The Fall of the Roman Empire Could Be Linked To Many Different Aspects: Army, Citizens, Barbarianism Personally I think that all these reasons are linked and headed by the decline of the Roman emperor. The deficient Emperor role led to the lacking military response to invasions,civil war and peasant uprisings. ROMAN EMPIRE AND ITS EMPEROR Ever since the adoptive system which was installed by Marcus Aurelius was never reinstalled after his death,effective leadership in governing Rome was lacking. It was clearly visible that the Roman Emperor was the backbone of Roman stability and therefore the strength of the Roman army was also crucial in ensuing the empire's stability. But this stability was drastically altered when corruption and “necessary” errors were committed. ECONOMIC, BARBARIAN AND MILITARY PROBLEMS The Roman Empire was plunged into military anarchy and raided by barbarous Germanic tribes causing a major burden from an economic standpoint. Emperors, feeling pressure from all directions, resorted to manners which depleted army and citizen moral. The personal dreams of empirical leaders was never capable of re-stabilizing the Empire after the invasions. For instance, Constantine created a “substantial field force where he recruited many regiments from Germany. He greatly increased the German generals” (1). “Aurelius also introduced the German element into the Empire. He established a precedent for settling Germanic peoples, barbarians to the Romans, in Roman territory to try secure peace”(2). He felt the only way to preserve the Empire was to host all those who wished to live within its territory. These German units under Roman commanders did not easily fall to the traditional Roman discipline and command. The reluctance to submit to Roman rule allowed Rome to lose the tactical superiority that it once had and enjoyed over the German barbarians. This loss of tactical supremacy destroyed the e...
