The Fall of the Roman Empire Due to Army, Citizens, Barbarianism

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There were many causes of the decline, and eventual fall, of the Roman empire.

The deficient Emperor role led to the lacking

military response to invasions, civil war and peasant uprisings.

ROMAN EMPIRE AND ITS EMPEROR

Ever since the adoptive system which was installed by Marcus Aurelius

was never reinstalled after his death, effective leadership in governing Rome was

lacking. It was clearly visible that the Roman Emperor was the backbone of Roman

stability and therefore the strength of the Roman army was also crucial in

ensuing the empire's stability. But this stability was drastically altered when

corruption and “necessary” errors were committed.

ECONOMIC, BARBARIAN AND MILITARY PROBLEMS

The Roman Empire was plunged into military anarchy and raided by

barbarous Germanic tribes causing a major burden from an economic standpoint.

Emperors, feeling pressure from all directions, resorted to manners which

depleted army and citizen moral. The personal dreams of empirical leaders was

never capable of re-stabilizing the Empire after the invasions. For instance,

Constantine created a “substantial field force where he recruited many regiments

from Germany. He greatly increased the German generals” (1). “Aurelius also

introduced the German element into the Empire. He established a precedent for

settling Germanic peoples, barbarians to the Romans, in Roman territory to try

secure peace”(2). He felt the only way to preserve the Empire was to host all

those who wished to live within its territory.

These German units under Roman commanders did not easily fall to the

traditional Roman discipline and command. The reluctance to submit to Roman rule

allowed Rome to lose the tactical superiority that it once had and enjoyed over

the German barbarians. This loss of tactical supremacy destroyed the elite,

disregarding their once owned power and thus causing change on top of the Roman

Empire elite. According to Andre Piganiol,”The destruction of the elite handed

over power to a new oligarchy of the newly wealthy and of high officials who

came from barbarous elements of the population”(3). Piganiol continues to state

that”conquered nationalities had in no way lost consciousness of their origin

and many were the means of resistance to the unifying will of Rome”(4)

Economically wise, the war against the Germ...

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...th. The

Challenge of the West: Peoples and Cultures from Stone Age to 1740. Toronto: D.C.

Health and Company, 1995.

10) Marvin Perry, Myrna Chase, James Jacob, Margaret Jacob, Theodore Von Laue.

Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics & Society. Boston: Houghton Miffln

Company, 1996

11) Piganiol, Andre. “The Causes of the Ruin of the Roman Empire.” Decline and

Fall of the Roman Empire: Why did it Collapse ?: Donald Kagan. ED. Donald Kagan.

Massachusettes: D.C. Health and Company, 1962, p.88.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jones, A.H.M. A General History of Europe: The Decline of the Ancient World.

London: Longman Group Ltd. 1966

Lynn Hunt, Thomas Martin, Barbara Rosenwein, R.Hsia, and Bonnie Smith. The

Challenge of the West: Peoples and Cultures from Stone Age to 1740. Toronto: D.C.

Health and Company, 1995.

Marvin Perry, Myrna Chase, James Jacob, Margaret Jacob, Theodore Von Laue.

Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics & Society. Boston: Houghton Miffln

Company, 1996.

Piganiol, Andre. “The Causes of the Ruin of the Roman Empire.” Decline and Fall

of the Roman Empire: Why did it Collapse ?: Donald Kagan. ED. Donald Kagan.

Massachusettes: D.C. Health and Company, 1962.

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