ESPN of Decline of Empire Economic – These civilizations allowed an elite, privileged class to hold excessive wealth and created a sizable “underclass” without access to economic gain; • Social/Cultural – These civilizations often enslaved conquered populations without integrating them socially or culturally into the mainstream of society; • Political – These empires developed legal systems and strong military structures, however, as empires expanded it became more and more difficult to maintain rule over far-flung territories; • eNvironmental – These societies often exploited land to support growing populations and often lost control of frontier areas to invaders.