Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was ancient Rome's post-Republican period. It was a state with extensive territorial holdings in Europe, Northern Africa, and Western Asia governed by emperors around the Mediterranean Sea. In this article, we will be covering the basic information about the Roman Empire along with its decline as well as fall.

More About Roman Empire

It was a principate from the accession of Caesar Augustus to the military anarchy of the third century, with Italy as the metropole of the provinces and Rome as the single capital (27 BC to 286 AD). Following the military crisis, the empire was ruled by a number of emperors who shared control of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires (also known as the Byzantine Empire).

Following the barbarians of Odoacer's takeover of Ravenna and the subsequent overthrow of Romulus Augustulus, the imperial insignia was moved to Constantinople, and Rome remained the nominal capital of both portions until AD 476 when the imperial symbols were sent to Constantinople.

The end of Classical antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages is traditionally marked by the acceptance of Christianity as the Roman Empire's state church in AD 380 and the collapse of the Western Roman Empire to Germanic rulers.

Historians designate the mediaeval Roman Empire that survived in the Eastern provinces as the Byzantine Empire as a result of these events, as well as the increasing Hellenization of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The loss of central political control in the Western Roman Empire, a process in which the Empire failed to impose its rule and its enormous area was divided into various successor polities, was known as the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.

The Roman Empire lost the strengths that had allowed it to exert effective control over its Western provinces; modern historians attribute this to factors such as the army's effectiveness and numbers, the Roman population's health and numbers, the economy's strength, the Emperors' competence, internal power struggles, religious changes of the time, and the efficiency of the civil administration. The causes of the fall of the Western Roman Empire are key topics in ancient world historiography, and they underlie much modern discussion of state failure.

The Roman Empire From Augustus to the Fall of Rome

Since we have developed a basic concept of what is the Roman empire, we can look into the decline of the Roman empire but before that, we must also look into the establishment of the Roman empire from Augustus to the fall of Rome. Let us briefly look into a prominent figure of history, Augustus.

Who was Augustus?

Caesar Augustus was one of ancient Rome's most successful presidents, leading the republic's development into an empire. Augustus revolutionised practically every area of Roman society throughout his reign, restoring peace and prosperity to the Roman state.

Julius Caesar had named Augustus as heir to his political and personal fortune in his testament when he was slain in 43 B.C. Augustus, at the age of 19, accepted Caesar's will as his inheritance and was thrown into the intricate realm of Roman politics.

He built strategic alliances rapidly, vanquished his political foes, and triumphed in a bloody civil war. Augustus defeated his competitor Mark Antony and his Egyptian navy at the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. Augustus achieved a decisive victory over Mark Antony and his Egyptian fleet at the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C.

Augustus restructured Roman society across the empire. He enacted legislation to promote marital stability and revitalise religious practices. He established a revenue and census system, as well as developing the Roman road network. In Rome, he established a mail service as well as a proper police force and fire department.

In A.D. 6, Augustus enlarged his empire by annexing Egypt, a portion of Spain, regions of central Europe, and even lands in the Middle East, including Judea. These developments, together with the end of civil conflicts, aided the development of a vast commerce network. Augustus died in A.D. 14 near Naples, Italy. Augustus was declared a Roman god by the Senate.

The Fall of Rome

The Western Roman Empire's Fall was a period of decline in which the empire's rule was not enforced and its enormous territory was fragmented into various successor polities. The Roman Empire lost the capabilities that had allowed it to exert effective control; modern historians point to factors such as the army's effectiveness and numbers, the Roman population's health and numbers, the economy's strength, the emperor's competence, religious changes of the time, and the efficiency of the civil administration.

The decline was undoubtedly aided by increasing pressure from barbarians outside of Roman culture. The causes of the collapse are key topics in ancient world historiography, and they inform much modern discourse on state failure.

The Western Roman Empire had little effective authority over the scattered western kingdoms that could still be called Roman by 476 CE when Odoacer ousted Emperor Romulus. Invading "barbarians'' had formed their own policies across most of the Western Empire's territory. The Western Empire never had the strength to rise again, even though its legitimacy survived for centuries longer and its cultural influence is still felt today.

