USO Canteen FReeper Style ~ Fall of the Roman Empire ~ October 14, 2003

Killeenroos.com ^ | October 14, 2003 | LaDivaLoca

[LaDivaLoca]

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ANCIENT WARFARE

Fall of the Roman Empire

Reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire
All left Rome open to outside invaders
adapted from History Alive material

There were many reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire. Each one intertwined with the next. Many even blame the introduction of Christianity for the decline. Christianity made many Roman citizens into pacifists, making it more difficult to defend against the barbarian attackers. Also money used to build churches could have been used to maintain the empire. Although some argue that Christianity may have provided some morals and values for a declining civilization and therefore may have actually prolonged the imperial era.

Decline in Morals and Values

Caligula (Gaius Caesar)
 

Those morals and values that kept together the Roman legions and thus the empire could not be maintained towards the end of the empire. Crimes of violence made the streets of the larger cities unsafe. Even during PaxRomana there were 32,000 prostitutes in Rome. Emperors like Nero and Caligula became infamous for wasting money on lavish parties where guests ate and drank until they became ill. The most popular amusement was watching the gladiatorial combats in the Colosseum. These were attended by the poor, the rich, and frequently the emperor himself. As gladiators fought, vicious cries and curses were heard from the audience. One contest after another was staged in the course of a single day. Should the ground become too soaked with blood, it was covered over with a fresh layer of sand and the performance went on.

Public Health

Roman Aqueducts
 

There were many public health and environmental problems. Many of the wealthy had water brought to their homes through lead pipes. Previously the aqueducts had even purified the water but at the end lead pipes were thought to be preferable. The wealthy death rate was very high. The continuous interaction of people at the Colosseum, the blood and death probably spread disease. Those who lived on the streets in continuous contact allowed for an uninterrupted strain of disease much like the homeless in the poorer run shelters of today. Alcohol use increased as well adding to the incompetency of the general public.

Political Corruption

 

One of the most difficult problems was choosing a new emperor. Unlike Greece where transition may not have been smooth but was at least consistent, the Romans never created an effective system to determine how new emperors would be selected. The choice was always open to debate between the old emperor, the Senate, the Praetorian Guard (the emperor's's private army), and the army. Gradually, the Praetorian Guard gained complete authority to choose the new emperor, who rewarded the guard who then became more influential, perpetuating the cycle. Then in 186 A. D. the army strangled the new emperor, the practice began of selling the throne to the highest bidder. During the next 100 years, Rome had 37 different emperors - 25 of whom were removed from office by assassination. This contributed to the overall weaknesses of the empire.

Unemployment

 

During the latter years of the empire farming was done on large estates called latifundia that were owned by wealthy men who used slave labor. A farmer who had to pay workmen could not produce goods as cheaply. Many farmers could not compete with these low prices and lost or sold their farms. This not only undermined the citizen farmer who passed his values to his family, but also filled the cities with unemployed people. At one time, the emperor was importing grain to feed more than 100,000 people in Rome alone. These people were not only a burden but also had little to do but cause trouble and contribute to an ever increasing crime rate.

Inflation

 

The roman economy suffered from inflation (an increase in prices) beginning after the reign of Marcus Aurelius. Once the Romans stopped conquering new lands, the flow of gold into the Roman economy decreased. Yet much gold was being spent by the romans to pay for luxury items. This meant that there was less gold to use in coins. As the amount of gold used in coins decreased, the coins became less valuable. To make up for this loss in value, merchants raised the prices on the goods they sold. Many people stopped using coins and began to barter to get what they needed. Eventually, salaries had to be paid in food and clothing, and taxes were collected in fruits and vegetables.

Urban decay

(archeological site)
 

Wealthy Romans lived in a domus, or house, with marble walls, floors with intricate colored tiles, and windows made of small panes of glass. Most Romans, however, were not rich, They lived in small smelly rooms in apartment houses with six or more stories called islands. Each island covered an entire block. At one time there were 44,000 apartment houses within the city walls of Rome. First-floor apartments were not occupied by the poor since these living quarters rented for about $00 a year. The more shaky wooden stairs a family had to climb, the cheaper the rent became. The upper apartments that the poor rented for $40 a year were hot, dirty, crowed, and dangerous. Anyone who could not pay the rent was forced to move out and live on the crime-infested streets. Because of this cities began to decay.

