The western Roman realm is the contemporary term because that the western fifty percent of the Roman empire after it was split in two by the emperor Diocletian (r. 284-305 CE) in c. 285/286 CE. The Romans us did not usage this term. In ~ its height (c. 117 CE), the Roman realm stretched indigenous Italy through Europe to the british Isles, throughout North Africa, down through Egypt and up into Mesopotamia and across Anatolia. Through 285 CE the Roman realm had get an impression so large that it to be no longer feasible to govern all the provinces from the central seat that Rome.

Soon after coming to power, Diocletian do a fellow-officer called Maximian (r. 285/286-305 CE) his co-emperor and, in act so, separated the realm into halves through the east Empire"s capital at byzantium (later Constantinople) and the Western realm governed from Milan (with Rome as a “ceremonial” or symbolic capital). Both halves were known as "The roman Empire" although, in time, the Eastern empire would take on Greek rather of Latin together its official language and also would shed much of the personality of the timeless Roman Empire.

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The Eastern empire flourished while the Western realm struggled and finally fell c. 476 CE. In time, it became the structure of the holy Roman empire (962-1806 CE) - seen as a rebirth of the values and order of the Roman realm at its height - first under the power of Charlemagne (r. 800-814 CE) who successors can not maintain it, and also then officially started by rose oil I the Germany (r. 962-973 CE). The divine Roman empire steadily lost cohesion and authority together an outmoded school incapable of administer in a modern age, becoming increasingly corrupt and also ineffectual, till it to be finally dissolved in 1806 CE.

After Marcus Aurelius, his son Commodus (r. 180-192 CE) came to be emperor and dissipated Rome"s power through self-indulgent and also inefficient rule. ~ Commodus to be assassinated, Rome skilled a year of man (known together The Year that the five Emperors) throughout which five various men took power and were deposed till Septimius Severus (r. 193-211 CE) started the Severan dynasty and revived order. Severus courted the donate of the military, having actually learned native The Year of the 5 Emperors the this was in an emperor"s finest interest, and also debased the money in order to be able to generate more money come raise the value of the troops. That further established the precedent of the emperor relying heavily on the support of the military, thus effectively compromising the traditional function of roman emperor.

When Diocletian pertained to power, he revitalized order & separated the empire"s rule in between himself in the east & Maximian in the west.

In 235 CE, the emperor Alexander Severus (r. 222-235 CE) was assassinated by his very own troops who felt the was not acting in their ideal interests. This hurry Rome right into the era known as the dilemm of the 3rd Century (also the royal Crisis, 235-284 CE) during which 20 monarchs would come and also go in nearly 50 years, a frighten statistic when contrasted with the 26 kings who rule in the 250 years in between Augustus and Alexander Severus.

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When Diocletian came to power, he revitalized order and divided the empire"s rule between himself in the east and also Maximian in the west. The dilemm of the third Century had presented how perilous it was to have Rome dependence on a single emperor whose fatality could an outcome in instability, and also Diocletian also understood the the empire was merely too big for one man to administrate effectively. After the division, Diocletian denote his tetrarchy – ascendancy of four – through which the empire was more divided in between four men who ruled their own distinct sections.

Under the reign of Constantine the good (324-337 CE), the empire as a totality flourished but it was never as cohesive as it had been under the Five good Emperors. The Eastern empire established financially rewarding trade and prospered when the Western empire struggled and, because the 2 sections had tendency to watch the various other as competition, they worked as different entities who common a typical bond but served their own interests.

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The dissolution of the Empire

Even so, the two halves the the empire continued to prosper equally until the reign of the Emperor Theodosius i (379-395 CE) when internal and also external forces exerted us to break the 2 halves apart. These pressures included, yet were not limited to:

politics instability The self-interest of the two halves intrusion of barbaric tribes federal government corruption Mercenary militaries Over-reliance on slave labor substantial unemployment and inflation

As noted, Eastern and also Western Rome gone after their own interests instead of working in concert toward common goals. This absence of cohesion promoted political instability which to be made worse by federal government corruption, especially amongst provincial authorities who abused your positions for personal gain. The Goth and also Hun mercenaries in the Roman army owed no allegiance come Rome, lock were simply fighting because that pay and, further, were no treated and also they felt lock deserved. The over-reliance on servant labor took jobs away native the lower classes who then relied on publicly assistance and the earlier debasement of the currency under Septimus Severus had come to be a plan of later on emperors, bring about inflation.

