133k views
5 votes
The fall of the Roman Empire was not due to one event but due to many events combined.

Complete the chart to reflect on the reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire in the West.
• Explanation–Provide a specific example or explanation for each reason in your own words.
• Significance–Explain how each reason could contribute to the fall of a massive empire.

You should record your answers in the chart in complete sentences.

Reason Explanation Significance
Burden of Supporting an Over-expanded Military




Rise in Power of the Eastern Empire




Economic Troubles and Overreliance on Slave Labor




Defense Against Barbarians and Huns




Weak and Corrupt Political Leaders

User Chrisan
by
8.0k points

1 Answer

5 votes

Answer:The phrase "the Fall of Rome" suggests that some cataclysmic event ended the Roman Empire, which stretched from the British Isles to Egypt and Iraq. But in the end, there was no straining at the gates, no barbarian horde that dispatched the Roman Empire in one fell swoop.

Instead, the Roman Empire fell slowly as a result of challenges from within and without, changing over the course of hundreds of years until its form was unrecognizable. Because of the long process, different historians have placed an end date at many different points on a continuum. Perhaps the Fall of Rome is best understood as a compilation of various maladies that altered a large swath of human habitation over many hundreds of years.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reasons of falling of roman empire are;

1.Invasions by Barbarian tribes:Invasions from the barbarian tribes resulted in the fall of the roman empire due to the unexpected attacks.

2.Economic troubles and overreliance on slave labor. Rome was suffering a severe financial crisis. Constant wars and overspending left the treasury empty. Heavy taxation and inflation impoverished the population. Many wealthy Romans fled to the countryside and set up independent fiefdoms. By the second century the empire was no longer able to expand its territory. Without a new source of slaves, the empire did not have enough laborers.

3.The rise of the Eastern Empire in the late third century. The two halves of the empire often quarreled over resources and military aid. The largely Greek-speaking Eastern Empire grew in wealth while the Latin-speaking West descended into economic crisis. The Western political structure finally disintegrated in the fifth century, while the Eastern Empire functioned for another thousand years.

4. Overexpansion and military overspending. At its height, the Roman Empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Euphrates River in the Middle East. With such a vast territory to govern, the empire faced administrative and logistical challenges. Rome struggled to enlist the required troops and resources to defend its frontiers from local rebellions and outside attacks

5. Government corruption and political instability. Ineffective and inconsistent leadership also weakened the empire. Civil war created chaos, and there were more than 20 emperors over a 75-year span. The changes often occurred due to murder of a reigning emperor.

6.Christianity and the loss of traditional values. Christianity displaced the polytheistic Roman religion, which viewed the emperor as having a divine status. There was a shift in focus from the glory of the state to a single god.

7.Weakening of the Roman legions. Unable to recruit enough Roman citizens to serve as soldiers, Roman emperors hired foreign mercenaries to fill out their armies. These Germanic soldiers proved to be fierce warriors but had little loyalty to the empire.

8. The arrival of the Huns and the migration of the Barbarian tribes. The Huns invaded Europe in the late fourth century, leading to migration of Barbarian tribes. As the Barbarians rampaged through northern Europe, many Germanic tribes took refuge on the borders of the Roman Empire. The Romans allowed these Visigoths into the safety of Roman territory, but they treated them with extreme cruelty. Germanic tribes like the Vandals and the Saxons began to occupy Britain, Spain, and North Africa.

RISE IN THE EASTERN EMPIRE

For 1,000 years after the fall of the empire in the west, the Byzantine Empire

in the east continued to build on the base of ancient Greek and Roman

traditions and culture. The Byzantine Empire was a significant force in European

politics until 1453, when the city of Constantinople was captured by the Ottoman

Turks.

Because of its location on international trade routes, Constantinople also

received new cultural influences from the Middle East and other parts of Asia,

which, in turn, blended with Greco-Roman traditions to create its own cultural

heritage. For example, early Byzantine architects used the Roman dome in their

buildings, but Byzantine artists later created a new art form featuring more arches and domes made of brick. The artists also found less naturalistic and more formal ways to represent religious figures from Christianity in their art.

ECONOMIC TROUBLES AND OVERRELIANCE ON SLAVE LABOUR.

constant wars and overspending had significantly lightened imperial coffers, and oppressive taxation and inflation had widened the gap between rich and poor.

User TNguyen
by
8.3k points