Summarize the reasons for the fall of Rome. In your opinion, which reason(s) was the most important and why?
Dio Cassius, who was a senator, believed that bad times were ahead for the Roman Empire. First of all, there was the end of the Pax Romana. In the Pax Romana, there were emperors and rulers who believed they were going to be better rulers. By the time Emperor Marcus Aurelius died in AD. 180, Rome had political problems. After Marcus’ death, Septimus Severus, a strong ruler, held the empire together by his tough military leadership. Then there was the last emperor of the dynasty: Severus Alexander. However, he was killed by his own men in AD 235. In the next 50 years, 25 different emperors ruled Rome. Some ruled only for a few months, and all but one were killed. But what happened after these emperors? Political upset was only one of the many problems troubling the empire. The economy was a disaster. Prices were out of control. The empire was under attack from outside forces. Tribes from Northern Europe overran the borders. Also, to pay for the empire’s defense, the government raised taxes. Many people left their farms and jobs because they could no longer pay the high taxes that Rome demanded. Warfare left much of the empire in ruins- which was bad because they didn’t have any places to live in. There wasn’t enough food to go around for everyone- which led some people to die. Trade was disrupted, and poverty + unemployment increased. Romans believed the empire stretched across too many lands to be well managed. In addition to, with unrest inside and threats from the outside, the empire badly needed strong leadership. This was a huge problem. In my opinion, the most important reason would be the loss of trade. This is because trade leads to more equipment, which leads to food and drinks (Olive oil + wine, wheat), which leads to people buying less stuff for a living and waste no more money than they would if there was no trade. In addition to, trade was one of the main principle reasons for building roads. Trade was also encouraged by many years of piece within the Empire, it was basically vital to the success of the Empire. Therefore, as trade collapsed, so did the Empire. Romans also needed the material to build new things with trade- tin, gold, and lead was imported from Brittania. Silk, papyrus and perfume were imported from many different countries as well. As a result, trade, and many other important factors that unite the Roman Empire were extremely important in order to keep the empire safe and stable- but because these things weren’t successful, they lead to the fall of Rome.
