Download Why did the Roman Empire Fall? There are many reasons for the fall

Name:
Social Studies Department
Dysart Unified School District
Willow Canyon High School
Mr. Ornstein
Why did the Roman Empire Fall?
There are many reasons for the fall of the
Western Roman Empire in 476. Remember the
Eastern or Byzantine Empire lasted 1,000
years after the Fall of Western Rome. Some
causes were more immediate or “short-term.”
Other causes were underlying or “long-term.”
There were political, social, military, and
economic reasons for the collapse of the once
mighty Roman Empire.
The most accepted general picture of decline of Rome is this: An exhausted global
empire was so plagued by financial corruption, a bankrupt elite, and rural depopulation
that few citizens joined the army. Fewer still knew what fifth-century Rome stood for,
much less whether it was any longer worth defending.
The immediate cause of the Fall of the Western Roman Empire was invasion by
“barbarian tribes” from outside of Rome’s borders. The Western empire fell to foreign
aggression from barbarian tribes in the late fifth century
Some point to the rise of Christianity as a reason for the Fall of the Roman Empire. That
the incorporation of Christianity as the state religion of Rome by Constantine in 312 was
the real beginning of the end. In historian Edward Gibbon’s view, the growing church
substituted the pacifist Sermon on the Mount creed for classical civic militarism, while
emptying the state treasury to support literally millions of useless clerical drones,
monumental new churches, and ecclesiastical lands that brought no financial return to the
empire. Also the religion of Christianity taught faith in god and not loyalty towards an
Emperor.
Other reasons include the division of the Empire into East and West. Another reason was
a shortage of Romans willing to join the military and the hiring of foreign soldiers to do
the fighting for them. High taxes and a large gap between the rich and the poor also
contributed to the fall. Poor harvests and decline in food production was a factor.
Terrible Emperors and poor leadership were another cause. There was disunity among
the Roman people. Roman citizens became apathetic. There was mass migration out of
Roman lands. Trade declined. The Roman road and aqueduct system began to decay.
Many Roman citizens rebelled against their rulers. There was too much infighting
between different factions within the Roman Empire. The empire's demise was brought
about through a vicious circle of political instability, foreign invasion, and reduced tax
revenue. Essentially, invasions caused long-term damage to the provincial tax base,
which lessened the Empire's medium to long-term ability to pay and equip the legions,
with predictable results.
It's not entirely arbitrary that Medieval / Renaissance History at About.com begins and Ancient /
Classical History ends in A.D. 476. Edward Gibbon's 476 date for the fall of Rome is
conventionally acceptable because that's when the Germanic Odoacer deposed the last emperor
ruling from Rome. There are, however, other reasonable dates for the Fall of the Roman Empire.
Some say Rome fell when it was split in two, of which the eastern half became the Byzantine
Empire. Many say the Fall was an ongoing process lasting more than a century. Since Rome still
exists it could even be argued it never fell.