The Ancient Roman Empire was known to be an advanced culture and its grandeur had long-lasting effects on the societies of the entire world. The fall of many great civilizations is a repeating pattern in world history, but in Rome’s case there is no single factor that caused their declivity. It is evident when reading, Western Civilizations Volume one, that the combination of issues stemming from Rome’s imperialism such as economics, politics, and societal led to their civilization’s destruction.
The initial cause of Rome’s drastic transformation begins with the style of rule that governed the Empire prior to the Crises of the Third Century. Imperialism caused the Roman Empire to become too big to control under one person, yet under the reign of Augustus his autocratic style knows as Principate was adopted by his successors (126). The ruling of African general Septimius Severus further crippled an already weakened Roman Empire. In his effort to build a strong loyal army, Severus increased the army’s pay significantly and became laxed with some of the rules and guidelines imposed on the soldiers previously (144). Although he did maintain a strong loyal army that protected him from assassination, he created a bigger financial burden for Rome (148). After the Severus dynasty, there were barracks emperors who …show more content…
The Roman Empire crises composed of civil wars and campaigns against barbarian attacks (163). The constant wars, particularly fueled by imperialism, left Ancient Rome in dire straits economically (148). The financial troubles also put a strain on the citizens of Rome leading them into slavery. Author, Edward Gibbon wrote in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, that he felt Christianity was to blame for Rome’s devastating misfortune (163). Gibbons viewed the religion as a disease that weakened the empire’s strength