Theodosius I"s zeal in dispersing Christianity and also crushing pagan impacts has also been listed as a contributing reason to the fall of Rome. The earlier pagan belief system of the Romans had been a state religion; the faith informed the state, and the state supported the faith. The roman inn gods were came to with Rome and its success; the new Christian god had actually no vested attention in Rome per se and was the god of everyone. The nature that Christianity, according to some scholars, offered to threaten the traditional cohesion roman inn paganism listed to the empire. That point has been debated for centuries but Theodosius I"s persecution of the pagans is a far more certain variable since, together emperor that both the east and also the west, he had the power to unite the Roman empire but, instead, separated it further through spiritual intolerance.

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Theodosius I concerned power following a variety of serious setbacks for Rome. The Gothic war of 376-382 CE severely dilute the Western realm even though the battles to be routinely dealt with by forces from the eastern Empire. At the battle of Adrianople in 378 CE, the east Emperor Valens (r. 364-378 CE) was beat by Fritigern (d. C. 380 CE) of the Goths and many chroniclers agree that this marks the start of the finish of the roman Empire. The emperor Gratian (of the western Empire, r. 367-383 CE) had elevated Theodosius to co-emperor condition and, when he died, Theodosius I came to be emperor the both halves that the empire. Theodosius I"s therapy of the mercenary Goths – especially at the battle of the Frigidus in 394 CE – enraged the Goth king Alaric i (r. 395-410 CE) to bag Rome in 410 CE.

This is not at all to case that Theodosius I"s reign caused the end of the Western roman inn Empire. Over there is no solitary cause for the decrease and loss of Rome. A steady destruction in power and also prestige had been continuous prior to the roman defeat at Adrianople and also all this challenges and pressures culminated in the deposition of the emperor Romulus Augustulus (r. 475-476 CE) by the german king Odoacer top top 4 September 476 CE, prior to Adrianople. The Western roman inn Empire, essentially, fell with the increase of Odoacer who introduced a new era i m sorry would see the Kingdom that Italy replace the strength of Rome in the west.

The Kingdom that Italy

While c. 476 CE is the traditionally accepted day for the end of the Western roman inn Empire, that reality did continue on under the dominion of Odoacer (r. 476-493 CE) who, officially anyway, was just ruling in location of the deposed emperor Julius Nepos (who had actually been deposed by the basic Orestes who had placed his son, Romulus Augustulus, top top the throne). Therefore, there space historians and scholars who date the end of the Roman empire to the assassination that Julius Nepos in 480 CE. After Nepos" death, Odoacer annexed the an ar of Dalmatia to his very own lands which pertained to the emperor the the eastern component of the empire, Zeno (r. 474-475, 476-491 CE), by who authority Odoacer had been enabled to rule. In Zeno"s view, Odoacer to be acting through too much independent authority and was beginning to attitude a significant threat.

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His suspicions were evidenced when Odoacer was uncovered to it is in backing Zeno"s rival, the general Illus, in a revolt. Zeno work the Gothic leader Theodoric (later recognized as Theodoric the Great, r. 493-526 CE) to defeat Illus but then Theodoric turn his formidable army on Zeno and also Constantinople. Scholar man Halsall explains:

The Goths endangered Constantinople and ravaged the Balkans however could no take the capital, whilst Zeno, for sure behind the city"s famous triple line of walls, to be unlikely to drive the latter totally from his territories. A equipment was required, agreeable come both parties, and found: for Theodoric"s Ostrogoths to relocate to Italy and also dispose the the "tyrant" Odoacer. (287)

Theodoric got into Italy in ~ the head that his military in 488 CE and battled the forces of Odoacer throughout the an ar for the next four years. A deteriorate was finally brokered by John, Bishop that Ravenna, through which Odoacer and also Theodoric would jointly preeminence but, at the feast come celebrate the end of hostilities in 493 CE, Theodoric assassinated Odoacer and also claimed the kingship for himself.

Theodoric"s reign carried order and also prosperity come the region in the type of laws, structure projects, and also increased food manufacturing but, ~ his death in 526 CE, his successors might not organize the kingdom together as well. The eastern emperor Justinian ns (r. 527-565 CE) asserted his control over the Kingdom that Italy and also met the greatest resistance native the Ostrogoth king Totila (r. 541-552 CE) who claimed the best to the very same autonomy Theodoric had actually won from Rome. Justinian I sent the well known general Belisarius (l. 505-565 CE) to Italy yet even he might not outsmart or outfight Totila. The general Narses (l. 480-573 CE) finally defeated Totila in ~ the battle of Taginae in 552 CE, returning Italy to roman authorities till the invasion of the Lombards in 568 CE.

