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Then the imponderable happened. In the third century A.D., Iran changed from a passive to a powerfully offensive nation under a revitalized religion, a monotheist religion, the worship of Ahura Mazda, the Lord of Truth, the religion that had once been prophesied by Zoroaster. Iran began to sweep into the frontiers of the Roman Empire, which were too stretched in terms of its military and other commitments. As a result, the Persian forces swept right through the fairest provinces of the Roman East. At the same time, the Germanic tribes formed new federations and coalitions and swept into the Roman Empire in the West, including Gaul and Britain.

What apparently really happened, is that a climate change had occurred that put pressure on the "horse people" of the steppe, who pushed outward against both the Persians and the Germanic tribes, who then pushed against Rome.

Dr. Fears seems ultimately to have missed out on the real problem with Rome: it fell because Roman citizens had lost their energy -- they were decadent, and had decided to hire foreign soldiers to fight their wars for them. In the words of John Adams, they had ceased to be "moral and religious." And so when push came to shove, they found themselves morally unequal to the task of defending themselves.

But WHY did the Roman Citizens lose their energy? Did they suffer from cultural undermining as we do today? Was it their welfare state (bread & circuses)?

I think people that are enslaved DO yearn for freedom. It is those who are coddled that choose security.

What apparently really happened, is that a climate change had occurred that put pressure on the "horse people" of the steppe, who pushed outward against both the Persians and the Germanic tribes, who then pushed against Rome

What's interesting is that these tribes were pushed in the East by China whose Emperors took on raids against these nomads to prevent them attacking China and they expanded their northern defense walls. So, the Chinese caused the attacks on Rome ;-P