Roman Empire example essay topic
Caligula killed his sister among many other people and made his favorite horse a senator. Nero murdered his wife and mother and was accused of setting fire to Rome. Also, The laws of the empire favored the rich land owners and there were many assassinations. After the wars, farmland was destroyed and farmers were forced to move into the city to find employment. There were very little job opportunities though. Prisoners of war became slaves and there was no longer a need for paid workers.
The cities became overpopulated which led to extreme poverty. The rich showed no concern for the poor citizens. Instead of helping them, they gave them entertainment and bread to keep them happy and out of trouble. This is commonly known as bread and circus. Family values went down which caused traditions to go down. There was less discipline and fewer enrolled in the army.
There were also many economic reasons for the fall of the empire. The widespread slavery discouraged citizens from inventing new tools and using technology. Products such as pottery and textiles were made as cheaply, simply, and easily as possible. When plague hit the empire the population went drastically down.
There were many frequent civil wars and attacks and taxes were constantly being increased. Although the size of the Empire was very large and they had strengths in law, language and engineering, there were many problems that cause the empire to fall in 476 AD. Poor leaders, unfair laws, and frequent assassinations contributed to the political problems. Some of the social problems were over-populated cities and an increase in slaves. Economic problems were the lack of invention and technology, increased taxes and civil wars.