The fall of Rome was a gradual process that occurred over a period of several hundred years. There were a number of factors that contributed to the decline of the Roman Empire, including economic instability, political corruption, and invasions by barbarian tribes.
One of the primary causes of Rome's decline was economic instability. The empire was built on a slave-based economy, which was not sustainable in the long term. As the population of the empire grew, the cost of maintaining a large slave population became increasingly expensive (Walbank 2000). Additionally, the empire's constant wars and expansion led to a drain on resources and a decline in agricultural productivity (Gibbon 1994). This led to a shortage of food and rising prices,
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The empire was ruled by a small group of wealthy elite, who were more interested in maintaining their own power and wealth than in the well-being of the empire as a whole (Ward-Perkins 2005). This led to a lack of effective leadership and a general sense of disunity among the people.
Invasions by barbarian tribes also played a significant role in Rome's decline. The empire was surrounded by a number of powerful tribes, including the Visigoths, the Huns, and the Vandals (Livy n.d.). These tribes were able to exploit Rome's economic and political instability, and they were able to gain control of large portions of the empire.
Another aspect that contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire was the division of the empire into two parts, the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire (McNeill 2009). This division weakened the empire's military power and made it more vulnerable to invasion. In 476 CE, Germanic tribes, led by Odoacer, deposed the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, Romulus Augustus, and the Western Roman Empire officially came to an end.
The Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire, managed to survive for another thousand years (Angold 2002). However, it was also weakened by invasions and internal conflicts, and it eventually fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453