Inferior Technology

 

During the last 400 years of the empire, the scientific achievements of the Romans were limited almost entirely to engineering and the organization of public services. They built marvelous roads, bridges, and aqueducts. They established the first system of medicine for the benefit of the poor. But since the Romans relied so much on human and animal labor, they failed to invent many new machines or find new technology to produce goods more efficiently. They could not provide enough goods for their growing population. They were no longer conquering other civilizations and adapting their technology, they were actually losing territory they could not longer maintain with their legions.

Military Spending

 

Maintaining an army to defend the border of the Empire from barbarian attacks was a constant drain on the government. Military spending left few resources for other vital activities, such as providing public housing and maintaining quality roads and aqueducts. Frustrated Romans lost their desire to defend the Empire. The empire had to begin hiring soldiers recruited from the unemployed city mobs or worse from foreign counties. Such an army was not only unreliable, but very expensive. The emperors were forced to raise taxes frequently which in turn led again to increased inflation.

THE FINAL BLOWS

St. Severinus and Odacer
 

For years, the well-disciplined Roman army held the barbarians of Germany back. Then in the third century A. D. the Roman soldiers were pulled back from the Rhine-Danube frontier to fight civil war in Italy. This left the Roman border open to attack. Gradually Germanic hunters and herders from the north began to overtake Roman lands in Greece and Gaul (later France). Then in 476 A. D. the Germanic general Odacer or Odovacar overthrew the last of the Roman Emperors, Augustulus Romulus. From then on the western part of the Empire was ruled by Germanic chieftain. Roads and bridges were left in disrepair and fields left untilled. Pirates and bandits made travel unsafe. Cities could not be maintained without goods from the farms, trade and business began to disappear. And Rome was no more in the West.
 

For additional information, please click the links below:

Best of Gibbon's DECLINE & FALL of the Roman Empire

The Collapse of the Roman Empire

Fall of Rome

 

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on October 14:
1542 Abul-Fath Djalal-ud-Din, 3rd Mogol emperor of India (1556-1605)
1633 James II king of England (1685-88)
1644 William Penn English Quaker & founder of PA
1712 George Grenville British PM (1763-65)
1734 Francis Lightfoot Lee, US farmer/signer (Declaration of Independence)
1857 Elwood Haynes auto pioneer, built one of 1st US autos
1867 Masaoka Shiki Japan, haiku & tanka poet/diarist (Salt Water Ballads)
1869 Joseph Duveen England, art connoisseur (Elgin marbles)
1871 Alexander von Zemlinsky Vienna Austria, composer (Der Schneeman)
1873 Raymond C Ewry Indiana, polio victim who won 10 Olympic golds
1882 Eamon DeValera NY, Pres of Ireland (1937-48, 51-54, 57-59)
1888 Katherine Mansfield New Zealand writer (Aloe, Garden Party)
1890 Dwight D Eisenhower Denison, Tx (R) 34th Pres (1953-1961)
1894 e. e. cummings Cambridge Mass, poet (Tulips & Chimneys)
1896 Lillian Gish silent film/stage actress (Birth of a Nation)
1899 Alan Washbond US, 2-man bobsled (Olympic-gold-1932)
1906 Benita Hume London England, actress (Vicky-The Halls of Ivy)
1906 Hannah Arendt Germany, historian (Origins of Totalitarianism)
1907 Pert Kelton Great Falls Mont, actress (Cavalcade of Stars)
1910 John Wooden basketball coach (UCLA-10 national championships)
1916 C Everett Koop surgeon general (1981-89)
1924 Robert Webber Santa Ana Calif, actor (79 Park Avenue)
1927 Roger Moore London England, actor (Alaskans, Maverick, Saint)
1928 Gary Graffman NYC, pianist (Leventritt Award)
1931 Rafael Puyana Bogota Colombia, baroque harpsichordist (NY debut 1957)
1935 La Monte Young Bern Idaho, composer (Compostion in 1990)
1938 John Dean III former White House counsel, Watergate figure
1939 Ralph Lauren fashion designer (Chaps)
1940 Cliff Richards [Harry Webb], England, rocker (Suddenly)
1940 Pat Finley Asheville NC, actress (Ellen Hartley-Bob Newhart Show)
1943 Lance Rentzel NFL receiver (Minn, LA)/ex-husband of Joey Heatherton
1943 Noreen Corcoran Quincy Mass, actress (Kelly-Bachelor Father)
1944 Udo Kier Germany, actor (Warhol Dracula, Warhol Frankenstein)
1946 Justin Hayward singer (Moody Blues-Nights in White Satin)
1947 Charlie Joiner Many La, NFL receiver (Houston, Cincinnati, San Diego)
1950 Sheila Young Ockerwitz US, 500m speed skater (Olympic-gold-1976)
1952 Harry Anderson Newport RI, actor (Judge Harry Stone-Night Court)
1952 Nikolai Adrianov USSR, gymnast (Olympic-4 gold/2 silver/bronze-1976)
1953 Greg Evigan South Amboy NJ, actor (BJ-BJ & the Bear)
1956 Beth Daniel Charleston SC, LPGA golfer (1980 player of the year)
1958 Thomas Dolby rocker (She Blinded Me With Science)
1959 A.J. Pero Staten Is, drummer (Twisted Sister-Not Gonna Take It)
1961 Melanie Wilson actress (Jennifer-Perfect Strangers)
1961 Mike Tramp Denmark, heavy metal rocker (White Lion-Mane Attraction)
1967 Arleen Sorkin actress (Day of Our Life, America's Funniest Videos)

