Decline Cometh Before A Fall

By: The National Bacon

The Roman Empire was the original European cultural, economic, and military power house, eventually stretching from Britain to Mesopotamia at it's greatest height of power.  The Roman civilization was so powerful and long lived that even today the echo of her cultural impact is palpable in the institutions, language, and customs of the modern Western world.  Apart from these cultural echos and the artifacts that amuse the visitors in museums, the Roman world once so powerful, vibrant, and vital is long gone.  The tale of the decline and fall of the Roman world serves as one of history's great lessons; nothing, not matter how large and influential it once was, is guaranteed to be permanent.

Many factors led to the decline and eventual fall of the western portion of the Roman Empire, however one salient factor was the failure of the Roman state to repel the continuous invasions by Germanic tribes and the slow yet continual conquest of Roman territory

An excellent read for those interested in the decline and fall of Rome is Rome's Barbarian Mercenaries by David G. Frye.  I highly recommed it for anyone interested in how a civilization that loses interest in defending itself, its own culture, and its territory opens itself to destruction.

For civilizations that no longer fight for their own interests and survival, all roads lead to Rome in the end.