Fall of Rome

The fall of the Western Roman Empire was a long process rather than a single event. During the third and fourth centuries, the empire faced repeated civil wars, political instability, economic difficulties, and pressure along its borders. In 285, Emperor Diocletian reorganized the administration and divided imperial rule between several emperors, while Constantine later established Constantinople as a major imperial capital.

In 395, after the death of Theodosius I, the Roman Empire was permanently governed through separate eastern and western courts. The Eastern Roman Empire remained powerful, but the western territories became increasingly difficult to defend and govern. Roman armies also relied more heavily on soldiers recruited from outside the traditional Roman citizen military system.

During the fifth century, several Germanic peoples entered and settled within Roman territory, sometimes as allies and sometimes as enemies. In 410, Visigoths under Alaric captured and looted Rome, demonstrating the growing vulnerability of the western empire. In 455, the Vandals also sacked the city. Meanwhile, political authority in the West weakened as emperors became increasingly dependent on powerful military commanders.

In 476, the Germanic leader Odoacer deposed the young emperor Romulus Augustulus and took control of Italy. This event is traditionally used to mark the end of the Western Roman Empire, although Roman institutions and traditions continued in many regions. The Eastern Roman, or Byzantine, Empire survived for almost another thousand years. The western empire's decline therefore resulted from a combination of political, military, economic, and social changes rather than from a single cause.