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Deaths which occurred on October 14:
0530 Dioscurus, anti-Pope (530), dies
1066 Harold II, King of England (1066), dies
1880 Victorio, Apache chief, killed by Mexican army
1944 Erwin Rommel German Field Marshall (WW II-Africa), dies at 52
1959 Errol Flynn actor, dies
1977 Bing Crosby dies of a heart attack at 74, in Madrid, Spain
1983 Paul Fix actor (Rifleman), dies at 82 of kidney failure
1986 Keenan Wynn actor (Dallas, Call to Glory, Last Precinct), dies at 70
1990 Leonard Bernstein composer (West Side Story), dies at 72

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 THOMAS DARWIN JOEL---SANTA CLARA CA.
1967 CONAWAY GARY LEE---BLUE ISLAND IL.
[REMAINS RETURNED 8/84]
1967 VAUGHAN ROBERT REDDINGTON---LOS ANGELES CA.

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
530 [Discorus] ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1066 Battle of Hastings, in which William the Conqueror wins England
1322 Robert the Bruce of Scotland defeats King Edward II of England at Byland, forcing Edward to accept Scotland's independence
1586 Mary Queen of Scots goes on trial for conspiracy against Elizabeth
1651 Laws are passed in Massachusetts forbidding the poor to adopt excessive styles of dress
1773 Britain's East India Company tea ships' cargo is burned at Annapolis, Md.
1774 1st Continental Congress is 1st to declare colonial rights (Phila)
1806 Battle of Auerstadt-French beat Prussians
1834 1st black to obtain a US patent, Henry Blair, for a corn planter
1843 British arrest Irish nationalist Daniel O'Connell for conspiracy
1862 Baseballer James Creighton ruptures bladder hitting HR, dies 10/18
1867 15th & last Tokugawa Shogun resigns in Japan
1884 George Eastman patents paper-strip photographic film
1905 NY Giants beats Phila A's, 4 games to 1 in 2nd World Series, Giant's Christy Mathewson's 3rd straight world series shutout
1906 All Chicago World Series, 1st AL victory, White Sox win 4 games to 2 (World Series #3)
1908 Cubs beat Tigers 4 games to 1 in 1st 5th World Series rematch
1912 Bull Moose Teddy Roosevelt shot while campaigning in Milwaukee
1920 Part of Petsamo province ceded by Soviet Union to Finland
1922 1st automated telephones-Pennsylvania exchange in NYC
1926 Alan Alexander Milne's book "Winnie-the-Pooh"
1929 Phila A's beat Chicago Cubs, 4 games to 1 in 26th World Series
1929 Philadelphia A's set world series record of 10 runs in an inning (World Series #26)
1933 Nazi Germany announces withdrawal from League of Nations
1934 "Lux Radio Theatre" premieres
1939 BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated) formed
1943 US 8th Air Force loses 60 B-17 bombers during assault on Schweinfurt
1944 German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel commits suicide rather than face trial for his part in an attempt to overthrow Hitler
1945 Chicago Cardinals end a record 29-game losing streak, beat Bears
1947 Chuck Yeager in Bell XS-1 makes 1st supersonic flight (Mach 1.015)
1949 14 US Communist Party leaders convicted of sedition
1950 Rev Sun Young Moon liberated from Hung Nam prison
1951 Det Lion Jack Christiansen returns 2 punts for touchdowns vs LA Rams
1953 Ike promises to fire as Red any federal worker taking 5th amendment
1958 Malagasy Republic becomes autonomous republic in French Community
1960 Peace Corps 1st suggested by JFK
1962 US U-2 espionage planes locate missile launchers in Cuba
1962 Houston Oiler George Blanda throws for 6 TD passes vs NY Titans 56-17
1964 Martin Luther King Jr wins Nobel Peace Prize
1965 Joe Engle in X-15 reaches 80 km
1965 Sandy Koufax hurls his 2nd shutout of world series beating Twins 2-0 (World Series #62)
1968 1st live telecast from a manned US spacecraft (Apollo 7)
1968 Gruener & Watson (US) set scuba depth record (133 m) in Bahamas
1968 J.R. Hines of US runs 100 m in world record 9.95 sec
1969 Race riots in Springfield Mass
1970 Cleve Cavaliers lose to Buffalo Braves in their 1st game 107-92
1971 2 killed in Memphis racial disturbances
