Western Civilization: The Fall of Rome

               There are many different reasons I could argue as to why Rome didn’t last, but I am going to focus on the main ones. As an empire, Rome was considerably successful and thus expanded the country’s borders to an unmanageable size. My second reason would be the fact that in the third century, the country was divided into two halves for better management. My third major reason why Rome fell is the most obvious; the invasion of the barbarian tribes.

                Throughout history, various empires, conquerors and kingdoms have set out to rule the world. Oftentimes, the overexpansion of territory leads to their downfall and Rome was certainly no exception to that fact. After wildly successful military campaigns, taking territory after territory, Rome had grown to an enormous size, stretching from Scotland to Africa and even eastern Asia. Too many different cultures, religions, and peoples existed inside this area to fall under one government.

                Because of this instability, the country was divided into two kingdoms in the third century by Emperor Diocletian. The eastern empire, based in Constantinople, went on to become a strong, dominant force known as the Byzantine Empire. Some claim that the Empire lived on through Byzantine, but I would argue that it just wasn’t the same, hence the change in name.

                My third and final reason why Rome fell is the most obvious. After numerous campaigns against the barbarian tribes such as the Goths and Visigoths, Rome had made its share of enemies. This came back to haunt them when Rome was torn apart by these tribes.

                There are many more reasons I could give for Rome’s demise, such as the weak and crooked government or the rise of Christianity. Overall, the downfall of Rome was due to many different reasons. Maybe it was just their time.