The fall of the Roman Empire, more specifically the Western Roman Empire, stands as one of the most pivotal and important moments in history. It marked the end of an Empire known for its military prowess, expansive territory and achievements in governing and culture. At its height, the Roman Empire was, and still is, one of the greatest to have ever been. However, during the 5th century AD, the empire found itself nearing the end of its reign. By examining what caused the eventual collapse of the Roman Empire, we will be able to analyse why different historians have come to the conclusions they have, and if these conclusions offer enough evidence to support their theories. By examining a range of sources from different historians, we can make …show more content…
Guy Halsall states that up until recently historians have collectively agreed that it was the Barbarians who significantly contributed to the decline and collapse of the Roman Empire. However, my opinions have changed. Halsall himself goes on to state, “Instead of viewing the end of the Western Roman Empire as the result of the barbarian invasions, we should see the barbarians as being drawn into the politics of an empire already falling apart for quite other reasons; the barbarian migrations were the result of the end of the Western Roman Empire.” This quote leads Halsall to note the impact the Huns had on the Barbarian migrations. A factor that is often discussed as to why the barbarians began to invade the Roman Empire is the rise of the Hunnic Empire led by Attila. Established west of the Carpathian Mountains by the Great Hungarian Plains, their expansion and conquer of Gaul created great turmoil and unrest. A displacement occurred of the Goths and Alans as a result of this expansion, in turn, causing a domino effect of migrating tribes resulting in the mass ‘barbarian migrations’. While Peter Heathers’, The Fall of the Roman Empire isn’t a peer reviewed source, it is a closer dated source than that of Guy Halsall’s, providing a more modern example. We also know that there are numerous other historians that have come to similar conclusions to …show more content…
Guy Halsall again provides detail on the way in which Roman trade occurred and how prestigious goods were distributed throughout the empire. By the 3rd century much of the effectiveness of this trade and the prestige of these goods had faded. Louis C. West reinforces Halsalls’ ideas regarding trade degradation and the eventual decline of goods coming directly from Rome. “From the third century on, the picture has changed; provincial forces have begun to assert themselves. More and more, local production had to be depended upon to supply local needs for agricultural product.” From this, we can begin to develop the idea that the Roman Empire is not as unified as it once was. P. J. Hughesdon also notes that the lack of trade caused by a more bureaucratic government was a contributing factor to the fall of Rome. However, he also raises the idea that the rise of Christianity as well as a steady population decrease throughout the Western Empire were significant contributory factors. This argument appears to be one of the most compelling. Christianity and it’s ethical values/beliefs and social structure that conflicted with the already well established Roman culture led to a decrease in population as a result of the shift in societal beliefs and norms. He also presents the argument that the over reliance on slavery creating
The Roman empire was a very large and successful empire, although like many things it had to come to an end. The three primary reasons that had most contributed to Rome's fall is foreign invasions, military weakness , and weak leadership.
The year is 476 A.D. and the Roman Empire has collapsed after being overthrown by barbarians. Looking back, the causes of Rome’s decline can be separated into four categories, social, economic, military, and political. The social aspects of Rome’s fall are the rise of christianity and civil wars. The rise of christianity displaced Rome’s polytheistic roots which viewed the emperor as having a godly status. Pope and church leaders took an increased role in political affairs which further complicated governance. Civil wars also deteriorated the empire. More than 20 men took the throne in only 75 years and the empire was thrust into chaos. The economic aspects of Rome’s fall were high taxes from the government and labor deficit. The roman empire
During 243 – 476 AD, some of the main reasons that contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire were the dwindling population, economic problems, the reign of different Emperors, and wars with the Visigoths on two separate occasions, but eventually during the 4th century, barbarians penetrated deep into Roman territory. Barbarians were nations compiled of various...
While the early 2nd century is usually considered to be the height of the Roman Empire, closer examinations reveal a deteriorating state hiding behind a façade of power and wealth. As modern day historian C. Warren Hollister described, “life in Rome’s ‘golden age’ could be pleasant enough if one were male, adult, very wealthy, and naturally immune to various epidemic diseases. But if this was humanity’s happiest time, God help us all!” (14). Living during this time period, Cornelius Tacitus perceived of the rust slowly consuming through Rome’s golden shine. He writes, “the destinies of the Empire have passed their zenith,” predicting the end of an era 300 years before it occurred (33). He makes this conclusion based on observations of a deterioration of loyalty to the Empire due to weakened patriotism and societal values. His criticisms on the flaws of the Empire are interwoven into the text of his Germania, some being obvious while others are more discreet.
Over the span of five-hundred years, the Roman Republic grew to be the most dominant force in the early Western world. As the Republic continued to grow around the year 47 B.C it began to go through some changes with the rise of Julius Caesar and the degeneration of the first triumvirate. Caesar sought to bring Rome to an even greater glory but many in the Senate believed that he had abused his power, viewing his rule more as a dictatorship. The Senate desired that Rome continued to run as a republic. Though Rome continued to be glorified, the rule of Caesar Octavian Augustus finally converted Rome to an Empire after many years of civil war. Examining a few selections from a few ancient authors, insight is provided as to how the republic fell and what the result was because of this.
