this post was submitted on 27 Feb 2025
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Definitely not due to overexpansion. 'Fascism' is a questionable label, but self-destruction, certainly. All of Rome's institutions were hollowed out in service to autocracy, which, in turn, empowered an aristocracy wholly dependent on that same autocracy at the expense of the rest of society.
That barbarians were loudly and insistently knocking at the door was just the trigger of the collapse, not the underlying cause.
I was referring to the ungovernability of the empire due to its sheer size, not just the barbarian invasions they were spread too thin to defend against.
https://www.history.com/news/8-reasons-why-rome-fell
Someone's citing history at PugJesus!
I wish Lemmy would let me subscribe to this thread.
The Empire wasn't ungovernable, though. Far from it. In fact, Roman governance was remarkably maintained throughout the decline and fall. As your quote demonstrates, claims that Rome fell to overexpansion rely on issues of defense.
And the issue of defending Rome's borders is a complex topic, but one where overexpansion is a very questionable position.