Did the Roman Empire "fall"?

The Roman Empire was one of great importance. The Romans were people of high intellect and innovative thinking. They developed not only a thriving civilization, but one that has had and continues to have an influence on the rest of the world. Rome was not always an empire, though. Before that, it was a republic with no single leader. The Roman Empire was first led by Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, who was the adopted son of Julius Caesar, but Julius played a large part in transforming Rome from a republic to an Empire. The Empire did not last forever though; it eventually ended or “fell” as many people say. I believe that it did fall, but there were complex reasons behind that. I think that the Roman Empire did not so much as fall as it just dwindled and divided up until it died out. The Empire of Rome was a great, thriving civilization whose powers were divided until it just split apart.( http://www.roman-emperors.org/impindex.htm)

Augustus Caesar had first become emperor of Rome when he returned from Egypt. Marcus Antony, who had been Julius Caesar’s right-hand man, had gone to war with him with his lover, Cleopatra of Egypt. When Augustus, who at that time was still Octavian, returned he became the first Roman Emperor, officially beginning the Julio-Claudian Dynasty of emperors. Marcus Antony and Cleopatra had both committed suicide as well after their defeat. The senate had been the one to decide to turn power over to Augustus, and they gave him great power by making him the emperor of Rome.

Edward Gibbon marks the end of the Roman Empire at September 4, A.D. 476. Then, there were basically two halves of the empire fighting over leadership, just not in battle. The capital, Constantinople, was in the east, while there were still emperors in the west claiming their share of reign over Rome. These two powers, obviously, could not both be present in a peaceful society. Somebody had to go. (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/gibbon-fall.html)

With two halves of Rome, the capital and the emperors, each wanting power, there was not equality. There was never a war, but a betrayal that ended in the loss of the western power. Now it was just down to Constantine in Constantinople. This change in the capital’s location severely altered Rome as a whole. It split up a powerful state and weakened it with two halves. Constantine ended up being the last emperor of Rome. The empire was sacked by Germanic tribes and the outcome is viewed differently by many people. One view is that of Edward Gibbon. He said that the empire just falls. In his words, “The emperors, anxious for their personal safety and the public peace, were reduced to the base expedient of corrupting the discipline which rendered them alike formidable to their sovereign and to the enemy; the vigor of the military government was relaxed, and finally dissolved, by the partial institutions of Constantine; and the Roman world was overwhelmed by a deluge of Barbarians.”( Gibbon, Edward. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 1955. Print.) He is basically saying that the roman emperors were so scared that they went around the laws to protect themselves. By doing so, they weakened the Roman army and made it vulnerable to its enemies. Because of Constantine’s actions-moving the capitol-and the deteriorating military, the state was susceptible to the Germanic tribes that invaded and destroyed the empire. (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/gibbon-fall.html)

Another view of the falling of Rome is Arnold Toynbee. He says that instead of falling, the empire just dissolved away into Europe. This empire was one that held great power for a long period of time. It has a history of conquers, inventions, and great philosophers. The Roman empire’s history is so rich and full of ideas that have lasted to today that it just seems impossible that it evolved and just dissolved into the surrounding areas. The counter-argument to this is: if this empire is so big, how did it just fall? I see this as a very reasonable one, but again like is said before I believe that there were many complex reasons behind the fall. Reasons like the aforementioned move of the capitol, the worries of the emperors, the weakened state of the military and state as a whole, and the power of the tribes that invaded. (http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/toynbee.html)

Rome was a great treasure in history. It has brought us so many things. It is a shame that the once great empire did not last, though. It fell under the pressure of opposing forces in its weakened state. An empire of great power can simply fall and disappear.

Works Cited

"Arnold Toynbee - Christianity and Civilization." Welcome to MYRIOBIBLOS - The Etext Library of the Church of Greece. Web. 19 Mar. 2010. .

"Fall of Rome - The Fall of Rome Marked the End of the Roman Empire." Ancient / Classical History - Ancient Greece & Rome & Classics Research Guide. Web. 19 Mar. 2010. .

Gibbon, Edward. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 1955. Print.

JSTOR: An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie. Web. 18 Mar. 2010. .

"Medieval Sourcebook: Gibbon: The Fall of the Roman Empire." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 19 Mar. 2010. .

"Roman Emperors - The Imperial Index." Roman Emperors - DIR--De Imperatoribus Romanis Roman History Roman Roman Empire Imperator Basileus De Imperatoribus Romanis Encyclopedia Byzantine. Web. 19 Mar. 2010. .

"The Roman Empire: in the First Century. The Roman Empire. Republic to Empire |." PBS. Web. 18 Mar. 2010. .

"Why Did the Roman Empire Fall?" MacroHistory : World History. Web. 18 Mar. 2010. .