians still ponder, and the components that made up the deterioration of the Empire remain obscure. However, what many historians fail to realize that the decline of the Roman Empire was the epitome of cause and effect. Properly analyzing the history behind the process leads historians to realize that it was a chain of circumstances that began with the political corruption of the Western empire. It was the catalyst for many of the other principal reasons for Rome’s decline. Political corruption was a fundamental factor that led to economic failure and superfluous military spending, all which contributed to the fall of Rome. Document 3, Roman ambassador to the Huns, 449 CE, illustrates how political corruption tore apart

One of the greatest civilizations ever born was the Roman Empire.  When it started off Rome was known as a “sleepy little town”(Background essay) that had awakened once the Greek empire began to fall.  During the time of Julius Caesar was when Rome turned from republic to an Empire with Caesar as its first emperor.  Soon over the years Rome became a powerhouse with its lands stretching all around the Mediterranean Sea.  However unlike other civilizations where they fell because of other civilizations, Rome fell from within its walls because of several possible reasons and theories.

Ancient Rome grew to be one of the greatest empires in the world. Constantly gaining land and wealth, by 200 BCE Rome was a mighty giant, spilling over its borders, no longer an unremarkable settlement, but nothing less than a powerhouse (Primary Reasons for “Fall” of Rome). Sorrowfully, all great things must come to an end. In 5th century BCE ancient Rome shattered: The ferocious beast had fallen (Primary Reasons for “Fall” of Rome). As people recall their knowledge of Rome, a key point always comes back into play. How did Rome crash? Why did the grand empire fall? Three vital troubles led Rome to deteriorate: Rome had an attack of lethal, natural disasters and plagues narrowed its population; Rome’s upper class lost their edge; Rome had

Rome is one of the most well known and most powerful civilizations of the ancient world, with a history spanning nearly a millennium. During that millennium Rome went through several major changes. Rome started out as a monarchy then in the 6th century B.C. transitioned into a Republic. As a Republic Rome started truly becoming a powerful civilization, encompassing a large portion of the Mediterranean coast. Though Rome reached great heights as a republic, in the 1st century B.C. the Republic fell and the Roman Empire was born. So what was it exactly that caused this transition from a republic into an empire? Certain events and conditions that happened within the century prior to the collapse allowed for the rise of Julius Caesar and the triumvirate, which eventually led to a fight for power and the fall of the Republic.

One can argue that the Roman Empire was one of the most influential societies in history. It dramatically influenced the legal systems of western civilizations for centuries after its collapse. But if the civilization was so substantial, why did it crumble by 476 AD? Why did the empire not continue to gain power? Many factors contributed to the empire’s demise, but the most commonly theories mentioned by historians are slavery and the spread of Christianity. Some historians argue that the empire’s overreliance on slave labor collapsed the civilizations; while others argue that the spread of Christianity changed the face of the civilization so that it was almost unrecognizable. After examining the evidence, I believe that the fall of the Roman Empire can be directly attributed to its overreliance on slave labor, even though the spread of Christianity did expedite its collapse.

The theories surrounding the decline of the Roman Empire is a widely- known historical debate. Endless questions have been proposed and

Many anthropologists and historians have speculated about the different causes and effects of the fall of the Roman Empire. Some have even stated that Rome did not fall but instead, was merely transformed. However, there were many causes that did end this prodigious empire. Many seemingly small decisions made by powerful emperors over the course of just over a century lead to its destruction. In this paper it will be established that the Roman emperors, in an effort to save their political power, made adjustments to warfare/treaty practices and made political changes which over time lead to the inevitable collapse of the realm, this caused a drastic regression in the living standards of the Roman citizens, implying that the Empire did indeed collapse and not transform.

In the later half of the fourth century the Western Roman Empire fell after nearly a five hundred years of dominance and is still widely considered the world’s greatest superpower (Andrews). Many people attribute the crumbling of the empire to multiple different reasons, like corrupt and insane leaders to overspending and inflation. As J.B Bury said once “the fall of the roman empire was a series of contingent events. In this paper we are going to cover the three main reasons. Political and Economical problems plus problems with the military(Wood).

Since its collapse, historians have attempted to explain the struggle for power and control over both the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire that followed. To explain the complexities of the Roman Republic, the Empire, and their political complexities can be a daunting task. For nearly ten centuries Rome would rule most of the known world before the fall of the Western Empire (Byzantine) in 476 C.E. Before that fall occurred, a fundamental change would take place that would transform the original Republic into the Roman Empire. Many factors would be directly and indirectly responsible for this transition. These would