Causes of fall of Roman Empire

The fall of the Roman Empire is a long process spanning several centuries. To this day, scientists are arguing about when the progressive disintegration of the Roman state began and what were its causes. As soon as we start talking about the decay of great empires, it is ancient Rome inevitably that first comes to mind.

Edward Gibbon, one of the most famous scholars of the history of ancient Rome, had no doubts: all evil began towards the end of his reign Marcus Aurelius, and the main reason was the fall of ancient Roman virtues, which was caused, among others, by the spread of Christianity. Some traditionally minded historians agreed with Gibbon, others pointed to the political crises and constant invasions of the German barbarians plaguing the Empire.

Scientific theories

Romulus Augustulus the last Western Roman Emperor. The end of his reign – 476 CE – is considered the end of the Western Roman Empire. Often this date is also considered the symbolic end of antiquity. The further fate of the last emperor is unknown. He probably lived a long time and received a pension from both the king of Italy, Odoacer, and his successors, including Theodoric the Great.

Author: Saperaud | Under Creative Commons Attribution license - On the same terms 3.0.

Currently, we distinguish various theories and explanations for the fall of the Roman Empire in the west. They can be generally classified into four superior groups:

General decay and weakening of the state

In this approach, historians take into account various aspects that contributed to the weakening of the political power of the state.

• The decline of ancient Roman virtues was intensified by the spread of Christianity – the representative of this theory was Edward Gibbon – author of the book “The Twilight of the Roman Empire” (1766-88). The historian also emphasized the great influence of the barbarian tribes on the fall of the Empire, which eventually yielded to the pressure of its neighbouring neighbours. In addition, he pointed out the negative influence of Christianity on all aspects of the Empire, especially the military.
• Writing in the 5th century CE, the Roman historian Vegetius even pleaded for any reform of the Roman army, which was at a tragic level of training. Historian Arther Ferrill has suggested that the weakening of the army was due to the massive influx of the Germanic element into prestigious legions. “Germanization” of the military structures led to a lower discipline and rigour and to a lower level of loyalty of the troops towards leadership. Ferrill also agrees with another historian, AHM Jones, that the decline in trade and industry was not the reason for the fall of the Empire. However, the agricultural decline was deeply significant, largely due to the barbarian invasions and the imposition of increasing taxes on society.
• Historians Arnold J. Toynbee and James Burke argue that, in fact, the Empire’s internal system was “rotten” and in need of repair. Revolutionary reforms were needed that neither emperor was ready to carry out. The Romans did not have any budget system, which led to a waste of all resources. The economy was focused on exploitation, which was carried out in the rich, conquered territories. There, too, high taxes were introduced, which led small farms either to poverty or to dependence on the influential elite. As the main sources of financing for the army were limited, the state was forced to tax Roman citizens with taxes. With the growing pressure of the barbarian peoples on the borders of the Empire, the need to finance the army also increased. The situation eventually became so strange that the barbarian armies were sometimes better equipped than the Romans themselves; not to mention larger numbers. Over time, the population of Roman cities began to see the Romans as occupiers, exploiting their subjects, and the barbarians as freedmen.
• The historian Michael Rostovtzeff and the economist Ludwig von Mises agreed that economics played a key role in the fall of the Roman Empire. According to them, in the 2nd century CE, the Roman Empire had a developed market in which trade was relatively free. The fees were low and the top-down regulations had little effect on turnover. However, with the denomination of the currency in the 3rd century CE, there was inflation. Seeing the negative side of this situation, Constantine the Great decided to carry out the currency reform that was implemented before the barbarian invasion in the 5th century CE – no, however, it significantly changed the state’s situation. According to Rostovtzeff and Mises, artificially low prices led to a loss of food, mainly in cities where inhabitants made their livelihoods depend on them. Despite lega