1975 Pres Ford escapes injury when his limousine is struck broadside
1976 Chris Chambliss' 9th inning lead off homer gives Yanks pennant #30
1976 Soyuz 23 carries 2 to Salyut 6, but returns without docking
1977 Linda Ronstadt sings the national anthem at the 74th World Series
1978 1st TV movie from a TV series-"Rescue from Gilligan's Island"
1978 Despite Denis Potvin hat trick in 3:21 Islanders lose 7-10, making Islander record when scoring a hat trick-22-2-1
1979 Flyers start 35 game unbeaten streak beating Toronto 4-3
1979 NHL's greatest scorer Wayne Gretsky scores his 1st NHL goal
1980 Bob Marley's last concert
1980 Pres nominee Ronald Reagan promises to name a woman to Supreme Court
1982 6,000 Unification church couples wed in Korea
1982 Islanders assessed 108 penalty minutes Penguins 125 (233 total)
1982 NY Islanders greatest shutout margin (9-0) vs Pittsburgh Penguins
1983 US Marine peacekeeper Sgt Allen Soifert killed by sniper in Beirut
1984 Detroit Tigers beat SD Padres, 4 games to 1 in 81st World Series
1985 On Mon Night football, Jets retire Joe Namath's #12, beat Miami 23-7
1986 Concentration camp survivor Elie Wiesel wins Nobel Peace Prize
1986 The IOC decides to stagger the Winter & Summer Olympic schedule
1986 Tim Kides of West NY, NJ performs 25,000 leg raises in 11:57:15
1987 In Midland, Tx 1«-year-old Jessica McClure falls 22' (7m) down a well
1988 Mike Tyson countersues Robin Givens for divorce and annulment
1988 NJ Devils raise their 1st pennant (Patrick Div Playoff Champs)
1989 Texas A&I, Johnny Bailey sets NCAA season rush record at 6,085 yards
1990 Jeff Goldblum & wife Geena Davis file for divorce
1990 SF 49er Joe Montana passes for 6 touchdowns vs Atlanta (45-35)
1994 - Nobel Prize awarded to Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin & Shimon Peres

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Bangladesh : Durga Puja
Malagasy Rep : Independence Day (1958)
Maryland : Peggy Stewart Day-US sinks ship against taxes (1774)
Peo's Dem Rep of Yemen (South Yemen) : Independence Day (1962)
Western Samoa : White Sunday (2nd Sunday) (Sunday)
Canada : Thanksgiving Day (Monday)
Florida : Farmers' Day (1915) (Monday)
Hawaii : Discoverer's Day (Monday)
US : Columbus Day (1492) (Monday)
Virgin Is & Puerto Rico : Friendship Day (Monday)
Firefighters Week (Day 2)
[CT, NY, MA] Dictionary Week (Day 3)
national lower case day
Country Music Month
National Sarcastics' Awareness Month

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Religious Observances
Orth : Protection (Intercession) of Mary (10/1 OS)
RC : Memorial of St Callistus I, pope (217-222), martyr (opt)
Ang : Commemoration of St Teresa of Avila

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Religious History
1656 The first punitive legislation in Massachusetts against Quakers was enacted. (The marriage of church-and-state in Puritanism made them regard the ritual-free Quakers as spiritually apostate and politically subversive).
1735 Methodist pioneer John Wesley first set sail to America, to minister to the Indians under Georgia Gov. Oglethorpe. On this same date, Wesley began keeping his famous, 55-year-long journal, whose last entry was dated Oct 24, 1790.
1835 Birth of William G. Fischer, American sacred chorister. Three of his compositions later became hymn tunes: FISCHER ("Whiter Than Snow"), HANKEY ("I Love to Tell the Story") and ROCK OF REFUGE ("The Rock That is Higher Than I").
1876 Birth of Harry A. Ironside, American clergyman. Converted at 14, he preached for the Salvation Army, later for the Plymouth Brethren. From 1930-1948, he pastored at the Moody Memorial Church in Chicago.
1983 The National Council of Churches issued "The Inclusive Language Lectionary -- " Scripture readings translated to omit or blur gender references. God was thus called "Father and Mother" or "the One"; and "man" was replaced by "humanity" or "humankind." The translation proved shortlived.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead; his eyes are closed."

