Roman empire essay

The Roman Empire was one of the most influential empires in history, stretching from Britain to Egypt and into parts of Asia. Its impact on Western civilization is still felt today through its art, language and law. This essay will explore the political, social, economic and cultural influences that the Roman Empire had on Europe during its existence.

It will look at how Rome shaped our modern societies with its complex network of laws, engineering feats and religious practices. Finally, this essay will examine how these aspects continue to be part of our lives today by looking at their influence in politics, economics and entertainment culture. 

By doing so we can better understand why the Roman Empire has such an enduring legacy even after two thousand years since it first rose to power.

The overall decline in the Roman Empire started right after the death of Marcus Aurelius. The Germanic warriors attacked Rome from all sides and from within with mercenaries brought by unscrupulous leaders, thus weakening it militarily. 

As more tribes entered Rome’s boundaries, these same mercenary forces turned against their masters, resulting in an uprising that was difficult to quell since there were weaker forces at hand. Let’s take a look at this Roman empire essay to know about the empire and its collapse.

In addition to this factor, there was also heightened political unrest, with many contenders vying for power who resorted to corruption and bribery to gain whatever status or title they wished. All of this eventually caused the gradual decline of the empire through its economic incompetence and powerful adversaries at the gates knocking down what little was left holding together this great civilization.

Thirdly, the collapse of political and social structures within the empire is believed to be one of the causes. Issues such as civil wars and power struggles weakened any attempt by Rome to maintain and integrate its territories. Lastly, there was a failure in attempts at controlling external forces from nations like North Africa, Persia, and Germany, which constantly raided Roman settlements leading to eventual domination by these regions.

Combined, all this led to decreased productivity within the empire and the exhaustion of resources, leaving it weak enough for foreign nations to take advantage. Eventually, this led to the fall of a once great civilization with extraordinary power for over 500 years until its demise in 476 A.D., marking what would become known later on as “The Fall Of The Roman Empire.”

The economy had been taken over by debt and heavy taxation, so people started to abandon their lands and stop paying taxes. This economic downturn made the Roman Empire vulnerable to threats from other powers, such as German tribe invasions in the fourth century C.E. 

The fifth reason was military reverses, including a devastating defeat at Milvian bridge, where emperor Constantin I was almost killed, unable to stand after losing many of his troops. These defeats signified the end of Pax Romana, in which Rome had enjoyed superiority and protection since Augustus became its first Emperor in 27 B.C.

Political Turmoil and Instability

The Romans failed as a result of the political chaos that was present. This was caused by the intense rivalry between various aristocrats vouching for different societal roles. There was also competition between ideologies that had become entrenched in their culture and affected foreign and domestic policies. The lack of strong leadership drew attention away from aspects such as military strength, defense strategies, and economic investment strategies, which made Rome more susceptible to external attacks resulting in its fall.

Ancient Rome Conclusion

The Roman Empire also had a taxation system and relied on income from land ownership to fund their military needs. This revenue was collected by the prefects who the Emperor appointed. The land tax was known as ‘Decuma,’ which started in 333 BC and continued until the fall of Rome in 476 AD. The taxes especially affected the poor farmers who could hardly make ends meet with the high demand for the land tax levied against them, leading to further impoverishment.