Invasion of the Barbarians
The simplest theory for the collapse of Western Rome was the consequence of a series of ongoing military losses from outside attacks. Rome had been in conflict with German tribes for centuries, but in the 300s "barbarian" groups like the Goths began to try to disrupt the borders of the Empire.
The threat became more apparent after the Romans faced a German rebellion at the end of the 4th century AD The German tribal attack became increasingly after in 410 King Visigoth Alaric managed to pillage the city of Rome. The Empire spent the next several decades under constant threat from German tribes before the "Eternal City" was raided again in 455, this time by the Vandals.
Finally, in 476 AD the Germanic leader Odoacer launched a rebellion and overthrew Emperor Romulus Augustulus. Since that time, no Roman emperor has ruled again from Italy. The fall of Romulus led many to regard 476 as the end of the Western Roman Empire.
Economic problems and dependence on forced labor
When Rome was attacked by troops from outside, the empire also suffered an economic collapse due to a severe financial crisis. Continual warfare and excessive spending significantly erode government cash. This condition is exacerbated by oppressive taxes and inflation which widens the gap between rich and poor. In hopes of avoiding tax officials, many members of the wealthy class even fled to the countryside and established independent territories.
At the same time, the empire was shaken by a labor deficit. Keep in mind, Rome's economy depends on slaves to work on his fields and work as craftsmen. However, when the expansion stalled in the 2nd century, the supply of Roman slaves and other war treasures began to run low.
Another blow occurred in the 5th century, when the Vandals occupied North Africa and began disrupting imperial trade by wandering the Mediterranean as pirates. With a faltering economy and declining commercial and agricultural production, the empire began to lose its influence in Europe.
The Rise of the Eastern Roman Empire
The fate of Western Rome was largely determined at the end of the third century, when Emperor Diocletian divided the Empire into two parts - the Western Empire centered on the city of Milan and the Eastern Empire at Byzantium, which later became known as Constantinople. This division made the empire easier to regulate at first, but over time the two parts of the territory began to separate. The Eastern and Western Empires failed to work together to combat outside threats and both were often at odds over resources and military assistance.
As the gulf widened, the Eastern Empire, which was predominantly Greek, grew more prosperous while Latin-speaking Westerners entered into an economic crisis. More importantly, the strength of the Eastern Empire instead diverted the Barbarian invasion to the West.
Emperors like Constantin ensured that the city of Constantinople was fortified and well guarded, but Italy and the city of Rome - which only had symbolic value for many in the East - were left vulnerable. This Western political structure was finally destroyed in the fifth century, but the Eastern Empire lasted for a thousand years before being defeated by the Ottoman Empire in 1453.
Excessive Invasion and Overspending in the Military Field
At the height of its glory, the Roman Empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Euphrates River in the Middle East, however the splendor was also the beginning of its destruction.
With vast territories to govern, the empire faced administrative and logistical nightmares. Although they had a very good transportation system, the Romans could not communicate quickly or effectively enough to manage their territory.
Rome struggled to gather enough troops and resources to defend its borders from local uprisings and outside attacks. In the second century AD Emperor Hadrian was forced to build his famous wall in England only to keep the enemy at bay.
The large amount of funds channeled into the military maintenance of the empire did not necessarily make the empire survive, but instead caused the progress of Rome's technology and civil infrastructure to slow down until it finally fell into ruin.
Corruption and Political Instability
Difficulties in managing large areas are compounded by ineffective and inconsistent leadership. Becoming a Roman emperor has always been a very dangerous occupation, because it can never escape the coup attempt of his political opponents.
Civil war pushed the empire into chaos. More than 20 people tried to usurp the throne within a span of only 75 years, usually the change of authority occurred after the previous emperor was killed. Praetorian guards - the emperor's personal bodyguards - killed and installed new rulers as they pleased and even once auctioned the place to the highest bidder.
Political decay also extended to the Roman Senate which failed to quell the excesses of the emperors because of corruption and its inability to be a public secret. When the situation worsened, community pride diminished and many Roman citizens lost faith in their leaders.
The arrival of the Huns and the barbarians' migration
Barbarian attacks in Rome originated in part from mass migration caused by the invasion of Huns in Europe at the end of the fourth century. When the Eurasian soldiers raged in northern Europe, they drove many Germanic tribes to the borders of the Roman Empire.
The Romans reluctantly allowed members of the Visigoth tribe to cross south of the Danube and enter into the security of a safe Roman territory. But they also treated the Visigoths cruelly.
According to historian Ammianus Marcellinus, Roman officials even forced starving Goths to exchange their children for slavery in exchange for dog meat. It can be said that the Romans created dangerous enemies within their own borders.
When the oppression became more severe to bear, the Goths rose to revolt and eventually defeated Roman forces and killed Emperor Eastern Valens at the Battle of Adrianople in 378 AD.
The Romans who were shocked at the event negotiated a fragile peace with the barbarians, but the truce ended in 410, when the Goth King Alaric moved west and pillaged Rome.
As the Western Empire weakened, Germanic tribes such as the Vandals and Saxons could move across the border and occupy Britain, Spain and North Africa.
The Rise of Christianity and the Loss of Traditional Values
Rome's decline was linked to the spread of Christianity and some argue that the emergence of a new faith helped contribute to the downfall of the empire. The Milan Decree legalized Christianity in 313 and then became the state religion in 380. These decrees ended centuries of persecution, but they might also erode the traditional Roman system of values.
Christianity replaced Roman polytheistic religion which saw the emperor as having divine status. Meanwhile, the pope and other church leaders are taking an increasing role in political affairs, which further complicates governance.
18th-century historian Edward Gibbon is the most famous supporter of this theory, but his views have since been widely criticized. While the spread of Christianity might play a small role in limiting Roman civil policy, most scholars now argue that the influence of Christianity is somewhat minor when compared to military, economic and administrative factors.
Weakening Roman Legion
For most of its history, the Roman military was one of the greatest powers in ancient times. But during the setbacks, the once mighty legions began to change.
Unable to recruit enough troops from Roman citizens, emperors such as Diocletian and Constantine began hiring foreign mercenaries to support their armies.
Rome's legions were eventually filled with German Goths and other barbarians. They were so numerous that Rome began to use the Latin word "barbarus" to refer to "soldiers."
These Germans were known as fierce warriors, but they had little or no loyalty to the empire. Even their power-hungry officers often turned against their Roman masters. The climax was when many barbarians who were previously joined in the legions looted the city of Rome and brought down the Western Empire forever.
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