Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire:
Political Corruption & Struggle between Senate, Army and
Emperor
One of the main causes for the fall of the Roman Empire was political
corruption and the struggle between the senate, the army and the
Emperor. The Roman Emperor had the legal power to rule Rome’s
religious, civil and military affairs with the Senate acting as an advisory
body. The emperor had power over life and death. The powerful, spoilt,
wealthy Roman Emperors inevitably became corrupt and many lived a
debauched, deluded and immoral lifestyle. The Roman Empire saw many
examples of antagonism between the Senators and the Emperors. Either
the Senators didn't like the Emperor or the Emperors was at odds with the
Senators.
One of the most difficult problems was choosing a new emperor. Unlike
Greece where transition may not have been smooth but was at least
consistent, the Romans never created an effective system to determine
how new emperors would be selected. The choice was always open to
debate between the old emperor, the Senate, the Praetorian Guard (the
emperor's private army), and the army. Gradually, the Praetorian Guard
gained complete authority to choose the new emperor, who rewarded the
guard who then became more influential, perpetuating the cycle. Then in
186 A. D. the army strangled the new emperor, the practice began of
selling the throne to the highest bidder. During the next 100 years, Rome
had 37 different emperors - 25 of whom were removed from office by
assassination. This contributed to the overall weaknesses, decline and
fall of the empire.
Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire:
Decline in Morals, Ethics and Values
One of the main causes for the fall of the Roman Empire was the Decline
in Morals. The decline in morals, especially in the rich upper classes,
nobility and the emperors, had a devastating impact on the Romans.
There was widespread immoral and promiscuous sexual behaviour
including adultery and orgies. Examples of this are Emperors such as
Tiberius kept groups of young boys for his pleasure, incest by Nero who
also had a male slave castrated so he could take him as his wife, and
Elagabalus who forced a nun into marriage.
The decline in morals also affected the lower classes and slaves. At
religious festivals such as Saturnalia and Bacchanalia, sacrifices, ribald
songs, lewd acts and sexual promiscuity were practiced. Brothels and
forced prostitution flourished as did widespread gambling on the chariot
races and gladiatorial combats. Pleasure was found in displays of cruelty
towards both man and beasts in the Colosseum to amuse the mobs of
people. Even during PaxRomana “Roman Peace” (A long period from
Augustus to Marcus Aurelius when the Roman empire was stable and
relatively peaceful) there were 32,000 prostitutes in Rome. Emperors like
Caligula and Nero became infamous for wasting money on lavish parties
where guests drank and ate until they became sick. The drinking of
excessive amounts of alcohol was also widespread amongst the poor
Romans.
Life became cheap – blood-shed led to more blood shed and extreme
cruelty. The values, the ideals, customs, traditions and institutions, of the
Romans declined. The basic principles, standards and judgments about
what was valuable or important in life declined. The total disregard for
human and animal life resulted in a lack of ethics - a perverted view of
what was right and wrong, good and bad, desirable and undesirable. Any
conformity to acceptable rules or standards of human behaviour were
being lost.
Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire:
Fast expansion of the Empire
One of the main causes for the fall of the Roman Empire was the Fast
expansion of the Empire. The rapid growth in the lands conquered by the
Empire led to the need to defend the borders and territories of Rome. The
people of the conquered lands were referred to as “barbarians” (people
who were uncultured, brutish and not belonging to Roman or Greek
civilization). The barbarians hated the Romans. Taxes on the nonRomans were high and constantly increased. Frequent rebellions arose.
Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire:
Constant Wars and Heavy Military Spending
One of the main causes for the fall of the Roman Empire was the
Constant Wars and Heavy Military Spending. Constant warfare required
heavy military spending. The Roman army became over-stretched and
needed more and more soldiers. Military spending left few resources for
other vital activities, such as providing public housing and maintaining
quality roads and aqueducts. The emperors were forced to raise taxes
frequently which in turn led again to increased inflation.
