Fall of the Western Roman Empire
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| + | "At least from the time of [[Henri Pirenne]], scholars have described continuity of culture and of political legitimacy, long after [[476]]. Pirenne postponed the demise of classical civilization to the 8th century. He challenged the notion that [[Migration Period|Germanic barbarian]]s had caused the [[Western Roman Empire]] to end, and he refused to equate the end of the Western Roman Empire with the end of the office of [[Roman Emperor|emperor]] in Italia. He pointed out the essential continuity of the economy of the Roman [[Mediterranean]] even after the [[barbarian]] invasions, and suggested that only the [[Muslim conquests]] represented a decisive break with antiquity." --Sholem Stein | ||
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| - | The '''Decline of the Roman Empire''', also called the '''Fall of the Roman Empire''', or the '''Fall of Rome''', is a [[historiography|historical]] term of [[periodization]] in [[European history]]. [[Edward Gibbon]], in his famous study ''[[The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire]]'' (1776), was the first to use this terminology, but he was neither the first nor the last to speculate on why and when the Empire collapsed. It remains one of the greatest historical questions. | + | The '''Fall of the Western Roman Empire''' (also called '''Fall of the Roman Empire''' or '''Fall of Rome''') was the process of decline in the [[Western Roman Empire]] in which it failed to enforce its rule, and its vast territory was divided into several successor [[Polity|polities]]. The Roman Empire lost the strengths that had allowed it to exercise effective control; modern historians mention factors including the effectiveness and numbers of the army, the health and numbers of the Roman population, the strength of the economy, the competence of the Emperor, the religious changes of the period, and the efficiency of the civil administration. Increasing pressure from [[barbarians]] outside Roman culture also contributed greatly to the collapse. The reasons for the collapse are major subjects of the [[historiography]] of the ancient world and they inform much modern discourse on [[state failure]]. |
| - | A common date of the fall of the Roman Empire is the [[455]] [[Sack of Rome (455)|Sack of Rome]]. | + | Relevant dates include 117 CE, when the Empire was at its greatest territorial extent, and the accession of [[Diocletian]] in 284. Irreversible major territorial loss, however, began in 376 with a [[Gothic War (376–382)|large-scale irruption]] of [[Goths]] and others. In 395, after winning two destructive civil wars, [[Theodosius I]] died, leaving a collapsing field army and the Empire, still plagued by Goths, divided between his two incapable sons. By 476 when [[Odoacer]] deposed the [[Romulus Augustulus|Emperor Romulus]], the Western Roman Emperor wielded negligible military, political, or financial power and had no effective control over the scattered Western domains that could still be described as Roman. Invading barbarians had established their own power in most of the area of the Western Empire. While its legitimacy lasted for centuries longer and its cultural influence remains today, the Western Empire never had the strength to rise again. |
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| + | The Fall is not the only unifying concept for these events; the period described as [[Late Antiquity]] emphasizes the cultural continuities throughout and beyond the political collapse. | ||
| == See also == | == See also == | ||
| - | ''[[Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire]]'' | + | *''[[Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire]]'' |
| + | * [[Decline of the Roman Empire]] | ||
| + | * [[Decline of the Byzantine Empire]] ([[Fall of the Eastern Roman Empire]]) | ||
| + | * [[Bronze Age collapse]] | ||
| + | * [[G.E.M. de Ste. Croix]] | ||
| + | * [[Global Empire]] | ||
| + | * [[Last of the Romans]] | ||
| + | * [[Legacy of the Roman Empire]] | ||
| + | * [[Plague of Justinian]] | ||
| + | * [[Rise of Christianity during the Fall of Rome]] | ||
| + | * [[Roman-Persian Wars]] | ||
| + | * [[Societal collapse]] | ||
| + | * [[The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire]] | ||
| + | * [[Western Roman Empire]] | ||
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Current revision
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"At least from the time of Henri Pirenne, scholars have described continuity of culture and of political legitimacy, long after 476. Pirenne postponed the demise of classical civilization to the 8th century. He challenged the notion that Germanic barbarians had caused the Western Roman Empire to end, and he refused to equate the end of the Western Roman Empire with the end of the office of emperor in Italia. He pointed out the essential continuity of the economy of the Roman Mediterranean even after the barbarian invasions, and suggested that only the Muslim conquests represented a decisive break with antiquity." --Sholem Stein |
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The Fall of the Western Roman Empire (also called Fall of the Roman Empire or Fall of Rome) was the process of decline in the Western Roman Empire in which it failed to enforce its rule, and its vast territory was divided into several successor polities. The Roman Empire lost the strengths that had allowed it to exercise effective control; modern historians mention factors including the effectiveness and numbers of the army, the health and numbers of the Roman population, the strength of the economy, the competence of the Emperor, the religious changes of the period, and the efficiency of the civil administration. Increasing pressure from barbarians outside Roman culture also contributed greatly to the collapse. The reasons for the collapse are major subjects of the historiography of the ancient world and they inform much modern discourse on state failure.
Relevant dates include 117 CE, when the Empire was at its greatest territorial extent, and the accession of Diocletian in 284. Irreversible major territorial loss, however, began in 376 with a large-scale irruption of Goths and others. In 395, after winning two destructive civil wars, Theodosius I died, leaving a collapsing field army and the Empire, still plagued by Goths, divided between his two incapable sons. By 476 when Odoacer deposed the Emperor Romulus, the Western Roman Emperor wielded negligible military, political, or financial power and had no effective control over the scattered Western domains that could still be described as Roman. Invading barbarians had established their own power in most of the area of the Western Empire. While its legitimacy lasted for centuries longer and its cultural influence remains today, the Western Empire never had the strength to rise again.
The Fall is not the only unifying concept for these events; the period described as Late Antiquity emphasizes the cultural continuities throughout and beyond the political collapse.
See also
- Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
- Decline of the Roman Empire
- Decline of the Byzantine Empire (Fall of the Eastern Roman Empire)
- Bronze Age collapse
- G.E.M. de Ste. Croix
- Global Empire
- Last of the Romans
- Legacy of the Roman Empire
- Plague of Justinian
- Rise of Christianity during the Fall of Rome
- Roman-Persian Wars
- Societal collapse
- The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
- Western Roman Empire
