Ancient Rome DBQ

From about 50 BCE to the year 200 CE, the Roman Empire was a powerful nation. Rome was the city that became the center of the Roman Empire and by 200 BCE Rome became a powerhouse. The Romans conquered Scotland to Spain, controlled the Mediterranean Sea, and established colonies in North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Minor. By the year 44 BCE Julius Caesar became a Roman Emperor and Rome had a great military. Then around the 5th century CE the Roman Empire began to weaken. The primary reasons for the fall of Rome was because of the Roman Emperors, the Roman Army, and foreign invasion.

The first reason for the fall of Rome were the Roman Emperors. For example, in Document A there was a chart of Roman Emperors from 235-285 CE. The chart was

divided into three parts Emperor, reign, and cause of death. The most frequent cause of death was assassination which shows that the Roman Emperors were weak and it probably scared the people that wanted to become Emperor because they might die. Also, the people outside of the Roman Empire attacked because Rome was weak, ready to be invaded, and unstable because the Romans were distracted by their emperors. This proves how the Roman Emperors caused the fall of the Roman Empire.
The Roman Army is another reason for the fall of Rome because the Roman Army was lazy.

In Document B it states, “[Before the year 400 CE] foot soldiers wore breastplates and helmets. But when, because of negligence and laziness, parade ground drills were abandoned, the customary armor began to seem heavy since the soldiers rarely ever wore it. Therefore, they first asked the emperor to set aside the breastplates… and then the helmets. So our soldiers fought the Goths without any protection for chest and head and were often beaten by archers. Although there were many disasters, which led to the loss of great cities, no one tried to restore breastplates and helmets to the infantry. Thus it happens that troops in battle, exposed to wounds because they have no armor, think about running and not fighting.” Also, the failure to enforce conscription weakened Rome because armies need power to hold front since equipment is useless if there is no person to use it. It also didn’t enforce it mostly on the useless people like the rich who don’t contribute very much to society. The second paragraph in Document B it states, “There can be little doubt that the weakness of the late Roman army were largely due to the eventual failure… to enforce regular conscription [draft of soldiers]... The exempted categories were. Numerous. Hosts of senators, bureaucrats, and clergymen were entitled to avoid the draft; and among other groups who escaped were cooks, bakers, and slaves.” This proves how the Roman Army caused the fall of the Roman Empire because of their laziness and failure to enforce

conscription.
Foreign invaders caused the fall of Rome because they kept on attacking them when Rome had bad Roman Emperors and their lazy army. In Document C there is a map of Rome’s foreign invasions. The Huns came from the farthest eastern point and the Visigoths were the first to reach the city of Rome. Also, in Document B there was foreign invasions. In Document D the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus was talking about how the Huns are very powerful. In the text it states, “The Huns exceed any definition of savagery. They have compact, sturdy limbs and thick necks… Although they have the shape… of human beings, they are so wild in their way of life that they have no need of fire or pleasant tasting foods, but eat the roots of uncultivated plants and the half-raw flesh of all sorts of animals. This they place between their thighs and the backs of their horses and so warm is a little… Huns are never sheltered by buildings, but… roam freely in the mountains and woods, learning from their earliest childhood to endure freezing cold, hunger and thirst… Huns are not well adapted to battle on foot, but are almost glued to their horses, which are certainly hardy, but also ugly… Like unthinking animals, they are completely ignorant of the difference between right and wrong. Fired with an overwhelming desire for seizing the property of others, these swift-moving and ungovernable people make their destructive way amid the pillage and slaughter of those who lived around them.” Also, Documents A and B caused many invasions because of the emperors plus lazy army equals easy target for invasions. This proves how foreign invaders caused the fall of Rome.
However, in my opinion Rome’s emperors was the primary reason the Roman Empire fell. For example, emperors are supposed to have an empire and the emperors in Document A just died and did nothing. Emperors have to make sure their military is doing a good job and keep Rome from being attacked by invaders but, the emperors did not do that. It’s like a tree chart, bad emperors are on the top and it trickles down to lazy army and invaders. This proves how Roman emperors were the main reason Rome fell.