History Fact Finder | War and Conflict: Pre-Twentieth Century - If The Roman Empire Was So Powerful, Why Did It Fall?

If the Roman Empire was so powerful, why did it fall?

The Roman Empire fell because it became so large that a single ruler—even a powerful emperor—could not effectively control it. By 27 B.C., the empire stretched across Europe and parts of Africa and the Middle East. After the death of Emperor Theodosius I (370–395), the Roman Empire split into the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire. Various Germanic tribes, including the Vandals and Visigoths, attacked the Western Roman Empire. In the East, the Persians threatened the empire, forcing the Romans to defend themselves on several fronts. In 455 the Vandals ravaged Rome. Finally, in 476 the Germanic chieftain Odoacer (433–493) over-threw the last ruler, Romulus Augustulus (c. 450 to ?), officially ending the Western Roman Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire remained more or less intact, but became known as the Byzantine Empire. This mostly...

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