(Sherman & Salisbury, 149) Lack of knowledge on children's and woman's healthcare resulted in a low birthrate. " These factors combined with other cultural issues- the desire to restrict children to keep from reducing inheritance, for example- help explain why Rome had so much trouble maintaining its population." (Sherman & Salisbury, 150) Heavy taxes necessary to support the government and a slave dependant society were major economic reasons that brought doom for Rome. " Perhaps not suprisingly, Romans often feared their slaves. The Stoic philosopher Seneca (48 BCE-65 CE) wrote that " The last of your slaves holds over you the power of life or death."
Although if people with such power are unable to maintain control, their society usually collapses and resolves in chaos. As for Rome, emperors were often selected by violence or by birth, so the head of government was not always capable and eventually it came to the point where it was too large to govern effectively. This caused people to retreat to rural areas, Civil wars between political groups, there were corruption in the military, prices increased, trade decreased. The empire was quickly reducing allowing the Huns, Visigoths, Franks, Vandals, Saxons and other barbarian tribes to take control over the empire. Social factors involve people’s beliefs and the way they set up their behaviours.
This can be argued was to do with this battle because Valen lost two thirds of his army. It also showed that the Roman legions were no match for the heavy cavalry which many empires started to recruit. This then led to the Middle Ages and knights. The weakness of the Roman legionaries was showed again in 410 in the sacking of Rome. This was seen as another step towards the fall of the Roman Empire because this defeat was inevitable after the defeat
The Senate of Rome had most control over the citizens. Han China did not allow lower class citizens to have a say on how the empire was ruled; while, Imperial Rome had a senate to represent their plebeian’s or ordinary people. Another difference between the Han China and Imperial Rome was that the emperor of Han China had been chosen through the family and the citizens of Imperial Rome chose their ruler. Han China and Imperial Rome emphasized territorial expansion in both of their societies. They perceived threats to security; this led to war and then increased the length of border.
One of the causes of the decline of the Roman and Han Empire is the internal problems within the state. The problem in the Han Empire involved the development of fractions within the ranks of the ruling elites. That led to backstabbing among the ruling elites which in turn reduced the effectiveness of the central government. Like the Han, the Roman Empire emperors faced internal opposition. One of the problems was that there was fewer that twenty- six claimants to the imperial throne, known as the “barracks emperors.” Generals was mainly who seized power, held it briefly, and then suddenly lost it between rivals.
With the lack of soldiers, it would be easier to invade Rome, which could’ve led to the decline of the Empire. This proves that internal decay was one of the major causes for the end of Rome. Document 6 shows the invasions of Barbarians in 476 on the Roman Empire. This demonstrates that the government and military were becoming weaker to the point where they weren’t strong enough to protect the empire from invasions. The government could not control all these invasions, so this was another component that helped the fall of the Roman Empire.
Of course, this, in turn, led to more poverty and the increase of latifundia because the poor people lost their land to the aristocrats. But the slaves were better off as peasants than as slaves. Christianity was a major cause of the fall of Rome. Although Rome had religious tolerance, Romans, especially Jews, didn’t accept Christianity. A lot of people converted to Christianity because they lost faith in the Romans.
Caesar would later destroy what was left of the republic. Over the years as an empire, the political system appeared to be a ball and chain to the public. “ The political office was seen as a hardship, not an asset to the public. There was nearly constant warfare among the Roman leaders themselves in the century leading up to 31 B.C., when the Roman Empire was established. One of the most difficult problems was choosing a new emperor.
Alcoholism increased as well adding to the incompetency of the general public. The Roman Empire stopped conquering other civilizations and adapting their technology, and instead began losing territory they could not longer maintain with their legions. In 500ad the Roman Empire fell into ruins due to these various contributors. Europe plunged into the Dark Ages. The beauty and finesse of the Roman Empire was forgotten about.
The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion. s.l. :London ; New York : Routledge, pp. 5-19. Knott, K., 2009.