Did Rome Really "Fall"?

Ancient Rome was a remarkable civilization. Though it fell from its glory a very long time ago, it was a very complex civilization; much more complex than many people realize. So many things that we do today were influenced by Ancient Rome, and so many things that we have learned originated there. From things like bridges and architecture to theories and systems, we, even in America, have felt the power of Ancient Rome. In its day, it was one of the greatest civilizations around also. It grew rapidly and set an example for how much power a civilization could earn if they worked hard. When contemplating Ancient Rome, one may wonder why such a large and powerful empire could fall. It seemed to be almost impossible, which raises a question. Did Rome really fall? I, personally, do not believe so, although many professionals may disagree.

Rome changed many times throughout its existence. It started out, believe it or not, as just a small agricultural community. It grew and grew, and has passed through phases of being a monarchy, a republic, and an empire. So, yes, technically the power of Rome in the world did fall, or lower, after these three stages, but I do not think that it was completely lost. Afterwards, it is true that they were not very powerful, but it was just another phase of Rome’s existence. Rome suffered a great defeat while they were weaker, which lead to their downfall. Even after this, however, Rome was still there, if only in the background.

Although Rome was a very powerful country, it had faults. These faults are probably part of what caused their eventual downfall. Some emperors were not very good, while others were wonderful and made excellent accomplishments in bringing Rome up to the top. Caligula, for example, was one of the not-so-good emperors. Suetonius says “Yet even at that time he could not control his natural cruelty and viciousness, but he was a most eager witness of the tortures and executions of those who suffered punishment, reveling at night in gluttony and adultery, disguised in a wig and a long robe, passionately devoted besides to the theatrical arts of dancing and singing…” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suetonius-caligula.html). Other emperors, like Augustus, laid down framework for other emperors in the future and made huge breakthroughs for Rome. So the type of ruler that Rome has had a big influence n how much they developed.

Along with the situation of who is leading, many people think that there were also other situations that affected Rome. Rome was so unbelievably powerful, that one must assume that it was hard work. They began to have monetary and military problems. This is understandable because, eventually, they would need a break from being on top. But all of these problems came at once, and caused Rome’s downfall. They had already reached the top, so we know that the civilization had to go down sometime.

It is also said that Rome fell because of many changes. They tried to cope with these changes, but apparently not well enough. (http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/romefallarticles/a/fallofrome.htm). Change can be very hard to deal with, and Rome must have had to go through a lot of it. Being on the top brings a lot of attention, and it is a very difficult situation to hold onto. However, I do not believe that Rome’s downfall was caused by any single thing. As you can see, there are many, many different opinions on why Rome “fell”. One can believe one, combine all, or just take it as a change in Rome, but the truth is still the same. The once all-powerful, top of the ancient world civilization lost its place and became a small civilization again.

Sources:

"Fall of Rome - Why Did Rome Fall." Ancient / Classical History - Ancient Greece & Rome & Classics Research Guide. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/romefallarticles/a/fallofrome.htm .

"The Fall of Rome." The Roman Empire. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://www.roman-empire.net/articles/article-003.html .

"Ancient Rome." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Rome .

"Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Main Page." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook.html .

Photographs from:

Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia, 24 Jan. 2005. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caligula_bust.jpg .

Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia, 26 July 2006. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aug11_01.jpg .