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Confucius Say...
Man who eat many prunes get good run for money.

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Murphys Law of the day...
In any calculation, any error which can creep in will do so.

---

Astounding fact # 654,985...
The word "Checkmate" in chess comes from the Persian phrase "Shah Mat", which means "the king is dead".

[tomkow6]

1890 Dwight D Eisenhower Denison, Tx (R) 34th Pres (1953-1961)

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Thirty-Fourth President
1953-1961

Born: October 14, 1890 in Denison, Texas

Died: March 28, 1969 in Washington D.C.

[Radix]

1066 Battle of Hastings, in which William the Conqueror wins England

 

"...the Battle of Hastings that was fought on the 14th October 1066. An event so significant, it completely changed the course of English history. To speak of this battle without recourse to the events that came before, would be an injustice to the people of this island who have fought and died for her. What makes this event so important to the English is the immutable fact that it was the last time any foreign power was to conquer her.."

 

[Radix]

Tomkow, did you break the Canteen again?

It seems that every single click of my mouse takes 10 times longer than what is ordinary.

I just finished another book while waiting around at the keyboard for crying out loud.

[tomkow6]

As I said a few days ago:

The Universe is undergoing a MAJOR re-alignment!

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Kathy in Alaska]

Duty ~ Honor ~ Country

Click above to visit "A Day in the Life of President Bush"

[Radix]

1906 All Chicago World Series, 1st AL victory, White Sox win 4 games to 2 (World Series #3)

 

 

I suppose that the Red Sox were not considered to be from the AL when they won the 1st World Series in the year 1903!

[Kathy in Alaska]

A PRAYER OF PROTECTION

The light of God surround you
The love of God enfold you
The power of God protect you
The presence of God watch over you
Wherever you are,God is,
And all is well.
Amen.

Bless This House

Bless this house O Lord we pray;
Make it safe by night and day;
Bless these walls so firm and stout,
Keeping want and trouble out:
Bless the roof and chimneys tall,
Let thy peace lie over all;
Bless this door, that it may prove
ever open to joy and love.


Bless these windows shining bright,
Letting in God's heav'nly light;
Bless the hearth a'blazing there,
with smoke ascending like a prayer;
Bless the folk who dwell within,
keep them pure and free from sin;
Bless us all that we may be
Fit O Lord to dwell with thee;
Bless us all that one day we
May dwell O Lord with thee.

(Click on praying hands above, or on banner at the top to hear the music)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, Aeronaut and Otto, and thank you both for your dedication to the flyover of protection for our troops' Canteen, a place where we offer a "touch of home" for our troops, our veterans, their families, and our allies. FR is so slow, so I'm trying not to push any buttons a second time. ARGHHHHH.....this is annoying.

[HiJinx]

Good Morning, Kathy, I see it's getting chilly there.
Do you have your windbreaker handy?

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Kathy.(HUGS)How's it going?

Folks, FR is a little bit slow this morning. Not sure what's going on but it's a little slow.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, Kiddo! It's Tuesday! How are you today? It's cold at my house and FR is slow as molasses.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning Troops, families, veterans, Israeli, British, Australian, Polish, and Italian allies (and everybody else, and all the ships at sea). Thank you for taking such good care of the USA.

Today in Anchorage, Alaska:

Sunrise 8:40am
Sunset 6:49pm

Hi 44°F
Lo 36°F

Considerable cloudiness

Actual yesterday in Anchorage:

Hi 42°F
Lo 30°F

State Hi 55°F Adak
State Lo 5°F Snowshoe Lake

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, Grampa. As I left work last night, wearing my windbreaker, and sat in my vehicle waiting for it to warm up a tad, I decided it was time to get out a coat! BRRRRR...

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good Tuesday morning, Tom! Good Tuesday morning, Patriotic Pattie!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, E! Hope your weather is treating you well. It's getting cold here. I have to get a coat out today, and there is a high wind advisory.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[Soaring Feather]

Hey Tom!!
How are the CUBS doing?????