The holy Roman Empire

The Lombards flourished in power, establishing dukedoms throughout Italy until they were defeated in 774 CE through Charlemagne in ~ the battle of Desiderius. By this time, many Lombards had assimilated through the world of Italy and also the neighboring Franks and also Charlemagne"s win simply sped up this process. Christianity was currently the dominant religion the Europe and, due to the fact that it had actually been legitimized and also spread under roman inn rule, there were plenty of Christians that refused to let the ide of the Roman realm disappear. Charlemagne that the Franks to be proclaimed Western roman Emperor in 800 CE by Pope Leo III and also entrusted v protecting and also perpetuating the Christian message.


Bust of Charlemagne
Beckstet (CC BY-NC-SA)

Charlemagne ended up being the preeminent Christian champion of his time, expanding his empire while in ~ the exact same time launching crusades against the Muslim Saracens together he had previously done versus the pagan saxon guy (through the Saxon battles of 772-804 CE). Many tales and also poems, consisting of the well known Chanson de Roland (the track of Roland), were created praising Charlemagne and also his knights for their chivalrous adventures defending Christian worths at the expense of Christian and non-Christian lives. This brand-new Christian empire claimed to it is in the straight descendant of the old Roman empire only championing the reason of Christ rather of the of an separation, personal, instance emperor.

This brand-new Christian empire asserted to be the straight descendant of the old Roman realm only championing the cause of Christ instead of the of an individual emperor.

Charlemagne collection the structure for the brand-new empire but, just like many powerful and effective rulers, his successors might not preserve his exact same level that efficiency and also the realm fell apart. The was rejoined by rose oil I of Germany who had adhered to Charlemagne"s instance of the path to power through crusades versus non-Christians (in this case, the Magyars). Continuing to combine himself through Charlemagne, otto I had himself proclaimed emperor that The divine Roman realm of Germany in 962 CE.

Otto i then ongoing the policies of maintaining a Christian nation following Charlemagne"s example throughout his power and set the standard for those that would monitor him. The divine Roman Empire continued to view itself in this role as an entity championing Christian reality through war until, in a steady decrease involving political intrigue, corruption, virtually incessant war, and continuous internal strife, it was dissolved in 1806 CE.

The famed French writer, Voltaire, in chapter 70 the his 1756 CE occupational Essay on the Manners and also Spirit that Nations, notes, “This agglomeration which to be called and which tho calls itself the divine Roman realm was neither holy, no one Roman, nor an Empire” and also historians due to the fact that Voltaire have agreed. The holy Roman realm was so in name only and also after the critical emperor, Francis II, abdicated the throne, Napoleon disassembled the present political structure which sustained it and the region came under French control through the Confederation of the Rhine.


The loss of Rome and its various reasons has to be the topic of controversy for centuries. Even though there is presently a general consensus on the causes, no 2 lists emphasize the same suggest or even incorporate the exact same reasons. Halsall offers an interesting insight into Western Rome"s fall in addressing the decrease of the 5th century CE:

The most ironic thing of every is that during the preceding century that is practically impossible to recognize a single figure who had actually do the efforts to reason demise. All the decisive acts in bringing down the realm were brought out by people attempting to produce a far better position for themselves within the kinds of imperial structures that had existed in the 4th century. In a famed dictum, Andre Piganiol composed that "Roman civilisation did no die a herbal death; it to be assassinated." Neither alternate seems correct. The Roman realm was not murdered and nor did it dice a natural death; the accidentally committed suicide. (283)

Halstall"s allude is that, in trying to preserve a device of government and social structure which can no longer work, Rome doomed chin to fall. Rome “accidentally cursed suicide” by holding onto a design of its past which might not occupational anymore. The mistreatment that the Goths by roman inn provincial governors, which led to the Goth rebellion, wars, and the fight of Adrianople, is just one instance of this. The so-called “barbarians” would no much longer tolerate bad treatment at the hand of the Romans together they had actually in the past and as the Romans thought they should continue to do.

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The attempts come revive, preserve, and force the model of the Roman empire on an era which can no much longer support it should be considered as a far-reaching underlying reason for the autumn of Rome in the west. This same passion for reviving the “glory days” that the empire additionally contributed come the dissolved of the holy Roman Empire. The times had changed, the world had adjusted with it, and an outmoded kind of government simply had no hope of enduring in the new political and also social climate.

Forms that government, prefer people, do not survive by clinging to the past yet by adapting come the difficulties of the present and moving on towards the future. Rome to be incapable the that sort of vision and also so, like any type of entity i m sorry holds tightly to the past, it could not endure the type of challenges which present methods for change and growth.