What were the Primary Reasons for the Fall of Rome free essay sample

Rome was quickly becoming one of the worlds greatest empires with their excellent military conquering territory from modern day Scotland to Spain. After the Punic Wars and the defeat of Carthage, Rome had full control of the Mediterranean region, establishing colonies in North Africa, Egypt, the Middle East, and Asia Minor. Julius Caesar became Romes first emperor using his military influence. Under his reign, Rome shifted from a republic to an empire under the rule of an emperor and the military. Rome steadily increased in stability, power, and wealth, reaching Pax Romana (the time of Roman peace) under Emperor Augustus Caesar. Rome was forced to discover, as many other large empires throughout history have, that size can create complications. Political strains developed and Rome eventually morphed into a government similar to a dictatorship. Believing their goal of a perfect empire had been reached, leaders in Rome began to become lazy. We will write a custom essay sample on What were the Primary Reasons for the Fall of Rome? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Romans developed a thirst for luxury and a lack of work ethic, which resulted in a decline in the quality of products made by the empire. Around the 5th century BC, Rome began to have constant invasion attempts by Germanic tribes at their borders. There was a multitude of factors contributing to the fall of Rome, the most impactful being the frequently changing leadership, the increasing negligence of the Roman army, and foreign invasions along Romes borders. Romes government went through a number of transitions; from republic to triumvirates, triumvirates to an empire, an empire to a dictatorship. As shown in Document A, a chart compiled from various sources, there came a period of time 235-285), after the start of Romes decline, where the leader of Rome changed 19 times, the throne belonging to whoever had enough military control to seize it. During this time, 13 of these emperors were killed through assassination. To citizens of the Roman Empire, this was Just another example of the loss of control in the government. Priscus, the Roman ambassador to the Huns in 449 CE, wrote of a conversation he had with a former Roman citizen whose land had been conquered by the Huns. [He] considered his new life better than his old life among the Romans He said] that the laws and constitution of the Romans were fair, but deplored that the governors, not possessing the spirit of former generations, were ruining the state. (Document E). Because of the degeneracy of Romes leaders, Roman citizens were losing faith in the restoration of the government to its former glory, so many citizens welc omed the chance for a new start when Germanic tribes conquered Roman territory. Many historians believe that Romes military was its greatest asset. The military reached its climax when General Marius allowed unwealthy plebeians to be recruited ith the promise of land. This motivated soldiers to conquer new territories to provide the new land that was necessary for Marius to fulfill his promise. The Roman military declined for many reasons, including a decrease in population due to plague and a heightened sense ot morals as a result ot the empires new religion: Christianity. The main reason for the Roman militarys downfall was the decreasing ambition in Roman soldiers. Document B, an excerpt from Concerning Military Matters by Roman historian Vegetius in 450 CE, demonstrates the development of pathy and laziness in soldiers. They no longer wore breastplates or helmets because of how heavy they seemed. This made the military much more vulnerable to archers and affected their mindset as well. If a soldier was more susceptible to wounds and was faced with a possibly deadly situation, his first instinct would be to flee. The Roman military was also decreased in size. Diseases decimated the population, The population of Rome decreased from a million people to 250,000 Recruitment of troops became more difficult, so the empire was increasingly educed to hiring Germanic soldiers to guard its frontiers. (Document F, an excerpt from World Civilizations: The Global Experience). These Germanic soldiers were not loyal to Rome and were therefore not as motivated to keep Rome afloat. Because of the undersized, lethargic Roman military and its aggressive opposition, Rome was very much open to foreign invasions. By the fifth century, the powerhouse of the Mediterranean was struggling to protect itself with its decreased population, apathetic military, and leaders with debauched morals. Outside of the Roman Empire, Germanic tribes took notice of the internal chaos and began invading the empires borders. Many of the tribes were cruel and combative, such as the Huns. The Huns exceed any definition of savagery and were fired with an overwhelming desire for seizing the property of others, these swift-moving and ungovernable people make their destructive way amid the pillage and slaughter of those who live around them. (Document D, excerpts about an Asian tribe called the Huns from Roman History by Ammianus Marcellinus).