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The fall of the Western Roman Empire, also called the fall of the Roman Empire or the fall of Rome, was the loss of central political control in the Western Roman Empire, a process in which the Empire failed to enforce its rule, and its vast territory was divided among several successor polities.
In 1984, Alexander Demandt enumerated 210 different theories on why Rome fell, and new theories have since emerged. [1] [2] Gibbon himself explored ideas of internal decline (civil wars, the disintegration of political, economic, military, and other social institutions) and of attacks from outside the empire.
Theodosius I is the only emperor that is definitely known to have visited Rome between 363 and 395. [8] Valentinian III moved his court to Rome in 450 and stayed there for the remainder of his life. [9] The population of the city had fallen from 700,000-1,000,000 at the end of the 4th century to 300,000-500,000 by 455. [10]
Nevertheless, the city of Rome retained a paramount position as "the eternal city" and a spiritual center of the Empire. This was the first time in almost 800 years that Rome had fallen to a foreign enemy, and the sack was a major shock to contemporaries, friends and foes of the Empire alike.
The 5th century is the time period from AD 401 (represented by the Roman numerals CDI) through AD 500 (D) in accordance with the Julian calendar. The 5th century is noted for being a period of migration and political instability throughout Eurasia. It saw the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, which came to a formal end in 476 AD.
The 5th century involves the final fall of the Western Roman Empire to Goths, Vandals, Alans, Huns, Franks and other peoples. Gothic War (401-403), a Visigothic invasion of Italy led by Alaric I [16] 402 Siege of Asti (402) – Visigoths besieged Western Emperor Honorius in Asti until March, when Stilicho sent reinforcements.
The Western Roman Empire began to disintegrate in the early 5th century. The Romans fought off all invaders, most famously Attila , [ 42 ] but the empire had assimilated so many Germanic peoples of dubious loyalty to Rome that the empire started to dismember itself. [ 43 ]
The domination of the state by the three-man group of the First Triumvirate—Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey—from 59 BC did little to restore order or peace in Rome. [65] The first "triumvirate" dominated republican politics by controlling elections, continually holding office, and violating the law through their long periods of ex officio ...