auses of a civilizations decline? There are several theories that attempt to answer these questions about history. According to Walmank, early Christians believed that history follows the apocalyptic plan of four world kingdoms or six world ages. Another theory claims that history develops in cycles, one part follows the next stage, basically stating that history is a wheel in motion (Walbank 4). Originally introduced by Plato, many philosophers adapted this way of thinking during Romes height. They believed that they could predict the future of Rome and when Romes cycle was complete. Aristotle contradicted these beliefs when he said, the problem of decay in a society is that man is at the root of the problem (Walbank 5). Since mans future is unpredictable, you can not limit history to certain cycles of repetitions because possibilities for the future are endless. Anything could happen at any time that could completely change history. For the first time it is possible to closely examine ancient civilizations. Historians can now see past the individual person to the life of a society as a whole. Using this new insight, we are able to study new paths that the literary forms did not present. We will continue to use the literary sources for personal details, but the new discoveries uncovered give the literary sources a new angle. Therefore, for the first time in history it is possible to study the time period of Romes decay in detail (Walbank 6).The corruption of Romes leaders is the linked to the empires economy and military decline, and eventually leads to the destruction of the empire. Positions of power were passed on by birth and was only granted to a select few through family connections. The three major categories of leaders in the empire were the city officials, army commanders, and independent land owners. Slowly officials began demanding more and more respect and authority from the common man. The leaders cross...
