The decline of the Western Roman Empire was influenced by a variety of complex factors. The Roman military faced significant challenges, including an absence of a regular draft which led to a shortage of troops.
Finally, the disproportionate prosperity of the upper class destroyed the Roman economy. Any rich people hoarded gold bullion as a result of the dramatic inflation of the third century. Others, like Emperor Commodus, had drained the imperial coffers, so the empire had no funds left. The affluent upper classes possessed a mixture of limitless economic and political influence, and such excess prosperity contributed to a poverty-stricken state in the Western empire that hampered their attempts to sustain a powerful military system.
Throughout the third century, the emperors of Rome introduced negative economic policies that contributed to the fall of Rome. Second, the constraint of gold and silver capital has contributed to inflation. Currency demand has led emperors to mint coins with fewer gold, silver, and bronze. For example, Emperor Claudius II degraded the silver denarius to just one-fifth of its original worth. At present, the price of gold is $1,863.5 per ounce, but if the government were to measure an ounce of gold at $31, inflation would be the same as in the Roman Third Century.
Rome collapsed in a slow process when poor economic policy led to a depleted army that made it possible for barbarians to access the kingdom. In the third century, the emperors of Rome introduced negative economic policies that contributed to the fall of Rome. Second, the scarcity of gold and silver supplies has contributed to inflation.
Politics
Roman Laws were also very strict and in modern days, would be considered unfair to the citizens. The political unrest in Rome was so bad that it inevitably led to riots, citizens demanding the laws to be better for them, and even civil war.
Roman law also denoted the legal system applied in most Western Europe until the end of the 18th century. In Germany, the practice of Roman law remained in force for a longer time under the Holy Roman Empire (963–1806). Roman law thus acted as the basis for legal procedure in Western continental Europe, as well as in most of the former colonies of these European nations, including Latin America, and even in Ethiopia. Roman law also influenced English and Anglo-American common law, particularly in their Latin glossary of law.
Praetorian Guard
Rome's method of electing new emperors was not always the best. The Praetorian Guard steadily acquired recognition over time. With its newfound legitimacy, the Praetorian Guard was the only party to be permitted to determine who could rule next. It also meant that they decided who deserved a little "hiatus".
Closing Thoughts
In the end, Ancient Rome fell like any other Empire.
Many years of political corruption, unjust laws that led to many angry romans, soldiers who weren't disciplined, shortage of gold and other resources, and so much more occurred in Ancient Rome that led to its inevitable fall.
All in all, I really enjoyed learning all about the decline of such a powerhouse empire and in a way, the same political unrest that happened back then is still present to this day if you look at countries like the United States of America during the previous presidency.
Military
Roman Soldier armor
Struggles in the Roman Army were one cause of the decline of the Western Roman Empire, but the difficulties of Roman culture were another explanation for the breakdown. The Roman army and culture relied on each other for their existence, but they were fundamentally separate aspects of the Roman Empire. Roman society created problems in the low, middle, and upper classes, which, like the Roman army, led to the collapse of the Empire. Further issues facing society have been heightened ethnic and ethnic tensions.
The Roman army has never seen a regular draft, which would have bolstered its ranks. Many of the groups of individuals is excused from working at the time of publication. Senators and bureaucrats were among those free of payment, but even chefs, bakers, and slaves did not have to join the army. Many that were called to fight in the Roman army did all they could to flee, from severing their own thumbs to abandoning. Eventually, the emperors resorted to "commute the military obligations of Roman provincials for gold." This gold was also used to buy German mercenaries to take the spots of the Romans, but this was only a temporary remedy for the decaying Roman empire.
The difficulties in the Roman Army were triggered by civil wars and by a fall in the standard and quantities of troops defending the Empire. There have also been issues in the poor, middle and upper classes, together with ethnic and religious tensions among the population, which together have led to the deterioration of civilization
The invasions of the Barbarian peoples. The most clear explanation of Western Rome's downfall is the fall of a series of military defeats suffered by outside powers. Rome had been intertwined with the Germanic tribes for millennia, but the 300s "Barbarian" parties, including the Goths, had invaded beyond the boundaries of the Empire.
Bibliography:
The Fall of the Roman Empire. (n.d.). Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://www.ushistory.org/civ/6f.asp
Gill, N. (n.d.). What Factors Caused the Fall of the Roman Empire? Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-was-the-fall-of-rome-112688
The Roman Republic (article) | Rise of Rome. (n.d.). Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/ancient-medieval/roman-empire/a/roman-republic
Wasson, D. (2021, January 23). Fall of the Western Roman Empire. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://www.ancient.eu/article/835/fall-of-the-western-roman-empire/
Andrews, E. (2014, January 14). 8 Reasons Why Rome Fell. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://www.history.com/news/8-reasons-why-rome-fell
Little, B. (2018, November 05). How Rome Destroyed Its Own Republic. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://www.history.com/news/rome-republic-augustus-dictator
