The Fall of Rome

Read the passage below and then answer the question: Was foreign invasion the only reason that the Roman Empire fell?

Many issues arose within the Roman Empire. Romans no longer had the traditional values of duty, courage, and honesty. Dishonest government officials took bribes, a few talented citizens wanted to hold government office. Interest and support for education declined, and many wealthy Romans simply stopped paying taxes. Enslaved laborers now made up a large part of the empire’s population. Rome’s weakened government led to a weakened economy during the A.D. 200s. Roman soldiers and foreign invaders attacked farms and disrupted trade. These attacks led to food shortages, and food prices soared. People had less money to spend, so they bought fewer goods. The price of wheat from Egypt rose from seven or eight drachmae (a type of money) per unit to 120,000. Merchants saw their profits decline, forcing many out of business. Many workers lost their jobs. Along with the hardships that came with income and wages falling, food shortages, and not having enough money to spend, Romans were also battling diseases that were beginning to spread throughout the empire. Odoacer ruled Rome for almost 15 years. The Germanic peoples, however, continued to fight amongst themselves. During Odoacer’s rule, a group of Visigoths attacked the city of Rome. After much fighting, they seized the city and killed Odoacer. They set up their new kingdom in Italy under their leader, Theodoric. Elsewhere in Europe, other Germanic kingdoms arose and came to power. The Western Roman Empire ceased to exist. Pope Gregory I wrote about the fall of Rome and how it affected people who had lived within its borders.