Constantine the Great, 306-337 C.E., divided the Roman Empire in two and made Christianity
The dominant religion in the region. The invading army reached the outskirts of Rome, which
It had been left totally undefended. In 410 C.E., the Visigoths, led by Alaric, breached the walls of
Rome and sacked the capital of the Roman Empire. The Visigoths looted, burned, and pillaged
Their way through the city, leaving a wake of destruction wherever they went. The plundering
Continued for three days. For the first time in nearly a millennium, the city of Rome was in the
Hands of someone other than the Romans. This was the first time that the city of Rome was
Sacked, but by no means the last.
One of the many factors that contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire was the rise of a
New religion, Christianity. The Christian religion, which was monotheistic, ran counter to the
Traditional Roman religion, which was polytheistic (many gods). At different times, the Romans
Persecuted the Christians because of their beliefs, which were popular among the poor. In 313
C.E., Roman emperor Constantine the Great ended all persecution and declared toleration for
Christianity. Later that century, Christianity became the official state religion of the Empire. This
The drastic change in policy spread this relatively new religion to every corner of the Empire. By
Approving Christianity, the Roman state directly undermined its religious traditions. Finally, by
This time, Romans considered their emperor a god. But the Christian belief in one god — who
Was not the emperor — weakened the authority and credibility of the emperor. Constantine
Enacted another change that helped accelerate the fall of the Roman Empire. In 330 C.E., he
split the empire into two parts: the western half centered in Rome and the eastern half
Centered in Constantinople, a city he named after himself.
The western Empire spoke Latin and was Roman Catholic. The eastern Empire spoke Greek
And worshiped under the Eastern Orthodox branch of the Christian church. Over time, the
The east thrived, while the west declined. In fact, after the western part of the Roman Empire fell,
the eastern half continued to exist as the Byzantine Empire for hundreds of years. Therefore,
the "fall of Rome" really refers only to the fall of the western half of the Empire. Other
Fundamental problems contributed to the fall. In the economically ailing west, a decrease in
Agricultural production led to higher food prices. The western half of the empire had a large
Trade deficit with the eastern half. The west purchased luxury goods from the east, but had
Nothing to offer in exchange. To make up for the lack of money, the government began
Producing more coins with less silver content. This led to inflation. Finally, piracy and attacks
From Germanic tribes disrupted the flow of trade, especially in the west. There were political
And military difficulties, as well. It didn't help matters that political amateurs were in control of
Rome in the years leading up to its fall. Army generals dominated the emperors, and
Corruption was rampant. Over time, the military was transformed into a mercenary army with
No real loyalty to Rome. As money grew tight, the government hired the cheaper and less
Reliable Germanic soldiers to fight in Roman armies. By the end, these armies were defending
Rome against their fellow Germanic tribesmen. Under these circumstances, the sack of Rome
Came as no surprise.
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