THE REASONS FOR THE FALL OF ROME

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[briarbey b]

Give a present day example:

Decline in Morals and Values

Public Health

Political Corruption

Unemployment

Urban decay

Inferior Technology

Military Spending

Make a prediction about the future of the United States.

[y6162]

I don’t know about you, but I’ll go down shooting.

[RightWhale]

Rome fell because it moved. Left town. Bu-bye. Sayonara. Later. Look around, it’s still here. The Roman Empire still owns the planet.

[Republic of Texas]

Welcome to the Dark Ages!

[Welcome2thejungle]

Disturbingly familiar patterns.

Now we have our first Caligula preparing to take the helm.

The ancient Romans had a saying, “vae victis”—woe to the vanquished.

Indeed.

[Canedawg]

The parallels are apparent.

[TonyStark]

I don’t know about you, but I’ll go down shooting.

I'm with ya.

[Caipirabob]

Their men cared more about their "Fox holes" than fighting for freedom?

[AuntB]

"The Roman Republic fell, not because of the ambition of Caesar or Augustus, but because it had already long ceased to be in any real sense a republic at all. When the sturdy Roman plebeian, who lived by his own labor, who voted without reward according to his own convictions, and who with his fellows formed in war the terrible Roman legion, had been changed into an idle creature who craved nothing in life save the gratification of a thirst for vapid excitement, who was fed by the state, and who directly or indirectly sold his vote to the highest bidder, then the end of the republic was at hand, and nothing could save it. The laws were the same as they had been, but the people behind the laws had changed, and so the laws counted for nothing." - Teddy Roosevelt

[spyone]

One relatively new theory is population decline.

[mbarker12474]

Christianity made people into pacifists??

Yes. First and second Christianity was notable for its pacifism.

[stuartcr]

???Fall of any similar society???

[RexBeach]

I thought it was due to Roman warming? :)

[RightWhale]

The City of Rome went from over a million to about 10,000. It’s back now, and then some.

[El Sordo]

Let’s not forget the final point of factional infighting.

[yankeedame]

Yes. First and second Christianity was notable for its pacifism.

Actually they were. They felt the end of the world/the return of Christ was imminent and so why bother?

[outofstyle]

The parallels are apparent.

Don't forget the massive grain distributions of the later Roman Empire. This welfare scheme was started for the same reasons that the modern welfare state was created, to cause dependence and thereby consolidate political power. It contributed to the softening and decay of that society, just as it has in our own.

[bert]

Rome fell becase Carthage was vanquished. Had Carthage been victorious, there would have been no Rome to fall.