There was many reasons that caused the Fall Of Rome but I think that the most dominant reasons are: Decline in Morals, Slave Labour, Natural Disasters, Christianity and the Barbarian Invasion. There is many aspects showing how Rome had terrible morals that destroyed the empire. Many of the emperors were extremely corrupt, like Nero for example. Emperor Nero became insane, and the consequences of this nearly brought Rome to the brink of disaster.
After Nero brutally murdered his pregnant wife, he had a male slave castrated to take as his wife. A period from Augustus to Marcus Aurelius, when the Roman empire was relatively stable. there were still about 32,000 prostitutes in Rome. Emperors like Caligula and Nero became infamous for wasting money on parties where guests drank and ate until they became sick. Adultery and orgies were very common. Emperor Tiberius kept young boys for his own pleasure.
Slave Labour also had an impact on the Fall Of Rome. Everyone was so dependant on slaves, but they also treated them so poorly that there was constant revolt. The most famous revolt was led by Gladiator Spartacus. The empire was rocked by a labor deficit. Rome’s economy depended on slaves to till its fields and work as craftsmen, but when the expansion came to a halt in the second century, Roman slaves and other war treasures began to dry up. Some natural disasters that affected the Fall Of Rome are: Mt Vesuvius erupting, raining lava and ash over Pompeii and Herculaneum. This occurred for 24 hours and was recorded by a man named Pliny.
Another natural disaster that occurred was the plague of Galen. It’s believed that it was either caused by small pox or measles, it is estimated that 5 million people died, including two Roman Emperors; Lucius Verus and Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. On July 1st, 365 A.D, a magnitude 8 or greater earthquake hit the western side of Greece. It triggered a massive tsunami that hit Egypt and surrounding areas. A Roman historian, Ammianus Marcellinus described the destruction in great detail, and it is said that thousands died from it.
Christianity eroded traditional Roman beliefs and values and caused conflicts between Christians and those who continued to hold onto the old pagan philosophies. These conflicts led to persecution of the Christians. This occurred until the first Christian Emperor of Rome, Constantine, put a stop to the persecutions. The Barbarians played a significant role in the Fall of the Roman Empire. The Romans had many outside enemies because of the power that they had, but Barbarians began to pick up on Rome’s military tactics.
The Barbarian’s went against the Roman military many times, but is 455 A.D the Vandals disintegrated Roman authority and caused Rome to collapse. The decline in morals and slave labour are easy causes that are connected. The decline in morals is what cause the gladiatorial games between slaves, slaves were treated poorly by upper classes. This relates to how Nero castravated a slave to become his wife. And reason Emperor Nero became insane.
