The Fall of Rome

 Summarize the causes of the fall of the Roman Empire. Do you think it was inevitable? Why/not?

      There was no one cause for the fall of Rome. Instead, the mighty empire fell to a multitude of factors. Historians today attribute it to interior and exterior influences. They include: geography, economic decline, growth in government, decline in work force, primitive technology , and military defeat. Because the empire was stretched across the Mediterranean it was vulnerable. Soldiers and resources had to travel for months to reach barbarian invasions. High consumption of luxury goods did not improve a declining economy. As time wore on the government system became more complex. Government officials would use dishonest methods to get rich quick. Senators and generals engaged in civil war to determine the next emperor. This wasted valuable recourses. A combination of high morality and few slaves led to a decline in the work force. The army and labor needed to feed an empire was minuscule. Primitive technology did not increase the overall productivity of farming. Lastly, military defeat from surrounding barbarians pushed Rome over the edge. 

       I believe the collapse of the Roman empire was inviable. Poor management of the government led to invasions which led to high morality and eventually starvation. It was simply too large to run. When one band of invaders had been defeated, another attacked. Perhaps, if another system of government had been established they would have been able to deal with outside attackers. A taste for power meant senators fought over becoming emperor.Government officials were dishonest just to become rich. Luxury items could not be supported by the weak economy.