The Fall of the Roman Empire Essay Example

The Fall of the Roman Empire Essay Example The Fall of the Roman Empire Essay The Fall of the Roman Empire Essay In the year 610 A.D. the Roman Empire had reduced to only that area east of Pannonia and the transition from a Pagan culture to a Christian culture was one in which the continuity of the empire was virtually nonexistent.We can follow these difficulties from the early migrations to Justinians quest for one God for the empire. In the beginning, the Roman Empire ruled by an extraordinary military and the subsequent expansion which could continually finance the empires many endeavors.This trend seemed to last until the third century. The Macomannian Wars put an end to expansion and produced disorganization in the political system.In addition to these problems, a manpower shortage, caused by both the lack of expansion and disease, hurt the economic status of the empire. Diocletian took control of the empire through a military coup in 284 A.D.He immediately recognized the need for the division of the vast empire.Diocletian divided the empire into halves and developed a tetrarchy to rul e the two regions.This, however, did not solve the problem of succession and after his retirement in 305 A.D. war ensued once again. Constantine took control in 324 A.D.He immediately reorganized the military structure in that he removed the jurisdiction of the praetorian prefects, nominated a magister militi, and developed the comitatus; a more mobile, more prestigious, central army.He also organized many new offices designed to carry out civil service.In addition to these changes, he also established Constantinople, formerly Byzantium, as the new capital in the East.His most important contribution to the fate of the empire was, however, his recognition of Christianity. The conversion of the empire to Christianity was a very difficult event.The empire possessed a tradition of Pagan forms and this transition would bring about contradictions and even denials toward its past.The conversion of Constantine himself is