The fall of the western Roman Empire was not caused by the barbarians’ attempts of invasion. Rome fell because a failing tax system and internal strife. The tax system was failing because the Roman Empire had overspent on military exercises and the coin had depreciated in value. As the coin depreciated, taxes were raised and the wealthy fled the cities in an attempt to avoid paying taxes. It is clear that the Roman government understood the threat of usurpers and the dangers that they posed to a united country because the emperors went to great lengths to stop usurpers. The barbarians’ invasion attempts most likely exasperated the issues within the Roman Empire because the emperor would have to choose between stopping the invasion and saving
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It is important to remember that the Roman Empire had dealt with the barbarians and their invasions for centuries (Figures 1 through 4), so the invasions would not have been a great surprise. The Roman Empire was bordered by fragmented ethnicities … As previously mentioned, sometimes the surrendering of Roman land to the barbarians was beneficial to the empire. However, there were times when the barbarians rebelled against or invaded the Roman Empire for land. One of the rebellions was in 378 when the Goths who had been allowed to cross the Danube into Roman territory rebelled against the Romans. One of the most significant invasions by the barbarians was in 406 C.E. In 406 C.E., the Vandals, Alans, and Sueves, who were loosely allied with each other, crossed the Rhine into Gaul and eventually taking control of Gaul in 409 C.E. The invasions of these barbarian ethnicities came in areas that were not as heavily protected by the Roman military because the Empire’s resources were stretched out too much. With the decreasing military, the soldiers in Gaul and Spain would have eventually had to leave. So in reality, the barbarian invasion just sped up the process. Under the reign of Romulus Augustus in 476 C.E., the western Roman Empire was overthrown by General Odoacer, a barbarian employed by Romulus Augustus. Though technically a barbarian did bring about the end …show more content…
Barbarian ethnicities may have utilised the issues within the Roman Empire to cause the fall of the western Roman Empire in the mid- to late-fifth century. However, there is no solid answer for whether or not the barbarian invasions caused the fall of the western Roman Empire, but it is clear that they played some part in it. From intentionally encroaching on Roman land in order to receive territory in the weakened state to conquering an entire section of the Empire, the barbarians were involved in the fall of the Roman Empire through land invasions. The interactions between the barbarian ethnicities and the Roman Empire were based primarily on land, which was an issue in the fall of the Empire. It is clear that barbarians exploited the failing Roman state. The barbarians are played a clear role in the story of Rome, land successors, but whether or not the fall was caused by them remains
It is important to remember that the Roman Empire had dealt with the barbarians and their invasions for centuries (Figures 1 through 4), so the invasions would not have been a great surprise. The Roman Empire was bordered by fragmented ethnicities … As previously mentioned, sometimes the surrendering of Roman land to the barbarians was beneficial to the empire. However, there were times when the barbarians rebelled against or invaded the Roman Empire for land. One of the rebellions was in 378 when the Goths who had been allowed to cross the Danube into Roman territory rebelled against the Romans. One of the most significant invasions by the barbarians was in 406 C.E. In 406 C.E., the Vandals, Alans, and Sueves, who were loosely allied with each other, crossed the Rhine into Gaul and eventually taking control of Gaul in 409 C.E. The invasions of these barbarian ethnicities came in areas that were not as heavily protected by the Roman military because the Empire’s resources were stretched out too much. With the decreasing military, the soldiers in Gaul and Spain would have eventually had to leave. So in reality, the barbarian invasion just sped up the process. Under the reign of Romulus Augustus in 476 C.E., the western Roman Empire was overthrown by General Odoacer, a barbarian employed by Romulus Augustus. Though technically a barbarian did bring about the end …show more content…
Barbarian ethnicities may have utilised the issues within the Roman Empire to cause the fall of the western Roman Empire in the mid- to late-fifth century. However, there is no solid answer for whether or not the barbarian invasions caused the fall of the western Roman Empire, but it is clear that they played some part in it. From intentionally encroaching on Roman land in order to receive territory in the weakened state to conquering an entire section of the Empire, the barbarians were involved in the fall of the Roman Empire through land invasions. The interactions between the barbarian ethnicities and the Roman Empire were based primarily on land, which was an issue in the fall of the Empire. It is clear that barbarians exploited the failing Roman state. The barbarians are played a clear role in the story of Rome, land successors, but whether or not the fall was caused by them remains