Why did Rome fall from power?

Answer 1

The main cause was the expansion of territory controlled by Rome which was extended to the whole of the Mediterranean except for Jordan and Egypt. In fact, it can be said that the Republic fell under the weight of Imperialism. Other factors were the professionalization of the army which made the soldiers loyal to their commanders, the use of military force or the threat of it for political gain, the conflict between optimates and populares, the central government's loss of control over the provinces, which were used by their governors as personal fiefs, rampant corruption and eleven civil wars. The government had become so dysfunctional that the Republic became a failed state.

Gaius Marius' reforms of the military (the Marian reforms, 107 BC) transformed the army from a citizen militia of peasant-proprietors into a professional standing army open to anyone. The career of the soldiers was 16 years and on discharge they received either a plot land to farm (agrarian missio) or a sizable sum of money (numnaria missio). The landless poor flocked to the army because it gave them a career, a pay and a pension. The result of spending years stationed around the empire was that the soldiers became loyal to their military commanders, who were also politicians. This led to powerful men obtaining what they wanted through the use of military violence or the threat of it.

There was deep conflict between optimates and populares. The optimates were a conservative political faction which favoured the interests of the aristocracy. The populares was a political faction which championed the cause of the poor. The issue of poverty became a political hot potato in the Late Republic. After the Second Punic War (218-201 BC) many peasants lost their land either because it was ravaged in the war or because it had become neglected due to prolonged military service. The rich landowners took advantage of this by buying land on the cheap. They were helped in this by a sharp increase in the supply of slaves (who were war captives) during this war and subsequent wars. They used slave labour to work their land and to increase their holdings. Scores of dispossessed peasant flocked to Rome to eke out a living. They lived in abject poverty. The first attempts by the Gracchi brothers (133 and 123 BC) to address poverty through a land reform aimed at redistribution of land to the poor were suppressed by violence and murder sponsored by the aristocrats.

The optimate/populares conflict and the loyalty of the professional soldiers were the background of the 10 civil wars which tore the Late Republic and ultimately led to its downfall. They started with the conflict between Sulla and Gaius Marius. Sulla was an optimate fought two civil wars against the populares of Marius (Sulla's First Civil War, 88-87 BC) and the Marian faction (Sulla's Second Civil War, 82-81 BC) by mobilising his loyal troops. He was also the first man who entered the sacred boundary of the city of Rome with an army (religion forbade to carry arms within it) and seized the city by force. He did it twice, once in each war. Two other civil wars, the Sertorian War (83-72 BC) and Lepidus' rebellion (77 BC) between these two factions also occurred during this period.

Powerful men could use the loyalty of their troops to obtain what they wanted through the threat of military violence. The clearest example was that of Pompey who pursued military glory in disregard of traditional political rules. He used the threat of military violence three times, once to obtain an extra-legal triumph, once to force his appointment as military commander in Spain to fight Sertorius' rebellion (the mentioned Sertorian War) and the third time he did this in conjunction with Crassus. After defeating the slave rebellion (the Third Servile War, 73-71 BC) Pompey and Crassus marched their armies on Rome and used the threat of force to have themselves elected as consuls (joint heads of the Republic).

The central government lost control of the provinces which were used as personal fiefs by their governors. Corruption was so rampant that it could steer the course of politics. In 60 BC an informal alliance (the First Triumvirate, 60-53 BC) was formed between Pompey (who had little regard for legal processes) Crassus (who had made a fortune through property speculation and corruption) and Julius Caesar. These three men exercised such a degree of influence that they monopolise Roman politics, often through the use of corruption. This was an indication of how Rome had become a failed state. Caesar used the alliance to become powerful by being appointed governor of three provinces: Illyricum (the east coast of the Adriatic Sea) Cisalpine Gaul (northern Italy) and Transalpine Gaul (southern France). During this period he also conquered the whole of Gaul (the rest of France, Belgium, Holland south of the river Rhine and Germany west of the Rhine). At the end of his term the senate, as customary, asked him to disband his armies. Caesar refused and marched on Rome, starting Caesar's Civil War (49-45, BC) againt the senate and the aristocracy.

Caesar wanted to address the disfunctionality of the Republic. He wanted to restore the control of the central government over the provinces. He ended a totally corrupt tax collection system and introduced land reforms and other reforms which helped the poor. He also concentrated power in his hands, turned the senate into an instrument for his powere, ended the election of the officers of state who became his appointees, got the senate to bestow honour on him, and started a religious cult based on his person. These were features which were later retained and used to establish rule by emperors. He succeeded due to the popularity he gained by conquering Gaul and by been seen the champion of the people and the poor against an aristocracy which was perceived as selfish and corrupt.

After Caesar's assassination four more civil wars occurred. Three supporters of Caesar, Octavian (later he was called Augustus) Mark Antony and Lepidus formed the Second Triumvirate which was put in charge of the Republic with extraordinary powers. They defeated the forces of the assassins of Caesar in the Liberators' Civil War (44-43 BC).

The Final Civil War of the Roman Republic (32-30 BC) was a showdown between the two men who became the rulers of the Roman territories, Octavian in the west and Mark Antony in the east. It was a conflict to decide who would become the sole ruler of Rome. Octavian won, became the first Roman Emperor as Augustus and established the rule by emperors. By doing this, he established a strong and functional central government.

Answer 2

Many reasons:

*Power-hungry leaders

* Loyalty of Troops to Generals instead of Rome

*Invaders

*Disease

*Economic Reasons

There are many, many reasons. But, in my History class, we said that the main problem that almost all of these other reasons diverge from is Rome's love for power

Answer 3

well the republic fell because of the Punic wars and turned into an empire it was to big to handle!

The empire had not become too big just because of the Punic Wars. After these wars the also conquered Greece. Later, Pompey the Great conquered the Middle East. Julius Caesar conquered Gaul. Most of the conquests occurred under the Republic.