The Fall of the Roman Empire
In approximately 200 AD, the ruling power of Greece started to diminish whereas the Roman Empire continued to expand at an exponential rate. The Roman Army persisted in their efforts to seize territory, and was so thorough in its imperialistic endeavors that it grew to an impressive size. Rome, obtaining the title of preeminent empire of the ancient world for several centuries, was comprised of various elements from successful societies such as the Greeks and Etruscans. These foreign lands impacted the republican government organization and further political ideology as well as the basic social and religious morals of the Roman people. Compared to all healthy governments, Western Rome faced trials regarding its …show more content…
Rome’s decline can be correlated to military problems of such nature. Disregard for safety and change in training techniques led to lack of heavy armor and sufficient preparation. The Roman military fought without any protection and therefore, many were killed while engaging in battle (Document B). Because of the military’s laziness, soldiers died more easily and weren’t as prepared. If the military hadn’t become brash and overconfident in themselves because of their latest victories, not as many soldiers would have been killed. The military eventually was forced to hire mercenaries as a result of the plagues that had taken over the empire. One can speculate that these mercenaries, without a direct stake in the cause of the empire, were less effective than Roman born soldiers. With a weakened military force, it was only a matter of time before surrounding powers unleashed vicious attacks against Rome, from which they could not recover (Document C).
The greatest cause of Rome’s fall was the significant moral corruption of the military, people, and leaders. Lackadaisical soldiers lost moral value and subsequently weakened the empire against all dangers (Document B). Internally, as the Romans became ruled by invaders like the Germanic Huns, many considered their lives of more quality, as it was peaceful, taxes were not as heavy, and there was justice of equality
In approximately 200 AD, the ruling power of Greece started to diminish whereas the Roman Empire continued to expand at an exponential rate. The Roman Army persisted in their efforts to seize territory, and was so thorough in its imperialistic endeavors that it grew to an impressive size. Rome, obtaining the title of preeminent empire of the ancient world for several centuries, was comprised of various elements from successful societies such as the Greeks and Etruscans. These foreign lands impacted the republican government organization and further political ideology as well as the basic social and religious morals of the Roman people. Compared to all healthy governments, Western Rome faced trials regarding its …show more content…
Rome’s decline can be correlated to military problems of such nature. Disregard for safety and change in training techniques led to lack of heavy armor and sufficient preparation. The Roman military fought without any protection and therefore, many were killed while engaging in battle (Document B). Because of the military’s laziness, soldiers died more easily and weren’t as prepared. If the military hadn’t become brash and overconfident in themselves because of their latest victories, not as many soldiers would have been killed. The military eventually was forced to hire mercenaries as a result of the plagues that had taken over the empire. One can speculate that these mercenaries, without a direct stake in the cause of the empire, were less effective than Roman born soldiers. With a weakened military force, it was only a matter of time before surrounding powers unleashed vicious attacks against Rome, from which they could not recover (Document C).
The greatest cause of Rome’s fall was the significant moral corruption of the military, people, and leaders. Lackadaisical soldiers lost moral value and subsequently weakened the empire against all dangers (Document B). Internally, as the Romans became ruled by invaders like the Germanic Huns, many considered their lives of more quality, as it was peaceful, taxes were not as heavy, and there was justice of equality