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The Fall of Rome notes.docx
1. The Fall of Rome
Most historians believe that the Roman Empire ceased
to exist as an entity when Germanic
leader Odoacer defeated the last Roman Emperor
Romulus Augustus in 476 AD to become the first King
of Italy.
However, some historians believe that the Roman
Empire did not fall in 476 AD, as the Eastern Roman
Empire continued to exist for another 1000 years
after that.
The term ‘Fall of the Roman Empire’ usually refers to
the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Roman Empire
was, for almost 500 years, the world’s greatest
superpower. Its eventual demise is attributed to a
number of different reasons.
Menace of Barbaric Tribes
Rome countered military adventures of barbaric tribes like
Goths, Vandals, and Germans for many years and kept them
under check. However, towards the last years of the empire
military defeats against these tribes weakened the empire.
These tribes slowly and gradually increased their spheres of
influence inside the Roman territory and in 410 AD, Goths
under the command of King Alaric ransacked the city of Rome.
It was eventually a Germanic military leader, Odoacer, who
defeated the last western Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustus
in 476 AD and became the King of Italy.
2. Dwindling Slave Trade
Roman society depended greatly on the slaves. These
men and women not only served their masters in their
homes but also worked in the fields, mines, and mills of
the empire.
The Roman military was the largest source of acquiring
these slaves and after every military victory;
thousands of slaves were brought to the empire and
sold off.
As the expansion of the Roman Empire ceased and the
Roman military stopped wining conflicts against now
stronger than ever foes, this supply of slaves dried up.
This adversely affected the economy of Rome which
was hugely dependent on the slave force.
This served as a crippling blow to the economy of Rome
which was rocked by a sharp decrease in agricultural
and industrial production.
3. Division of Empire
Roman Emperor Diocletian divided the empire in the
eastern and western parts in 285 AD. The step was
taken to make the administration easier.
It, however, created rift between the two parts and
they frequently quarreled over resources, territories
and military aid. The Eastern part was farther from
troublesome Barbaric tribes and consequentially
thrived under peaceful circumstances.
It grew more stable and economically sound. These
internal problems weakened the empire, particularly
the restive western part.
Weakened Roman Military
The Roman military was once famous for its discipline
and efficacy in combat. Roman Empire owed its
greatness to its legions that fought numerous wars and
won them to expand the empire across Europe, Asia,
and North Africa.
However, as the empire expanded, so did the demand
for recruiting more soldiers.
This demand could not be met by recruiting Roman
citizens only. Roman commanders had to recruit non-
Romans like Gauls, Goths, Thracians, and Germans.
4. These non-Roman soldiers did not have any solid
commitment to the empire and they often defied their
superiors in battle. Their actions eroded the discipline
of legions and their ability to win wars which
contributed to the fall of the empire.
Rise of Christianity
The adoption of Christianity as the state religion in the
late 4th century AD adversely affected the values on
which the Roman Empire stood.
The ancient Roman religion viewed the emperor as
having a divine stature. Christianity ended this and
ended the obsession of people with state and empire.
Political Instability
Frequent internal conflicts and political instability
weakened the empire from within.
The wars of succession pushed the empire into crisis.
This instability gave enemies of the empire a chance to
pursue their agenda and make territorial
gains.Advertisement