For centuries, the Romans were the pinnacle nation of the world. But then, things began to fall apart.
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Too Far a Distance
One of the core issues was Rome’s inability to communicate effectively over long distances.
It’s one thing to be able to instantly pick up your radio to get a message to a friend on the other side of the nation, but for the Romans, if you wanted to tell somebody that the Goths were invading, you had to send a messenger by horse or by sea.
This allowed the barbarians plenty of time to get a foothold in whatever area they were attacking before they had to worry about Roman retribution.
Rampant Inflation
One of the ways that Rome sought to counter this was by excessive military spending. If you already have troops where the attack occurs, you can nip it in the bud.
However, it took a lot of money to keep a standing army at the ready throughout the entire area surrounding Italy. And to raise that money? Rome blasted its people with high taxes.
Then, Rome realized it could debase its own currency, putting less precious metal in its coinage to pay the bills. This, in turn, led to inflation throughout the empire.
By the time 268 AD rolled around, the silver denarius had dropped from 95% silver to only 0.5% silver.
Attack After Attack
Rome was constantly under attack or at war for a number of reasons. But it was the ever-present signs of weakness that caused other nations to move in for the kill.
As a result, the Vandals ended up taking Northern Africa away. At the same time, the Visigoths fought in Spain, and the Italian Alps served as a staging ground for other barbarian hordes.
The skyrocketing costs of maintaining the Roman military soon led to the widespread hiring of mercenaries as a cheaper alternative. Roman soldiers began refusing to wear armor, and a general lack of poor combat training plagued the army.
All of these factors led to an increased likelihood of soldiers fleeing battles in the midst of a fight.
Internal Conflict & Civil War
The rampant slave trade, inflation, war, corruption, and other issues led to immense civil unrest. Civil wars soon became a semi-regular occurrence, The Gladiator War being just one of these.
Corruption
Monetary and military issues aside, there were legitimate shortcomings within the Roman Empire. So much so that historian Edward Gibbon actually believed it was the chief cause of Rome’s fall.
Bribery and government corruption became rampant, but murdering political opponents seemed to be a way of life in ancient Rome, particularly in the later years of the empire.
This mindset would lead to Shakespeare’s famous quip, “Et tu, Brute?” as Julius Caesar is stabbed to death by his best friend, Brutus.
The Death of Rome
Things finally came to a head in 476 AD when the Germanic Barbarian Odoacer deposed Emperor Romulus Augustus.
What had once been one of the strongest empires the world had ever seen fell.
This is a new style of article for Pew Pew Tactical, if you liked it — let us know in the comments! If you didn’t enjoy it…well phooey. To catch up on previous Pictures from History, click on over to our History Category.
13 Leave a Reply
OUTSTANDING......Short and to the point.
This was a good, concise overview of the fall of Rome. I know you couldn't list all the reasons, like all of the social and moral issues that also led to the breakdown of the society. I still find these articles informative. Thanks!
It's nice to see a history section in Pew Pew.
Hopefully this trend will continue
Not so different from the current state of the US and other Western Nations. Thanks to decades of ignorant politicians, society loosing morals and values and above all the irresponsible financial policies! Quo Vadis America?
Great breakdown on the Fall of Rome Aden. I know it's hard to keep this topic brief, having written a few papers myself on the subject. Entire volumes have been written on just one of the causes of the collapse0 so it's not an easy subject to address in a magazine length article.
Yes, there are parallels that can be drawn between the collapse of various empires in the past and the crumbling precipice the US stands on. The Ideological Division has passed the point of finding common ground between Right and Left. At this point I believe Civil War is inevitable, and that has always preceded the collapse of historical empires. The Left has completely abandoned all Logic and Reason for Mass Delusional Psychosis, and Good has become Bad, Right is now wrong, and anyone can be whatever Gender their Mentally Ill minds dream up. They embrace the worst side of Democracy, That the Majority should hold the table, and minority opinions are condemned and silenced, violently. We can see for ourselves exactly why our Founders turned their back on Democracy in favor of a Republican form of government, in the actions and rhetoric spewing by the Democrats.
The only question now, is what event or incident will be the coming Civil War's Fort Sumter moment. We've been engaged in a Cold Civil War since the Kenyan was installed in office. It's just a matter of time before it turns into a Hot Civil War.
Once again. Good job summarizing the collapse of the Roman Enpire.
The collapse of infrastructure has been the fall of all once great nations. and they didn't last over 200 years. Our infrastructure is getting rough and outdated.
Maybe its time to start another website......PewPew Preppers!!!
The main thing that killed the Roman empire (the western Roman empire) was constant civil war. Legion would fight against legion; the enemy didn't have to kill them, they killed themselves.
But what you rarely hear is that, although the city of Rome fell in 476 AD, the Roman empire itself didn't fall till 1453. Emperor Constantine moved the capital from Rome to Constantinople, and Constantinople thrived and survived until 1453, when the Turks finally took it. This was known as the eastern Roman empire, and it outlasted the western Roman empire by about 1000 years.
There was a +/- 50 year interruption around 1204, when the Fourth Crusade needed money to pay for their boats, so they took Constantinople and stripped it of everything of value. They set up what was known as the Latin Kingdom, which lasted about 50 years, when the eastern Romans retook Constantinople.
Another thing you never hear about is the contribution that the eastern Roman empire made to the Renaissance. When the end was near (in the 1400s), many eastern Romans migrated west, and brought their classic literature with them. They taught the classics in Italy, reviving the knowledge that had been lost. This helped trigger the Renaissance.
It is really sad that the schools never teach about the eastern Roman empire, a very important part of history.
As a Classical Studies Major, THANK YOU! It is so exhausting to see "brilliant" commentary about how the Fall of the Roman Empire mirrors the current USA, or other nations.
You're right about the eastern Roman Empire being overlooked. It's a fascinating cultural transformation ranging from the change of social practices, or the adoption of Greek as a more mainstream spoken language. The Varangian guard, the eastern Empire's relations with their neighbors, etc.
I'd love to see an article by Pewpew on the Varangian Guard or some of its specific figures such as Harald Hardrada for example.
Loved it! And very applicable to the true pewpew.
I’m a big Roman history documentary junky! I can’t get enough. I’m Watching the food the Roman’s ate presently with the Garum fish sauce, which is not that different from Wilshersire sauce with anchovies, being like today’s ketchup. They could not get enough of it.
Great Reader's Digest version of an empire's life. Scary warning signs and similarities for us here. I really like this article sprinkled in with your other great reviews and articles. Seems like a value add for your website. Great job
Substitute America for Rome and you have a good picture of what's happening to us now. Good article