The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

Many complex factors led to the fall of the Roman empire. Most can; however, be categorized under three main headings: politics, economics or defence.

Politics

  1. Constant disputes and civil wars over who would succeed as the next emperor led to assassinations and political instability.
  2. After Trajan (Spanish) became emperor, the struggles for the title of emperor increased because now you did not need to be an Italian to take power.

Economics

  1. It was too expensive to run such a large empire.
  2. Taxes could bring in enough money to offset the costs of running the empire.
  3. People start to leave their homes, farms and businesses to avoid paying the high taxes.
  4. The government was forced to take over businesses to keep them running. This effort was costly and inefficient.
  5. The government started printing more money. The value of the money went down and resulted in inflation. (The price of goods and service soared, but people were not getting paid any higher wages).
  6. Trade great declined. The Romans didn’t develop new technologies to help improve the economy. They were dependent on slaves to do their work. Also their education system focused on public speaking rather than on practical useful skills. Therefore, they had no goods to sell or trade.

Defense

  1. Defending such a vast empire with such long borders was almost impossible.
  2. The government lost control of the army.
  3. Citizens no longer wanted to serve in the army.
  4. The army began to appeal only to criminals.
  5. The government had to hire troops or mercenaries to keep the army going.
  6. Many different “barbarian” groups began to invade the Roman empire. Many had been displaced by the Huns and now pushed into the frontiers of the Roman empire seeking a new home. These groups included the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths.