Fall Of The Roman Empire Analysis

The Roman Empire was legendary in its height. Roads, architecture, politics, warfare, mythology and more made the nation one of the most successful and long lasting of any this planet has seen. They did though, like most civilizations, experience a fall. In this brief analysis, the pitfalls of the Great Roman Empire which lead to the decline are discussed. After 500 years as the world’s leading superpower the Western Roman Empire fell 476 A.D (Evans). Why exactly it fell is a matter of debate among scholars though a mix of inter-connected factors is generally agreed upon. The Empire fell to Barbarian tribes who had steadily encroached on its borders.
In his book “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive”, Jared Diamond discusses …show more content…
In the late 4th century, Christianity was made the official state religion of the Empire by order of Constantine the Great (“The Fall of the Roman Empire”). This created serious problems because the Monotheistic Christian religion clashed with the traditional polytheistic religion. Besides loosing many of their old ways, traditions, and beliefs, the people also lost their beloved emperor who was once believed to be a God (Evans). No longer led by an immortal, or so they believed, another crucial dimension of Rome’s infrastructure, societal belief, joined the already decaying political, economic, and military institutions.
George Santayana said “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (“The Fall of the Roman Empire”). In light of this realization, studying the Great Roman Empire becomes more important than ever especially in societies who believe they are equally great in measure. America for instance faces similar factors of decay which if unaddressed could lead to its fall. This need not happen though if the teacher of history is carefully listened to and heeded. Roman’s over reliance on slave labor is akin to modern people’s dependence on oil which is forecasted to run out soon. If