Fall of Rome. . . causes

Some of the causes of the fall of Rome are very interesting in their modern correspondance to America. One of the causes I've heard cited was the need for immigrant laborers. Rome was extremely short on laborers and imported large numbers of immigrants which it did not require to learn the language or customs of Rome, or to require assimilation. Another problem was a military stretched too thin. Rome could take on any military on earth and win, but couldn't handle all of them (exageration, I know). Rome was involved in too many conflicts to be able to put enough soldiers into a given conflict, hence they were picked apart by the smaller surrounding peoples. And again, the moral decline of the Empire, it's leaders and aristocrats, cannot be overlooked. Loose morals gave rise to shady intrigues that weakened the empire for personal gain. There are many other reasons as well, but, as an American, it seems we should pay attention to at least these, because they seem to be happening increasingly to us.

As for any other: "problems of ... communication". It grew bigger than their "stratas" could afford, so it fragmented itself. (In my personal and Gibbon-ignoring opinion) I heard something similar about Alexander's and Gengis&Kubilai's empires. With regard to Rome, some said that it's decadence was due to lead-poisoning from the pipes of "aquaeducti"... No comment!

Any civilization that consistenly shuts God out, is doomed for failure. Which makes me afraid for America.

They had become so large and couldn't protect all their teritory without paying barbarians. When you are the greaterst army and you still have to pay barbarians to protect you, it is finished.

There are many reasons for the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Part of it was the lack of interest and good management with the head of the empire being in Constantanople. Probably another point would be the lead from the pipes in the cities. A portion was the fact that the armies were off in other places in the empire leaving Rome fairly unprotected, thinking geography would keep it safe. But mostly was the lack of interest in the western portion of the empire by the emperors in the east.

Before I start Rome bashing, I just wanted to say for an empire that fell in 476 (date for the fall of Rome is acceptable because that's when the Germanic Odoacer deposed the last emperor ruling from Rome) the current Romans are doing very well for themselves. They may no longer rule a vast empire, but their history, particularly architecturally, remains. So, to me, ina way Rome has never really fallen, it has just diminished. Onto the theories. I think it was a combination of decadence, moral decay amongst the ruling class, and as others have also mentioned, the lead theory has some real value. I think for the common people, watching their empire fall was a long, slow military and economic exercise. They had to watch the corruption and their once great empire slip into irreperable harm.

i live in rome:)

Freedom for everyone.Roman empire has large territory.and there is cruelly control by roman.That is the key point for resident resisting.

The Roman Empire fall because the last emperors were so idiots! Of course the size of the Empire prevent a good overall management of the empire, this thing helping the fall of Rome, but the incompetence of the last rulers is the main factor! And of course religion, this broke the empire in half! The nomads gave lots of help in braking the empire too! No Empire can rule 4 ever!