The Roman Empire began to decline after the death of Marcus Aurelius in A.D. 180 because of economic, military, and political problems.
The economy had been in decline since the reign of Nero (A.D. 54-68), but it was not until the reign of Commodus (180-192) that it became a serious problem for the empire. During this period, inflation was rampant and the value of money decreased dramatically. This was due to an increase in government spending and a decrease in taxes. Merchants could no longer afford to import goods from foreign lands because they could not afford to pay for them with their devalued coins.
The military also suffered during this time period as well as during Commodus’s reign and Septimius Severus’s reigns (193-211). Military leaders were unable to train their soldiers adequately due to low pay and poor working conditions, which resulted in many desertions by soldiers who did not want to fight for Rome anymore because there was no incentive for them to do so anymore.
There were also political problems during this time period that contributed to Rome’s decline as well. There were no strong leaders after Marcus Aurelius died who could keep order in the empire or even lead it through difficult times like these.