Frustrated Romans lost their desire to defend the Empire. The empire
had to begin hiring soldiers recruited from the unemployed city mobs or
worse from foreign counties. The Barbarians, who had been conquered,
and other foreign mercenaries were allowed to join the Roman army.
Such an army was not only unreliable, but also very expensive. The
knowledge that barbarian soldiers gained of the Roman style of warfare
and military tactics by serving in the Roman army were eventually turned
against the Empire. This eventually led to the sack of Rome by the
Visigoths led by an ex-army soldier, Alaric.
Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire:
Failing Economy and High Inflation
One of the main causes for the fall of the Roman Empire was the failing
economy and high inflation. Inflation refers to the increase in price and
the fall in the purchasing power of money. The Government was
constantly threatened by bankruptcy due to the cost of defending the
Empire. The majority of the inhabitants of the Roman Empire did not
share in the incredible prosperity (riches) of Rome.
Once the Romans stopped conquering new lands, the flow of gold into
the Roman economy decreased. Yet much gold was being spent by the
Romans to pay for luxury items. This meant that there was less gold to
use in coins. As the amount of gold used in coins decreased, the coins
became less valuable. To make up for this loss in value, merchants
raised the prices on the goods they sold. Many people stopped using
coins and began to barter to get what they needed. Eventually, salaries
had to be paid in food and clothing, and taxes were collected in fruits and
vegetables.
Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire:
Unemployment of the Working Classes
One of the main causes for the fall of the Roman Empire was the
unemployment of the working classes. Cheap slave labor resulted in the
unemployment of the Plebs in Rome who became dependent on
handouts from the state. The Romans attempted a policy of unrestricted
trade but this led to the Plebs being unable to compete with foreign trade.
The government was therefore forced to subsidize the working class
Romans to make up the differences in prices. This resulted in thousands
of Romans choosing just to live on the subsidies sacrificing their standard
of living with a lazy life of ease. The massive divide between the rich
Romans and the poor Romans increased still further.
During the latter years of the empire farming was done on large estates
called latifundia that were owned by wealthy men who used slave labor. A
farmer who had to pay workmen could not produce goods as cheaply.
Many farmers could not compete with these low prices and lost or sold
their farms. This not only undermined the citizen farmer who passed his
values to his family, but also filled the cities with unemployed people. At
one time, the emperor was importing grain to feed more than 100,000
people in Rome alone. These people were not only a burden but also had
little to do but cause trouble and contribute to an ever-increasing crime
rate.
Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire:
The 'Mob' and the cost of the Gladiatorial Games
One of the main causes for the fall of the Roman Empire was the 'Mob'
and the cost of the Gladiatorial Games. If the thousands of unemployed
Romans became bored this led to civil unrest and rioting in the streets.
The 'Mob' needed to be amused - spectacular gladiatorial games had to
be provided. The Emperors, and therefore the state paid for the cost of
the gladiatorial games. Corrupt politicians who sponsored the games to
try and gain favor and support with the 'Mob'. The cost of the gladiatorial
games eventually came to one third of the total income of the Roman
Empire.
Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire:
Slave Labor
& Slow-down in Technological Innovation
One of the main causes for the fall of the Roman Empire was the Slave
Labor. The number of slaves increased dramatically during the first 2
centuries of the Roman Empire. The Roman's dependency on slave labor
led not only to the decline in morals, values and ethics but also to the
stagnation of any new technology to produce goods more efficiently.
Romans could rely on the slave manpower for all their needs but this
reliance inhibited technological change and growth.
The treatment of slaves led to rebellion and several Servile (Slave) Wars,
the most famous being the revolt led by the gladiator slave, Spartacus. In
the later centuries of the Empire and the advent of Christianity the
attitudes towards slaves changed. With manumission (the act of freeing a
slave) the number of slaves declined together with the manpower that
Rome was dependent upon.
During the last 400 years of the empire, the scientific achievements of the
Romans were limited almost entirely to engineering and the organization
of public services. They built marvelous roads, bridges, and aqueducts.
