History
The Roman Empire is perhaps the most studied and revered of any government that has ever existed. Roman culture and its unique position as an early democracy have held it in a place of constant curiosity. There are many theories that attempt to explain the decline and fall of the great empire. Through each of these various explanations, there lies a bit of truth and it is clear that no one conclusive event is responsible for the fall of Rome. In fact, the very time frames for the loss of Roman glory, varies from theory to theory and historian to historian. Much like any other state in trouble, the Roman Empire’s demise was a result of crises in political, physical, and structural deterioration. As a result, or perhaps as a parallel series of events the Roman Empire began to be plagued by corruption, public health, poverty and increased violence. Each of these internal problems placed tremendous strains of the empire and external rivals began to take advantage of the weakening government. Centuries later, looking back it is easier to see how and even attempt to date when certain things began to go really wrong in Rome. The fall of Rome was complicated and so will any discussion of what really happened to one of the greatest empires in history.
The dynamics of the fall cannot be discussed until, at least, a periodic delve into the historic moments that contributed to the rise and significance of Rome and Roman society. Rome has proven historically significant in almost every arena of western development. This is especially true in the case of urban planning, military strategy and political organization. The history and creation of Rome lends early insight into how the nation developed so quickly and with such a solid foundation. Rome is said to have been created sometime in 27BC when the Roman Kingdom was first ruled by Emperor Agustus (Encarta). The empire’s rise to power was a large function of their military’s prowess and subsequent successes. Agustus was the...
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