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Last Name 1
Your First Last Name
Mr. Freeman
History 7, Period ?
Day# Month 2013
What Were the Primary Reasons for the “Fall” of the Roman Empire?
America is often compared to the empire of Rome because, just like the Romans were
then, America is today a world leader in politics, the military, and economics. And just like the
Romans, some people think America is getting soft and losing its edge and is getting a “soft
belly.” However, the Roman Empire started many hundreds of years before America was
founded. It was around for nearly 1200 years, enjoying over 200 years of peace and safety in the
Empire during a period called the Pax Romana, or Roman Peace. During the time leading up to
Pax Romana, the general Julius Caesar did away with the system of a republic where a leader is
elected by the citizens, and replaced it with a dictatorship where all the power is in the hands of
one person or a small group of people. After Pax Romana, upper class Romans began to be lazy,
preferring luxury to creating art or having more children. Once Rome was sacked by invaders,
some found that life under the invaders wasn’t so bad. So, what were the primary reasons for the
fall of the Roman Empire? There were three reasons for the fall. The third reason is military
mistakes, the second reason being economic corruption, and the first reason and main reason is
political instability.