[slowhandluke]

the collapse of the Western Empire because of statism of the late Empire.

'Statism' tends to last centuries. That was true in India, China, Egypt, Persia and the Roman Empire.

What killed the Roman Empire was Islam. It took over North Africa, which was the granary of the empire. It took over the Mediterranean Sea, which was the lifeblood of commerce for the Romans. All along the northern coast of the Mediterranean, and along the Atlantic coast up to England, folks started building defensively, moving uphill from the water, building more fort-like villas for protection from the Islamic raiders.

With commerce killed, there wasn't money left for big government.

[wbarmy]

What killed the Roman Empire was Islam.

There is a very good study by a Christian historian that tries to prove that Judaism killed the Roman Empire. Because of the Maccabees and the Zealots, so many Roman armies ere tied up in Judea or outright destroyed in Judea, that the Empire did not have enough troops to really fight the Germanic hordes.

Just a thought.

[achilles2000]

The Western Empire was gone before Mohammed was born. The eastern Empire endured until 1453 and was, indeed, destroyed by Mohammedans, but it was a slow death.

[PghBaldy]

I thought the Empire ended in 476. Mohammed came a few hundred years later.