Fall of the Roman Empire?

by SpongHits

From reading I gather that it's a complex issue, but what would you briefly say were the main factors that caused the fall of the Roman Empire? Looking for the "50,000 foot," summary view.

MarcusDohrelius

Easy answer:

  1. Abolition of gods
  2. Abolition of rights
  3. Absence of character
  4. Absolutism
  5. Agrarian question
  6. Agrarian slavery
  7. Anarchy
  8. Anti-Germanism
  9. Apathy
  10. Aristocracy
  11. Asceticism
  12. Attack of the Germans
  13. Attack of the Huns
  14. Attack of riding nomads
  15. Backwardness in science
  16. Bankruptcy
  17. Barbarization
  18. Bastardization
  19. Blockage of land by large landholders
  20. Blood poisoning
  21. Bolshevization
  22. Bread and circuses
  23. Bureaucracy
  24. Byzantinism
  25. Capillarite sociale
  26. Capitalism
  27. Capitals, change of
  28. Caste system
  29. Celibacy
  30. Centralization
  31. Childlessness
  32. Christianity
  33. Citizenship, granting of
  34. Civil war
  35. Climatic deterioration
  36. Communism
  37. Complacency
  38. Concatenation of misfortunes
  39. Conservatism
  40. Corruption
  41. Cosmopolitanism
  42. Crisis of legitimacy
  43. Culinary excess
  44. Cultural neurosis
  45. Decentralization
  46. Decline of Nordic character
  47. Decline of the cities
  48. Decline of the Italian population
  49. Deforestation
  50. Degeneration
  51. Degeneration of the intellect
  52. Demoralization
  53. Depletion of mineral resources
  54. Despotism
  55. Destruction of environment
  56. Destruction of peasantry
  57. Destruction of political process
  58. Destruction of Roman influence
  59. Devastation
  60. Differences in wealth
  61. Disarmament
  62. Disillusion with stated
  63. Division of empire
  64. Division of labour
  65. Earthquakes
  66. Egoism
  67. Egoism of the state
  68. Emancipation of slaves
  69. Enervation
  70. Epidemics
  71. Equal rights, granting of
  72. Eradication of the best
  73. Escapism
  74. Ethnic dissolution
  75. Excessive aging of population
  76. Excessive civilization
  77. Excessive culture
  78. Excessive foreign infiltration
  79. Excessive freedom
  80. Excessive urbanization
  81. Expansion
  82. Exploitation
  83. Fear of life
  84. Female emancipation
  85. Feudalization
  86. Fiscalism
  87. Gladiatorial system
  88. Gluttony
  89. Gout
  90. Hedonism
  91. Hellenization
  92. Heresy
  93. Homosexuality
  94. Hothouse culture
  95. Hubris
  96. Hypothermia
  97. Immoderate greatness
  98. Imperialism
  99. Impotence
  100. Impoverishment
  101. Imprudent policy toward buffer states
  102. Inadequate educational system
  103. Indifference
  104. Individualism
  105. Indoctrination
  106. Inertia
  107. Inflation
  108. Intellectualism
  109. Integration, weakness of
  110. Irrationality
  111. Jewish influence
  112. Lack of leadership
  113. Lack of male dignity
  114. Lack of military recruits
  115. Lack of orderly imperial succession
  116. Lack of qualified workers
  117. Lack of rainfall
  118. Lack of religiousness
  119. Lack of seriousness
  120. Large landed properties
  121. Lead poisoning
  122. Lethargy
  123. Levelling, cultural
  124. Levelling, social
  125. Loss of army discipline
  126. Loss of authority
  127. Loss of energy
  128. Loss of instincts
  129. Loss of population
  130. Luxury
  131. Malaria
  132. Marriages if convenience
  133. Mercenary system
  134. Mercury damage
  135. Militarism
  136. Monetary economy
  137. Monetary greed
  138. Money, shortage of
  139. Moral decline
  140. Moral idealism
  141. Moral materialism
  142. Mystery religions
  143. Nationalism of Rome's subjects
  144. Negative selection
  145. Orientalization
  146. Outflow of gold
  147. Over refinement
  148. Pacifism
  149. Paralysis of will
  150. Paralyzation
  151. Parasitism
  152. Particularism
  153. Pauperism
  154. Plagues
  155. Pleasure seeking
  156. Plutocracy
  157. Polytheism
  158. Population pressure
  159. Precociousness
  160. Professional army
  161. Proletarization
  162. Prosperity
  163. Prostitution
  164. Psychoses
  165. Public baths
  166. Racial degeneration
  167. Racial discrimination
  168. Racial suicide
  169. Rationalism
  170. Refusal of military service
  171. Religious struggles and schisms
  172. Rentier mentality
  173. Resignation
  174. Restriction to profession
  175. Restriction to the land
  176. Rhetoric
  177. Rise of uneducated masses
  178. Romantic attitudes to peace
  179. Ruin of middle class
  180. Rule of the world
  181. Semieducation
  182. Sensuality
  183. Servility
  184. Sexuality
  185. Shamelessness
  186. Shifting of trade routes
  187. Slavery
  188. Slavic attacks
  189. Socialism (of the state)
  190. Soil erosion
  191. Soil exhaustion
  192. Spiritual barbarism
  193. Stagnation
  194. Stoicism
  195. Stress
  196. Structural weakness
  197. Superstition
  198. Taxation, pressure of
  199. Terrorism
  200. Tiredness of life
  201. Totalitarianism
  202. Treason
  203. Tristesse
  204. Two-front war
  205. Underdevelopment
  206. Useless eaters
  207. Usurpation of all powers by the state
  208. Vain gloriousness
  209. Villa economy
  210. Vulgarization

Source: A. Demandt, Der Fall Roms (1984) 695

See also: Karl Galinsky in Classical and Modern Interactions (1992) 53-73.

Caladras

OK here we go. The fall of the Roman empire has been pretty vastly misrepresented. One of the big things is this massive fascination with the year 476. In 476 the imperial standard was sent back to Constantinople after Odoacer deposed the emperor and set up shop. People seem to look at this as a huge singular monolithic "fall" of Rome in the west. This really wasn't the case. Odoacer took over, and absolutely nothing changed. There had been strong generals in power in the west for a long time, the Emperor was only a figurehead. Odoacer simply decided that since the emperor never did anything anyway he just wouldn't bother setting up a new one. He left pretty much all Roman administrative institutions in place.

This also wasn't exceptional. When people took over pieces of land from the Roman empire during this period they almost never tried to set up a new system. They invaded to get some money, if they destroyed the tax base they were simply destroying any means to get what they wanted.

In Rome there would be new dynasties of Emperors come in and take power all the time, but we never bat an eye; yet as soon as the emperor decides to call himself "king of Italy" instead of emperor we decide to wail and gnash our teeth and call the Roman empire done and over with. When Caesar crossed the Rubicon and seized power that wasn't the fall of the empire. Odoacer was a Roman army officer in Ravenna looking for money for his soldiers, and when he didnt get it he just took over.

Anyway this probably isnt the most elequent of answers, but anyway back to studying, Prokopios Awaits!!!!!!!

SpongHits

One point of view I've heard is that they basically ran out of lands to conquer and pillage, hence they lost a great deal of income. Thoughts?