Decline of Rome
The decline of Rome refers to the gradual weakening and eventual fall of the Western Roman Empire, a process that unfolded over several centuries. Initially, Rome was governed as a republic, which shifted to an imperial system under Augustus Caesar after a series of civil wars. Economic disparities emerged during the Republic, with military successes benefiting the wealthy while many citizens remained impoverished, exacerbated by an increase in slave labor. This social unrest, alongside military loyalty shifts, contributed to power struggles that undermined the republic's stability.
The Pax Romana, a period of relative peace and prosperity, saw Rome's dominance expand, but it also revealed significant societal issues, including poverty among the lower classes and a reliance on gladiatorial games for entertainment. The rise of Christianity, culminating in its adoption as the state religion, further complicated Rome's identity and governance. The Empire was ultimately divided into Eastern and Western portions, leading to divergent fates; while the East thrived, the West deteriorated, culminating in the Visigoths' sack of Rome in 410 CE and the formal end of the Western Roman Empire by 486 CE. This decline ushered in what is often referred to as the "Dark Ages" in Western Europe, marking a significant cultural and economic shift in the region.
Decline of Rome
Ancient Rome's social and economic decline took place over the course of centuries, beginning during the Republic and ending during the Roman Empire. Roman civilization had been governed by a republic for centuries before Augustus Caesar became the first emperor and the Roman Empire began.
During the Republic, Rome's military successes had made the wealthy sector of the nation even wealthier. The average citizen, however, benefitted little from these accomplishments and, as a result, a wide economic gap developed. Slave labor also increased greatly during this time, which meant less work for laborers, impoverishing many working-class Romans. This angered the poorer citizens of Rome and led to a number of unsuccessful rebellions.
Class tension was not the only problem during the Republic. The Roman army no longer operated under a system of honor and loyalty. Soldiers were now paid to fight and loyalties shifted to their immediate military units instead of the Republic as a whole. This caused a number of power struggles over the years that eventually led to the abandonment of the Republic and the instatement of a more centralized government, the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire experienced many prosperous years until negligence resulted in a number of social and political failures. The Empire was eventually split into two during the fourth century, resulting in an Eastern and a Western Empire ruled by different leaders. The decline of Rome generally refers to the fall of the Western Roman Empire after it was invaded by Germanic tribes in the fifth century.
Overview
The Romans had been governed by a republic for many years until statesman Julius Caesar came into power in 49 B.C.E. During the Republic, people voted for their leaders. When Caesar initiated a civil war against these leaders and won, he reformed the government and named himself dictator, eliminating Roman citizens' voting rights. However, Rome was still considered a republic until Caesar's assassination in 44 B.C.E. although it moved power to a smaller, centralized governing body. After Caesar's death, a new civil war erupted that effectively put an end to the Republic and gave birth to the Roman Empire. Eventually, Caesar's nephew, Octavian, came into power. He became the first emperor of Rome and adopted the name Augustus Caesar. Augustus Caesar ruled for more than forty years and ushered in an era of peace for Rome known as the Pax Romana.
The Pax Romana lasted for 200 years and was an era of progress and innovation. The Romans built complex road systems that helped move armies more efficiently and made communication more effective. Concrete was also discovered during this time, which led to the construction of historic buildings and monuments. Rome became the dominant city of the Western world. The Pax Romana had its problems, however. Many Roman citizens still lived in poverty despite the incredible prosperity of the wealthy class.
Slavery also increased during this era, and a new phenomenon known as the gladiator emerged. Gladiators were slaves, criminals, or prisoners forced to fight to the death in a battle arena. Built in 80 C.E., this arena was called the Coliseum. Thousands of spectators watched the gladiator games and delighted in the gruesome deaths of these men. Around this time, people coined the phrase "bread and circuses," which was in reference to the Romans who craved only these things. The materialistic, pleasure-seeking attitude that had enveloped Roman society produced a class of depraved individuals who neglected the more important matters around them.
By this time, Rome's defenses had weakened significantly and made the country vulnerable to outside attacks. In addition to the threat of invasion, the Roman Empire continued to experience the wide economic gap between the rich and the poor. Religious conflict also plagued the nation during the reign of Emperor Constantine, who was responsible for the rise of Christianity within Rome. Christianity eventually became the official religion of the Roman Empire, dividing the country. This shift to Christian values also worked against Rome, as it meant abandoning many of the very institutions that brought the country to prominence.
Rome was also plagued by power struggles after Constantine divided the Roman Empire into the Eastern Roman Empire, consisting of the new capital city of Constantinople, and the Western Roman Empire, consisting of Rome, in 330 C.E. While the East flourished, the West rapidly deteriorated. In 410 C.E., the Germanic people of what is now France (referred to then as the Visigoths) pillaged the weakened capital city of Rome. Their invasion lasted several days and was just the beginning of a number of attacks on the Western Roman Empire that would lead to its fall in 486 C.E. This was the first time in more than a thousand years that someone other than Romans held power in Rome. The end of the Western Roman Empire led to Western Europe's "Dark Ages"— a period involving very little artistic and literary output—that lasted for nearly a thousand years. The Eastern Roman Empire persisted even after the fall of the West and was reborn as the Byzantine Empire.
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