Why Great Societies Fall

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Have you ever sat in history class wondering why all the societies you are learning about are failing? Maybe you learned about Ancient Greece, or Ancient Rome, or even Ancient India. All these places did not succeed because of three main reasons. One reason is because powerful leaders die. Many things can go wrong after the death of a leader, for example, the army failing or the empire being invaded. Another reason is natural disasters happen. Disease is a big natural disaster that has been a factor in societies perishing. The last main reason that societies fail is because they expand too fast. Significant societies have perished because of the deceasing of powerful leaders, natural disasters, and rapid expansion. One of the main causes for a society to fail is a powerful leader dying. In Ancient Greece, when Alexander the great died, people fought over the land he owned and conquered the empire. This was then split into three kingdoms, “His generals fought to control the empire.” ( Alexander's empire crumbles 8 ). Also, in Egypt when Ramses the second died the people didn’t know how to run the empire. The society failed because they didn’t have a leader to tell them what to do. “Nearly all of his subjects had been born in his reign and thought the world would end without him.” ( Ramesses the second 1). Another place that failed because a leader died was in Rome. After a leader died the government in Rome changed to a monarchy. The slaves disliked this new government and had a rebellion. A slave named Spartacus led the rebellion, which led to the murder of many slaves. Slaves were essential to the rich Romans because they did all the work for them. The lack of slave labor led to the fall of Rome. “The Roman way of li... ... middle of paper ... ...then they will fail just as ancient civilizations did. Works Cited "Subscription." Subscription. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. "Ramesses the Second." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. "The Real Story of Spartacus - Ancient Rome for Kids." The Real Story of Spartacus - Ancient Rome for Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. "Ancient Roman Life Preserved at Pompeii." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. "Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. "The History of Malaria, an Ancient Disease." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 08 Feb. 2010. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. "Fall of Ancient Greece/Rome." Fall of Ancient Greece/Rome. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014. "Egypt: The End Of a Civilization." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.

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