The Decline Of The Roman Empire - 1845 Words

The decline of the Roman Empire marked an end to an age of peace and prosperity. Between the years 121 AD to 161 AD, Roman society was ruled under the â€Å"five good emperors† Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius Pius, and Marcus Aurelius. Embodied with a wealth of wisdom and competence, the emperors brought Rome to its height of territorial expansion and stability. As the third century rolled around, the empire succumbed to a state of chaos and instability. Under the rule of the barrack emperors, Roman society was weakened by the greed and corruption of the leaders, as well by the ineffective public policy that was implemented. Aside from internal affairs, Rome also struggled with foreign pressures. Having one of the longest borders in history,†¦show more content†¦Aside from his discussion on the details surrounding the fall of the empire, Gibbon also ties in the causes to the decline of learning and genius during this period. It was a time when â€Å"a cloud of crit ics, of compilers, of commentators, darkened the face of learning, and the decline of genius was soon followed by the corruption of taste (Gibbon, 64).† Since the transition from the old Republic to the new empire, learning thrived throughout the land. Following the death of Mark Antony in 30 B.C., Octavian took control of the Senate and became Imperator, Augustus, and Principate. He held both political and divine power. More importantly, under the rule of Octavian we see the flourishing of literature, art and intellectual life. Having advanced communication and travel, the Romans were able to send letters and classical texts throughout different geographical regions. We witness a diffusion of Greek and Roman culture that would help to expand scientific, literate, and even philosophic thought as understood by the people. The Augustus age, spanning from 43 B.C to 18 A.D, signified a â€Å"golden age of literature†. As Gibbon describes it, â€Å"Homer as well as Virgil were transcribed and studied on the banks of the Rhine and Danube (Gibbon, 63). The contributions of earlier intellectual thinkers, such as Aristotle and Plato diffused all throughout Roman society. As the Phil-Hellenist movement heightened the awareness of GreekShow MoreRelatedThe Decline Of The Roman Empire1463 Words   |  6 PagesWhat were the most important reasons for the decline of the Roman Empire? Why? The fall of the Western Roman Empire is a very broad topic because there were a multitude of continuous events that led to the disappearance of one of the most legendary empires of the world. The seemingly unstoppable Roman Empire would fall due to the fact that many aspects that made Rome such a dominant empire began to fade. Rome was the center of the world and the thought that such a power in the world could decreaseRe ad MoreThe Decline Of The Roman Empire Essay1768 Words   |  8 Pages The Roman Empire was or could be one of the greatest empires to have ever existed to this day. Just like many empires the Roman Empire fell to betrayal, religion, and war. Lasting from 27BC to 1453 the Roman Empire to me is the most interesting empire to talk about. When you take any history class that explores times outside the US, you hear about the Roman Empire being involved some way or somehow. The Roman Empire history can go on for days. I will pack most of the history into a small 5 pageRead MoreThe Decline Of The Roman Empire1020 Words   |  5 Pages Emperor reforms, outside invasions and financial weakness ultimately caused the decline of the Roman Empire in the West, because each of these events chipped away at the center and the longevity of the Roman Empire from 180 AD to the early fifth century. After the death of the last of the five good emperors, Marcus Aurelius in 180 AD, the Roman Empire began to form into a military monarchy, which was not based on prior lineage but loyalty to the army. The familial aspects of choosing the next emperorRead MoreThe Decline Of The Roman Empire1437 Words   |  6 Pages It is incredible how once the most dominating Empire in the ancient world declined and fell apart so suddenly. The Roman Empire lasted from 31 BCE to 476 CE and controlled most of the Mediterranean world. It was founded when Augustus Caesar converted the conflicted and split Rome into an Empire. At one point, it was the greatest Empire with extraordinary power†¦ But then everything changed. This is due to multiple issues within Rome itself and outside of it as well. First of all,Read MoreThe Decline Of The Roman Empire2298 Words   |  10 Pagestheories on the decline of the Roman Empire and whether or not it completely fell. There are many differe nt theories why the Roman Empire collapsed and what caused it to happened such as military failure, invasions of Barbarians, political problems, economic problems, and the spread of Christianity. Prior to the invasion and fall of the Roman Empire, the economy was crumbling and Rome was headed into a decline. The Empire split into two empires, the Byzantine (Eastern) and the Roman (Western), inRead MoreThe Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire913 Words   |  4 Pages A consistent measure throughout all history has been that all great empires fall. Many theories have been given to why the empire fell, but Gibbons famous book, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, provides reasoning for what we consider as why Rome fell. Even though there was an inconsistency of leadership, the main reason for the decline of the Roman Empire was due to the size of the empire. Supporting Gibbons reasoning, Rome fell because the immense size was too large to control, leadersRead MoreDecline And Fall Of The Roman Empire1310 Words   |  6 Pagesthat the Roman Empire was the greatest Empire in history. They destroyed their enemies and took their land. They had control of the Mediterranean Sea and all of the trade that went through it. Places like the Pantheon were constructed and laws such as stare decisis were created. The Roman Empire was an empire that many people wanted to live under. Then, like all empires eventually do, it fell. Looking at history, there are nine possible reasons for the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. The firstRead MoreThe Decline Of The Roman Empire930 Words   |  4 PagesThe Roman Empire is considered one of the most successful civilizations in the history of the world for many reasons, and because of the large number, the fall of the empire becomes much more interesting. The dominance of Rome at its time wasn t by accident. Various reasons for its success, such as the army, the daily life and the Pax Romana, left a blueprint for how to rule the world. These reasons leave many learners questioning how it could possibly cease to rule for longer than it did. ConspiracyRead MoreThe Decline Of The Roman Empire797 Words   |  4 Pages As the Roman Empire was closing out the end of the third century they were faced with both internal and external concerns (Irvin, History of the World Christian Movement, 160). Some of the contributing factors to the rise of Constantine begun with the wars with the Persians that they were facing, in addition to managing the northern Germanic tribes which contained many of the Roman military resources (Irvin, History of the World Christian Movement, 160). As the Roman Empire began working with someRead MoreThe Decline Of The Roman Empire Essay2032 Words   |  9 Pages By the seventh and eighth centuries, the Roman empire had undergone a series of cultural changes, including an influx of Germanic tribes, political reforms, and most of all, the rise to prominence of Christianity. These social changes have prompted a historical debate over when the Roman Empire fell. According to the Belgian historian, Henry Pirenne, the Roman empire did not die in 476 AD as many of his nineteenth and early twentieth century colleagues maintained. Instead, Pireene argued that Rome