The Collapse of the Roman Empire
Rome is the largest empire ever known in Western Eurasia. For more than four hundred years the empire stretched from the Hadrian Wall to the Euphrates River. The collapse of the Western Roman Empire was a setback caused by the failure of the empire to establish its authority. The Roman Empire also lost the power that allowed it to exercise effective control. There are at least eight factors that caused the collapse of the Roman Empire. Invasion of the Barbarians The simplest theory for the collapse of Western Rome was the consequence of a series of ongoing military losses from outside attacks. Rome had been in conflict with German tribes for centuries, but in the 300s "barbarian" groups like the Goths began to try to disrupt the borders of the Empire. The threat became more apparent after the Romans faced a German rebellion at the end of the 4th century AD The German tribal attack became increasingly after in 410 King Visigoth Alaric managed to pillage the city of Rome. The E...