They established the first system of medicine for the benefit of the poor.
But since the Romans relied so much on human and animal labor, they
failed to invent many new machines or find new technology to produce
goods more efficiently. They could not provide enough goods for their
growing population. They were no longer conquering other civilizations
and adapting their technology, they were actually losing territory they
could not longer maintain.
Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire:
Natural Disasters
One of the main causes for the fall of the Roman Empire was Natural
Disasters. During the time of the Roman Empire there were not only
foreign wars, civil wars, street fights, fires and revolts, there were also
natural disasters such as plagues, famines and earthquakes. As in all
periods and societies the people looked for someone to blame and
different religions to turn to.
Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire:
Rise of Christianity
One of the main causes for the fall of the Roman Empire was the rise of
Christianity. Christianity is the religion based on the life and teachings of
Jesus. In Rome, life and the future seemed hopeless for the millions of
people who were ruled by harsh emperors where an early death was
almost inevitable.
Christianity taught the belief in an afterlife, which gave hope and courage
to the desperate. Eventually the Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great,
proclaimed himself a Christian and issued an edict promising the
Christians his favor and protection. Attitudes in the Roman Empire
changed from being antagonistic to becoming pacifistic.
Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire:
Barbarian Invasions
One of the main causes for the fall of the Roman Empire were the
barbarian invasions. To the Romans barbarians were any people who
were uncultured, brutish and not belonging to Roman, Greek, or Christian
civilizations. There were great barbarian armies consisting of warriors
such as the Visigoths, Huns and the Vandals.
For years, the well-disciplined Roman army held the barbarians of
Germany back. Then in the third century A. D. the Roman soldiers were
pulled back from the Rhine-Danube frontier to fight civil war in Italy. This
left the Roman border open to attack. Gradually Germanic hunters and
herders from the north began to overtake Roman lands in Greece and
Gaul (later France).
These barbarians inflicted the final deathblow to the Roman Empire. The
city of Rome was sacked by the Visigoths in 410 and again by the
Vandals in 455. This signaled the disintegration of Roman authority and
the fall of the Roman Empire. Then in 476 A. D. the Germanic general
Odoacer or Odovacar overthrew the last of the Roman Emperors,
Augustulus Romulus. From then on, the western part of the Empire was
ruled by Germanic chiefs. Roads and bridges were left in disrepair and
fields left untilled. Pirates and bandits made travel unsafe. Cities could not
be maintained without goods from the farms, trade and business began to
disappear. And Rome was no more in the West.
Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire:
Urban Decay & Public Health
Two of the main causes for the fall of the Roman Empire were urban
decay and public health concerns. Wealthy Romans lived in a domus, or
house, with marble walls, floors with intricate colored tiles, and windows
made of small panes of glass. Most Romans, however, were not rich.
They lived in small smelly rooms in apartment houses with six or more
stories called islands. Each island covered an entire block. At one time
there were 44,000 apartment houses within the city walls of Rome. The
poor did not occupy first-floor apartments, since these living quarters
rented for about $100 a year. The more shaky wooden stairs a family had
to climb, the cheaper the rent became. The upper apartments that the
poor rented for $40 a year were hot, dirty, crowed, and dangerous.
Anyone who could not pay the rent was forced to move out and live on
the crime-infested streets. Because of this cities began to decay.
Many of the wealthy had water brought to their homes through lead pipes.
Lead is a metal that is now known to be poisonous. The death rate of
wealthy Romans was very high. Another way that people spread
disease to one another was at the Colosseum. Here the blood and death
and interaction of thousands of people likely spread disease to large
groups of people. Those who lived on the streets in continuous contact
allowed for an uninterrupted strain of disease much like the homeless in
the poorer run shelters of today. Alcohol use increased as well adding to
the incompetency of the general public.
Sources:
http://www.rome.info/history/empire/fall/
http://www.roman-colosseum.info/roman-empire/causes-for-the-fall-ofthe-roman-empire.htm