World History Eight Reasons Why Rome Fell

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The Western Roman Empire was the world's greatest superpower for nearly 500 years. Then, in the late fifth century, it suddenly crumbled. Historians have long argued over the reasons for this collapse. Some even claim the Roman Empire didn’t really fall in 476 A.D., since its eastern half continued for another thousand years. The Eastern Roman Empire is now known as the Byzantine Empire.

Just how — and when — the empire fell remains a subject of debate. However, certain theories have emerged as the most popular explanations. Read on to discover eight reasons why one of history’s most legendary empires finally came crashing down.

1. Invasions by other tribes

The most straightforward theory for Western Rome’s collapse pins the fall on a string of military losses. Rome had tangled with the Goths and other Germanic tribes for centuries. However, by the 300s the Goths had advanced beyond the empire’s borders. In 410 the Visigoth King Alaric raided the city of Rome.

In 455, the city of Rome was raided again, this time by the Vandals. Finally, in 476, the Germanic leader Odoacer staged a revolt and removed the Emperor Romulus Augustulus. From then on, no Roman emperor would ever again rule from Italy. For that reason, many cite 476 as the year the Western Empire suffered its deathblow. 2. Economic troubles and overreliance on slave labor

Even as Rome was under attack from outside forces, it was also crumbling from within thanks to a severe financial crisis. Constant wars and overspending had drained the empire's wealth.

At the same time, the empire was rocked by a labor shortage. Rome’s economy depended on slaves to till its fields and work as craftsmen. Traditionally, Rome's military might had provided a fresh flow of conquered peoples to put to work. However, the empire ceased expanding in the second century and Rome’s supply of slaves began to dry up.

The labor shortage caused a sharp decline in Rome's commercial and agricultural production, which only worsened the financial crisis. Soon, the empire began to lose its grip on Europe. 3. The rise of the Eastern Empire

In the late third century, the Emperor Diocletian divided the empire into two halves: the Latin- speaking Western Empire, and the largely Greek-speaking Eastern Empire. In the short term, the division made the Empire more easily governable, but over time the two halves drifted apart. East and West failed to adequately work together to combat outside threats, and the two often competed for resources. As the gulf widened, the Eastern Empire grew in wealth while the West descended into economic crisis. Most importantly, the strength of the Eastern Empire served to redirect Germanic invasions to the West.

Invasions of the Roman Empire [Click to enlarge] 4. Overexpansion and military overspending

The Roman Empire was enormous. At its height, it stretched from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Euphrates River in the Middle East.

The Empire's grandeur may have been its downfall. Governing such a vast territory was extremely challenging. Even with their excellent road systems, the Romans were unable to communicate quickly enough to manage their distant holdings. Rome struggled to marshal enough troops to defend its frontiers. As more and more funds were funneled into the military, money for other purposes began to run dry. 5. Government corruption and political instability

If Rome’s sheer size made it difficult to govern, ineffective and inconsistent leadership only made things worse. More than 20 emperors took the throne in the span of only 75 years, usually after the murder of the ruler before them. Meanwhile, the Roman Senate grew increasingly ineffective. Over time many Roman citizens lost trust in their leadership. 6. The arrival of the Huns and migration of other tribes

In the late fourth century, Eurasian warriors known as Huns arrived in northern Europe. Their forces pushed many Germanic tribes to the borders of the Roman Empire. The Romans grudgingly allowed Goths to seek safety within Roman territory, but they treated them very cruelly.

The Goths eventually rose up in revolt. In 378 they routed a Roman army and killed the Eastern Emperor Valens.

The shocked Romans negotiated a peace treaty with the Goths. However, in 410 this unraveled when the Goth King Alaric moved west and sacked Rome. With the Western Empire weakened, Germanic tribes like the Vandals and the Saxons were able to surge across its borders. 7. The rise of Christianity

The decline of Rome overlapped with the spread of Christianity, and some have argued that Christianity's rise contributed to the empire’s fall.

The Edict of Milan legalized Christianity in 313, and it later became the state religion in 380. Christianity displaced the Roman religion, which viewed the emperor as divine. It also shifted focus away from the glory of the state. Meanwhile, popes and other church leaders took an increased role in political affairs, further complicating governance. 8. Weakening of the Roman legions

For most of its history, Rome’s military was the envy of the ancient world. But during the decline, the makeup of the once mighty legions began to change. Unable to recruit enough soldiers from the Roman citizenry, emperors began hiring foreign fighters to prop up their armies.

The ranks of the legions eventually swelled with Goths and other non-Romans. While these men proved to be fierce warriors, they had little or no loyalty to the Empire. In fact, many of the Goths who sacked the city of Rome and brought down the Western Empire had previously served in the Roman legions.