Decline and Fall of Roman Empire: Edward Gibbon

The Roman Empire’s Decline and Fall, in its entirety Edward Gibbon’s historical masterpiece The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788. It is recognised by its profound study, historical perspective, and exquisite literary style, and spans the period from the 2nd century CE until the fall of Constantinople in 1453.

The Decline and Fall is separated into two sections, each of which is equal in size but treated differently. The first half spans over 300 years, ending at 480 CE with the collapse of the Western Roman Empire; the second half spans nearly 1,000 years. Gibbon saw the Roman Empire as a unified entity in irreversible decay from the ideals of political and intellectual liberty he had read in ancient literature. The material ruin of Rome, he believed, was the result and emblem of moral degeneration.

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

The Western Roman Empire’s fall was the result of the empire’s failure to impose its control, and its enormous area was split into various successor polities. The Roman Empire lost the capabilities that had allowed it to exert effective control; modern historians point to factors such as the army’s effectiveness and numbers, the Roman population’s health and numbers, the economy’s strength, the emperor’s competence, religious changes of the time, and the efficiency of the civil administration. The decline was further aided by increasing pressure from barbarians outside of Roman society. The causes of collapse are key topics in ancient world historiography, and they underlie much current discourse on state failure.

The Western Roman Empire had little effective authority over the dispersed western kingdoms that could still be called Roman by 476 CE, when Odoacer ousted Emperor Romulus. Invading “barbarians” had formed their own polities over most of the Western Empire’s territory. The Western Empire never had the power to rise again, even if its legitimacy survived for centuries longer and its cultural impact is still felt today.

The decline of the Roman Empire

Just as the Fall of Rome was not triggered by a single event, so was the manner in which Rome fell. In truth, the empire expanded during the time of imperial collapse. The inflow of conquered peoples and territory altered the Roman government’s structure. Emperors also relocated the capital away from Rome. The east-west divide resulted in not only an eastern capital, initially in Nicomedia and afterwards in Constantinople, but also a westward shift from Rome to Milan.

Rome began as a modest, steep hamlet near the Tiber River in the Italian boot, surrounded by more powerful neighbours. The region covered by the name “Rome” looked very different by the time Rome became an empire. It reached its peak in the second century CE. Some of the debates over the Fall of Rome centre on the geographic variety and geographical vastness that Roman emperors and legions had to oversee.

Roman Empire history

At its peak (about 117 CE), the Roman Empire was the most comprehensive governmental and social entity in Western history. By 285 CE, the empire had become too large to be controlled from Rome’s central administration, so Emperor Diocletian (r. 284-305 CE) separated it into a Western and an Eastern Empire. Augustus Caesar (r. 27 BCE-14 CE) became the first emperor of Rome, and the Roman Empire ended in the west when the final Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus (r. 475-476 CE), was ousted by the Germanic King Odoacer (r. 476-493 CE). In the east, it was known as the Byzantine Empire until Constantine XI (r. 1449-1453 CE) died and Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 CE. The Roman Empire had a major impact on western civilisation, making enduring contributions to practically every facet of western culture.

Conclusion

Barbarian tribe invasions. The most obvious explanation for Western Rome’s demise blames a series of military defeats at the hands of hostile adversaries. For ages, Rome had fought Germanic tribes, but by the 300s, “barbarian” groups such as the Goths had encroached beyond the Empire’s frontiers.