roman empire

Modern historians explain the collapse of the western Roman empire in the fourth and fifth centuries in one of two ways. One group follows an institutional approach, which finds the reasons in the long-term and looks closely at internal structures. A second group has adopted a political approach and looks at short term causes of collapse.

The long-term approach is the more traditional of the two. This argument suggests that Diocletian (284-305) and Constantine I (305-337) sowed the seeds of collapse. These emperors split the army into border and mobile components. The border troops became soldier-farmers and declined rapidly in efficiency, though they were still paid. Diocletian and Constantine also allowed many barbarians into the army, which had the result of decreasing its fighting efficiency. These historians argue that the weakness of the border troops meant that emperors needed more mobile troops, so they expanded the army. This in turn increased the number of recruits needed, while a simultaneous reluctance of landowners to lose scarce workers led to the recruitment of the militarily inferior barbarians.

External problems exacerbated the internal crises of t

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, Warfare in Roman Europe: AD 350-425 (Oxford, 1996)

Jones, A. The small barbarian tribes who had opposed the early empire now banded together to form more powerful confederations such as Goths, Franks and Alamanni. Aegidius in Gaul and Marcellinus in Dalmatia refused to accept the new emperor Libius Severus (461-465), raised to the purple by Majorian's murderer Ricimer. A third critical event was the murder of Majorian (457-461) in 461, denying him the ch!

ance of recapturing Africa and holding the western empire together. This argument suggests that Diocletian (284-305) and Constantine I (305-337) sowed the seeds of collapse. Aegidius in Gaul and Marcellinus in Dalmatia refused to accept the new emperor Libius Severus (461-465), raised to the purple by Majorian's murderer Ricimer. Whatever the reasons, throughout the fifth century, when emperors could find money and assemble troops, the Roman army was a powerful and effective force. A third critical event was the murder of Majorian (457-461) in 461, denying him the ch!

ance of recapturing Africa and holding the western empire together. In the fifth century they spread to include Roman generals, e. If there was a simple answer, the Romans would surely have found it.

Common topics in this essay:
Aetius Bonifatius, Empire West, Elton Modern, Diocletian Constantine, Libius Severus, Arcadius Honorius, Italy Greece, Hugh Elton, Elsewhere Saxons, Constantius II, roman empire, fifth century, western empire, western roman empire, fifth centuries, historians stress, border troops, alans suevi, allowed barbarians, constantius ii, roman army, fourth fifth centuries, fall roman empire, wealthiest provinces western, removed wealthiest provinces,

Approximate Word count = 2209
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)

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