The Roman Empire began as a small colony, in the city of Rome, and eventually, became one of the largest empires that the world has ever known before its ultimate demise. Because of the vast size of their territory, and the number of cultures they consumed throughout their existence, the Romans were heavily influenced by the Greeks and other Hellenistic civilizations. Two different groups of professors argue this point. Professors Matthews, Platt, and Noble argue this influence is reflected by Roman music, philosophy, literature, architecture, art, culture/government, and technology and science; and Professor Weber argues this is reflected in the areas of government/law, the influence and effects of conquests, culture, religion, architecture and art, and philosophy. Both parties make compelling arguments as to why the Romans were heirs to Greek and Hellenistic civilization however, it will be demonstrated that Matthews et al. provide a more thorough argument than Weber.
For a long period of time, Rome seemed like an unstoppable empire. It conquered the majority of the land surrounding it, including Greece, Turkey, Iraq, and many of its other neighboring countries. It seemed as though Rome would conquer the entire world, as it was the center of it, until it began to decline in 476 C.E. The very aspects that made it so successful were the ones that caused its collapse. Various political, religious, and economic reasons caused its downfall. The fact that the entire economy of Rome collapsed and money became worthless was a major reason for the empire’s collapse. In addition, the loss of a common religion and lack of efficient ruling in relation to its vast territory affected the empire. The Roman Empire did not become so successful in a short period of time, and so its decline did not just happen overnight. Over several years all of these different aspects together caused the fall of the Roman Empire.
“He is said to have been tall of stature… except that towards the end.” What was it that really led to the fall of the Roman Republic? There are a lot of different factors to consider when trying to determine what caused the collapse. By examining The Rubicon, The Life of Julius Caesar, and some accompanying handouts from class, this paper will discuss how the Roman Republic did not collapse because of one factor. The collapse of the Roman Republic was like that of a game of Jenga. Factors were pulled out of the Republican system just like a game of Jenga until the Republic could not stand anymore.
Ancient Roman history is a fascinating journey through moments of significant political and social change. From the Dual Council to the transition from Republic to Empire and the establishment of the Empire, these shifts were driven by understandable pressures. These included struggles between different classes, demands for inclusivity, social unrest, expansion, corruption, military ambitions, instability, violence, economic challenges, and military interventions. Each phase shows how different factors came together to shape Roman society and governance, leaving a lasting impact on Western civilization. The Dual Council stands as a significant moment in Ancient Roman history.
"The Day of the Barbarians: The Battle That Led to the Fall of the Roman Empire." Publishers Weekly 22 Jan. 2007
One of the most common causes of the decline of an empire results from having weak military power and martial spirit. In order for an empire to be successful, that empire must present a strong will to fight or sacrifice property and life in order to defend its state. If an empire does not possess this characteristic, it often will quickly diminish. For example, the Roman Empire became successful because of the willingness of the males to defend the state. Shortly after, the males lost their willingness to defend and the empire had to recruit unreliable mercenaries to fight in war. Unlike the successful army of the past, these mercenaries did not have true loyalty to Rome. Because of constant warfare, the Romans had heavy military spending. The Roman Empire had become too large to control effortlessly. Families and soldiers in parts of the Roman Empire adopted local customs. The Roman Empire was made up not only of natives from the Italian peninsula, but it was also made up of barbarians from the conquered lands. The barbarians were very knowledgeable when it came to Roman warfare and military tactics. Corruption became widespread throughout the Em...
The decline and fall of the Roman Empire is a scholarly article written by Justin Ott about the Roman Empire and the events leading up to its fall. The article mostly focuses on the military and economy of Rome in the third century A.D. It lists in the beginning a few of the different theories people have of how Rome fell, including led poisoning and the spread of Christianity. The article seems to want to disprove these theories, showing how they are not the main causes for the collapse of Rome. “Gibbon’s arguments in these sections can be accurately summarized as “the insensible penetration of Christianity in the empire fatally undermined the genius of a great people.” The problem with this conclusion is two-fold. First of all, this explanation is too narrow as it is difficult to believe one single factor brought down the empire. More importantly, it is clear that the Eastern Roman Empire was by far more Christian than the West, therefore if Christianity was behind the fall, the East should have fallen first.” The article’s audience appears to be historians, or those who are interested in history, or just the Roman Empire. It
The Roman Empire was incredibly large and successful. In the prime of the empire population reached up to 56.8 million people. The land they conquered amasses to an outrageous 1 million square miles. Their influence is so great that even now people can see their imprint in architecture, law, and even helping spread Christianity, the world’s most populous religion. These amazing facts also begs a question. How did one of the world’s greatest civilization fall? Well, the fall of Roman Empire in 476 ACE was aided by ineffective rulers, the crumbling economy, and the invasion of the Germanic Tribes.
The Fall of the Roman Empire." ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. .
This assignment is both a comparison and an analysis of two essays; The Decay of Ancient Civilization written by Michael Rostovtzeff and Mohammed and Charlemagne by Henri Pirenne. The two essays offer varying perspectives on the fall of the Roman Empire and more specifically the transition between late antiquity to the beginning of the middle ages. The collapse of the Roman Empire is generally known to have concluded through one particular event; the sack of the great city of Rome. Although both essays give different accounts as the eventual collapse of the Roman Empire entails more than the “Barbaric” invasion as they further delve into from different perspectives. When further examining the Historiography and perception of the Authors we