The Fall of the Roman Empire


  • Hostile tribes outside of the boundaries of the empire and pirates of the Mediterranean Sea disrupted trade.
  • Having reached their limit of expansion, the Romans lacked new sources of gold and silver
  • Desperate for revenue, the government raised taxes.
  • The economy soon suffered from inflation, a drastic drop in the value of money coupled with a rise in prices.
  • Agriculture faced equally serious problems 
  • Harvests in Italy and Western Europe became increasingly meager because overworked soil had lost its fertility 
  • Years of war had destroyed much farmland 
  • Eventually, serious food shortages and disease spread and the population declined
  • To defend against the increasing threats to the empire, the government began to recruit mercenaries
  • Overtime, Roman soldiers in general had become less disciplined and loyal
  • Feelings of loyalty eventually weakened among average citizens as well. 
  • In 284, Diocletian, a strong-willed army leader, became the new emperor 
  • Diocletian doubled the size of the Roman Army and sought to control inflation by setting fixed prices for goods

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