Why the Roman Empire Fell

Why the Roman Empire Fell

The Roman Empire ruled for many years. Trade unified the empire, and the Roman army kept peace. So we ask, why did the Roman Empire fall? Several factors influence this decline. German invasion from Vandals and Goths dwindled the small amount of Roman resources. Economic problems, including high inflation and taxes brought down the economy. Finally, political problems led the government to weaken. All of these problems led to its decline.

The threat of invasions was always a worry for the Roman Empire. Invasions from the Goths and Vandals weakened the empire. A German tribe called the Goths invaded Rome in the late A.D. 300s to escape the Huns. The Goths were rich in weapons and were treated badly by the Romans. So in A.D. 378, the Roman army was defeated. The Goths were allowed to stay in the empire and lead by their own people. So the Goths joined the Roman army. This kept peace for a little while until Alaric, the Visigoth king, attacked Rome with his troops in A.D. 410. Since the Romans were already fighting the Visigoths, the Vandals invaded without much difficulty. These German invasions are just one of the reasons the Roman Empire fell.

The economy became weak. The people were forced to pay high taxes for costly defense and maintenance of the empire. Manufacturing and agriculture also declined. Since there was a lack of silver, which was used for coins, emperors reduced the amount of silver in each coin. That made money less valuable. Because of this, the merchants had to increase prices. The economy was frail. This was bad for the empire, and it therefore was one of the causes of the decline.

The Roman Empire had many political problems that added to the decline. The empire was growing fast but the government system being used was meant to govern a small city-state. People wanted more and more power, so there was competition