Did the Roman Empire Fall?

Did the Roman Empire Fall?

The Roman Empire was the most powerful military force and the largest empire of its time. It survived and ruled for centuries. The Romans accomplished things that had never been dreamed before and still affects our world today. They succeeded in performing one of the most impressive feats of their time by uniting Europe, which had been impossible until that point. However, throughout its rule, the Empire had problems within its government and military. As a government and an empire, Rome fell, but because of what it did, we have the world, we live in today.

There is no set date for the fall of the Roman Empire. Most believe that the end was in the 460 - 480s CE, and came because of the invasions from outside forces like the Germans, Huns, Vandals, and Visigoths. The last great emperor was Theodosius who died in 395 CE. His sons took over the Empire and split it into the east and west. As a divided Empire, the Romans at this point were weak and there were several internal problems in the government and military. Several generals tried to revolt and take over the Empire, at the same time that the Germans and Visigoths were invading Gaul and northern Italy. These groups eventually took over the entirety of the Roman Empire in Europe and parts of Africa. (http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/romans/history/fall.htm)

Revolts and civil wars were a problem that the Romans had had for centuries. There was hundreds of civil war battles fought, with the general of one legion versus general of another legion, for power. These Civil Wars united and divided the Empire several times. When Julius Caesar gained power in Rome, he won it by defeating the other then great general in the Roman Empire, Pompey. With a choice of either to revolt or be persecuted as an enemy of the state, Caesar decided to revolt. With Caesar invading northern Italy from Gaul, the Roman Senate of that time was unable to put up much resistance against Caesar because he had the support of the people. (http://www.livius.org/caa-can/caesar/caesar06.html)

After Caesar conquered Italy, he set up a new senate in Rome and continued to fight with Pompey for control of the rest of the Empire. After several setbacks, Caesar finally accomplished that in Greece. He continued from there and defeated the last of the older republican generals in Africa and Asia and put down several revolts. When Caesar returned he was hailed as a hero, but not everyone was happy with Caesar’s victory. (http://www.livius.org/caa-can/caesar/caesar07.html) Caesar was assassinated by his own senate on March 15, 44 BCE. This launched Rome into another civil war, between Octavian, the adopted son of Caesar, and Cassius and Brutus, the lead conspirators. (http://www.livius.org/caa-can/caesar/caesar08.html). Octavian won and turned the Roman Republic into an empire led by the emperors.

This constant fighting and change of governments may have played a part in the fall of Rome. With weak leaders and ambitious generals constantly fighting each other looking for revenge or power, the outside forces, such as the Germans and Visigoths, were able to easily conquer parts of the Roman Empire and defeat the Roman legions. When the Roman Empire was conquered and divided, many of the people of Europe had lived under Roman rule. However, without Roman rule, Europe fell apart. Because there was no central ruling power, the people formed tribes just as their ancestors had before the Romans came to power. These tribes were violent and frequently fought each other. The only unifying body that had any authority was the Christian Church, as many people had been converted in the Late Antiquity period. In general the Europeans gave up the literacy and sophistication that the Roman citizens had had. The only people who could read and write were the monks and priests of the Church and a select few rich land owners. This divided Europe was in a period call the Medieval or Dark Ages. (http://medieval.etrusia.co.uk/medieval_beginings/)

The Roman Empire was a powerful force during the height of its ruling. It achieved unimaginable things that no one had ever dreamed of achieving before that time. They united Europe and conquered the Mediterranean. However, a monarchial system of emperors led to incompetent leaders and greedy, jealous, and ambitious generals. This eventually weakened the internal workings of the Empire and left it vulnerable to attack. Without the rule of Rome, we would not have the world we live in, but as an empire, Rome did fall.

Works Cited
"C. Julius Caesar - a Biography in Twelve Parts." Livius. Articles on Ancient History. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. <http://www.livius.org/caa-can/caesar/caesar06.html>.

"C. Julius Caesar - a Biography in Twelve Parts." Livius. Articles on Ancient History. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. <http://www.livius.org/caa-can/caesar/caesar07.html>.

"C. Julius Caesar - a Biography in Twelve Parts." Livius. Articles on Ancient History. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. <http://www.livius.org/caa-can/caesar/caesar08.html

"Decline of the Roman Empire -." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decline_of_the_Roman_Empire>.

"Fall of Rome - History for Kids!" Kidipede - History and Science for Kids - Homework Help for Middle School. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/romans/history/fall.htm.

"Medieval Beginings - From the 5th Century AD - After the Fall of Rome." Medieval World - Etrusia's Guide to Medieval Britain. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. <http://medieval.etrusia.co.uk/medieval_beginings/>.