The last Roman emperor who governed over the entire empire was Theodosius. After his death in 395, he divided the empire between his two sons, Arcadius and Honorius; Arcadius ruled in the east, with Constantinople as his city, and Honorius ruled in the west, with Milan and eventually Ravenna as his capital.

There are still various theories as to what led to the decline and fall of the Roman empire but the division of the Roman empire into two constituents by the last Roman emperor remains a common factor in all the theories of the empire including the fall of both the eastern and fall of the western Roman empire.

The Roman Empire in the 5th Century

From a Roman and South European perspective, the empire's territories in western Europe and northwestern Africa, including Italy, fell to various invading or indigenous peoples throughout the 5th century, in what is sometimes referred to as the Migration Period, also known as the Barbarian Invasions.

Germanic tribes such as the Goths, Vandals, Angles, Saxons, Lombards, Suebi, Frisii, Jutes, and Franks were among the first to migrate westward, followed by the Huns, Avars, Slavs, and Bulgars.

The Empire as a whole had undergone major cultural and political transformations since the Third Century Crisis, with the shift towards a more openly autocratic and ritualised form of government, the adoption of Christianity as the state religion, and a general rejection of the traditions and values of Classical Antiquity.

The city of Rome no longer served as a functional capital for the emperor by the late third century, and numerous places were adopted as new administrative capitals. Starting with Constantine, emperors favoured the eastern city of Byzantium, which he completely rebuilt after a siege.

In the late 4th and early 5th centuries, it was renamed Constantinople and fortified with great walls, becoming the largest and most powerful metropolis in Christian Europe. Since the Third Century Crisis, the empire has been controlled by multiple emperors (typically two), each reigning over a distinct territory (western Roman and Eastern Roman empires).

Politically and culturally, the Latin-speaking west, which was suffering from a terrible demographic crisis, and the wealthy Greek-speaking east began to split. Although this was a lengthy process that was still incomplete when Italy fell under the control of barbarian chieftains in the fourth century, it developed with time and had long-term effects on Europe's mediaeval history.

After being denied territories in Italy, Orestes' Germanic mercenaries, led by chieftain Odoacer, arrested and beheaded Orestes, as well as taking Ravenna, the Western Roman capital at the time, and deposed Western Emperor Romulus Augustus.

Odoacer's reign was readily accepted in the Eastern Empire, and Italy was quickly captured. Meanwhile, waves of Germanic invasions took much of the rest of the Western provinces, leaving most of them politically isolated from the east and on the verge of collapse.

Despite the loss of Roman governmental control in the west, Roman culture persisted in most of the old western provinces well into the sixth century and beyond.

Theories of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

The numerous ideas and explanations for the fall of the Roman Empire in the west can be divided into four basic categories although it is important to note that the classification is not without overlap. The four major schools of thought are listed below.

• Decay as a result of a general ailment

• Monocausal Decay

• Catastrophic failure

• Transformation

A combined summary of all the reasons that led to the decline and fall of the roman empire is discussed in the article.

The list of explanations for the fall of the Roman Empire ranges from taxes to hypothermia to public baths, but there were most certainly many more. Internally, the empire was in financial trouble. It had lost its tax base and had been shut off from long-distance trade.

The people of the Western Roman Empire were estranged from the emperor, living in small, isolated, self-sufficient communities that could no longer count on their ruler to look after and defend them.

The people of the Western Roman Empire were estranged from the emperor, living in small, isolated, self-sufficient communities that could no longer count on their ruler to look after and defend them.

While the Western Roman Emperor's central power faded in 476 CE, Roman institutions such as the Catholic Church and Roman law persisted in the Germanic kingdoms that followed. The Eastern Roman Empire survived this arduous time and became the Byzantine Empire, which lasted until the Ottomans conquered it in 1453.

Conclusion

In conclusion of the article, it can be said that we have developed an understanding of the decline and fall of the roman empire including the major historical events along with the societal impacts of such events. We have also learnt about the last roman emperor of the united territory.