The Endless Topic -- The Fall Of Rome

[Ceres]

Yes, I've become quite aware that there were several reasons for the fall of Rome, and as I've begun to lurk around these topics and posts, I realize that the members are asked quite a lot about Rome's fall.

 

I'm a level III Latin student who is also taking Advanced Placement English. We are required as senior Enlgish students to write a senior research paper. Since we are an AP class, our magistra wishes us to have a thesis in our paper. And understandably so. My dilemma is that, while I wish to do my paper on the Fall of Rome and it's causes, I seem to lack a thesis statement.

 

I would appreciate any help in finding this thesis statement for my research paper. I am supposted to have it turned in by Thursday the 21st of April, but seeing as my magistra is just about my best friend (or so she and I joke), I might be able to bide myself some time.

 

Thanks much, mei amici.

[Primus Pilus]

Your thesis can be any number of options really. Any 'cause' for the fall of Rome can be argued as the leading culprit (and each can be broken down into a multitude of sub groups), whether it be social/cultural/religious disintegration (lax citizenship requirement/benefit, Christianity, etc.), barbarian invasion, economic failure, military failure and the list goes on and on, even including the presence of lead in the Aqueducts and plumbing. Perhaps as a bit of an alternative you might want to establish a thesis arguing that the fall of Rome was inevitable, stemming from the concept that nothing can last forever. Much of western civilization, including the rise and fall of nations after Rome, have been compared to Rome, but we often hear little of Rome being compared to earlier human civilization (other than Greece). Its certainly different, but I wouldn't personally be able to support the thesis because I don't believe the concept of fate, and its also very difficult to 'prove'. Still its a direction that might gain points for 'thinking out of the box'?

[P.Clodius]

Look at the institutions around you and you could argue that it evolved rather than fell

[Ceres]

I think you both much for your contributions. I rather like the idea that Rome was doomed to fall since nothing lasts forever... Perhaps I could turn my research paper into a comparison of the Roman Empire to the United States... Is the U.S. doomed to fall as Rome did so many years ago?

[Ursus]

Most empires fall because of a dynamic between mounting internal decay and increasing external threats. This was certainly the case with the Roman West.

 

The United States is probably in that situation, although one can quibble if we even have an empire as such to fall. I think the better question is will American influence and hegemony on the global stage erode in the coming decades.

 

Was Rome's fall inevitable? I think the vast territory ruled by the Romans was bound to fall apart as a united geopolitical power.

 

The West fragmented and evolved into the Medieval world. No surprise, really. They had an underdeveloped economy and culture, and they were in a less defensible position against the encroaching barbarian hordes. Although since many of the barbarian tribes took on aspects of Roman law, government and religion (especially since the Roman army was heavily Germanized anyway by that point) the legacy of Rome lived on in Continental Europe. England, however, would find most of its Roman culture obliterated by Anglo-Saxon tribal laws.

 

However, the more defensible, richer, and culturally advanced Roman East survived quite well, and may have survived far longer if it hadn't been crippled by Latin crusaders.

[leedx7]

If you think about it, what was the last Empire to not have its "final" collapse marked by being conquered/overthrown by an arguably less advance nation?

 

Most empires seem to expand to a limit (capped by an obstacle of some kind, either natural