Among the causes of the fall of the Roman Empire are:internal disputes for power, barbarian invasions, division between West and East, the economic crisis and the growth of Christianity.
Officially, the Western Roman Empire ends in 476 AD, when Emperor Romulus Augustus is forced to abdicate in favor of Odoacer, a military chief of Germanic origin.
The capital of the Empire, Rome, also suffered the consequences of decadence. It was sacked by Alaric's troops in 410, and would later be invaded by Vandals (455) and Ostrogoths (546).
Main causes of the end of the Roman Empire
Let's look at some of the reasons that led to the decline and end of the Roman Empire.
1. Internal disputes
The regime of government in Rome changed from Republic to Empire with Julius Caesar, in the 16th century. I B.C. However, despite having proclaimed himself emperor, Caesar maintained some institutions of the Republic such as the Senate.
Not all emperors, however, respected the power of senators. This ended up generating more friction between the political class and the military.
As the Empire expanded, it became increasingly difficult to control the generals and governors of the provinces. We must not forget that the Roman Empire reached a length of 10,000 km, with territories in North Africa, the Middle East and Central Europe.
Thus, with a great army in their hands, some generals rebelled against the central power, plunging the Empire into civil wars.
2. Barbarian Invasions
The “barbarians” were those peoples, outside the imperial territory, that the Romans were not able to defeat and occupy the lands. Some of them, however, participated in the battles with the Roman army, and others even joined the imperial army itself.
Due to internal disputes and the economic crisis, the Roman army lost much of its efficiency. Thus, the barbarians managed to defeat him and expand their territory little by little.
The barbarian chiefs, however, insisted on conserving various Roman institutions and many converted to Christianity in order to be accepted by the ancient Romans.
It is interesting to note that the barbarians believed that they were the heirs of the Roman Empire and not its destroyers.
3. Division between West and East
One of the measures taken to improve the imperial administration was to divide the Roman Empire into two parts, around the year 300 AD. The western part would have Rome as its capital; while the Oriental, the headquarters would be in Byzantium.
During the reign of Emperor Constantine, the city of Byzantium was renamed Constantinople and later, under Muslim rule, it was called Istanbul.
The split proved to be a failure, as it accentuated the cultural and political differences already existing between the two regions.
The Western Roman Empire plunges into decadence, unable to contain the barbarian invasions and infighting. The Fall of Rome, sacked by the "barbarian" peoples, in 410, reveals how much the Romans no longer controlled their domains.
The part of the East continued as a unified territory until 1453.
See more :Byzantine Empire
4. Economic crisis
Rome's economic growth was based on wars of expansion, the ability to capture people to enslave them, and ultimately to trade.
As soon as there was no way to expand its territory, it was also not possible to enslave human beings.
Thus, without the cheap labor of slaves, the economy begins to decline. On the other hand, money to wage wars and pay soldiers is scarce. One of the measures to contain the economic crisis is to make a smaller currency to pay the troops.
The solution ends up generating inflation and the Roman currency is devalued, increasing the crisis in the Empire.
5. Growth of Christianity
The rise of Christianity, a monotheistic religion, added to the identity crisis facing the Roman Empire.
Christians were considered illegal until A.D. 313. the Edict of Milan, when Emperor Constantine decreed an end to the persecution. This did not mean immediate peace, as other emperors tried to restore pagan practices.
This struggle between paganism and Christianity was internally eroding Roman society and government, which was already well divided.
We have more texts on the subject for you :
- Roman Empire
- Barbarian Peoples
- Ancient Rome
- Fall of Constantinople