For many years people thought the Roman Empire would last forever. It was strong and stable for over 1000 years. However, eventually, the empire was conquered. It was not one single event that caused Rome to fall. Rather, it was a series of events and bad decisions. It was like a domino train. Once one fell down, the rest fell too. On our study guide, we will write 3 reasons/bullets for each topic.
GOVERNMENT: One emperor wasted time fighting gladiators. Another issue was that money was also wasted. He was not the only one making bad decisions. Other leaders made poor decisions about building projects and cities. Poor government leadership like this continued. Roman leaders started offering bribes to people to stay in power. A bribe is when you pay someone to do you a favor. The average citizen was upset and the leaders were not trusted by the people anymore.
MILITARY: Many army generals refused to serve such shady emperors. Some even forced emperors to pay them more money for protection from the army. If this demand wasn't met, the army turned against the emperor. Some generals fought to try and gain the most power instead of training to fight outside enemies. Many wanted to seize control of Rome for themselves. At one time there were 22 people claiming to be emperor of Rome; it was a disaster. There was very little actual training going on which made Rome at risk for attack. Talented soldiers even refused to serve in the military because it was so messed up.
ECONOMICS/MONEY: Eventually, money problems also began. Inflation occurred. This is when prices on everything increases a lot. Money lost value because Roman leaders started making coins with less gold in them. People learned this real fast and they stopped using coins at all. Instead, they bartered or traded for what they needed. However, the damage was done. Many Romans could not afford the basic necessities to live. People were so broke they traded for fewer goods. Many businesses closed and then people could not find a job. Soon after, people refused to pay taxes because of their money problems.
SOCIAL/PEOPLE: There were other problems as well. Poor people became desperate and there was no one to stop them. Law and order broke down. People started invading farms and destroying property since there was nobody to stop them. As a result, farmers grew less food and people became hungry. With less to eat people were more likely to get sick and they did. A disease spread quickly and killed one out of every ten people.
They tried to save the empire by splitting it into two: the eastern Roman Empire and the western Roman Empire. It was too late though. Outside invaders came from different directions and took over both areas.