Why Rome Collapsed

437 Words2 Pages
Many factors contributed to the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Many internal conditions weakened Rome. According to documents, one thing that led to the decline of Rome was the heavy taxes. Much of the money Rome lost was to strangling taxation that led to many struggles. Another problem was citizens feeling like they did not have a say in politicts what Rome chose to do. This made the people of Rome feel as if the empire was not worth saving. Lastly, introduction of Christianity, large population and the vast size of the empire made things much harder. All these factors led to the the natural and unavoidable decline of the civilization. Documents state that the citizens of Rome felt as if they did not have a say in politics. This caused them to feel specific ways about the empire. The empire began to struggle with military and tax problems but the people did not believe that Rome was worth helping. Rome's government did not help organize and protect people. Most citizens were serfs and farmers who survived on their own. Rome was hopeless without having a strong and stable democracy. Around 300 A.D. Christianity was founded in Rome. Document 2 states how the clergy preached of Christian life styles such as the doctrine of patience. These preaching and virtues went against the active ways of living and virtues of Roman society. The bodies of dead soldiers were buried in the cloister. Lastly the Christian religion spent a large portion of public & private wealth on charity and devotion. Christianity changed many ways Romans lived and spent a lot of time and money on the religion. A huge factor that led to the decline of Rome was the heavy taxation. The government spent a large portion of their wealth on keeping the military and vast bureaucracy in good condition. The money used led to the high taxation. This caused businessmen, workmen, and tenants to leave
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