Karen Ha September 8, 2011 Rydell High The ancient city of Rome, which lasted for a countless number of years,

was prosperous, full of culture, and very advanced for their time. Rome was so influential that the ideas they instilled in their culture, such as satire and a democratic government, can be still seen in todays society. Starting in roughly 476 A.D., the Roman Empire began to decline. There are many speculations as to why the great city fell and the reasons for the decline are much disputed. Although there were several things that led to the decline of the ancient city, the most important reason it fell is because of the political corruption. When Rome first began, it was ruled by kings, who were later overthrown after about three hundred years. Around the year 509 B.C.E., the Roman Republic was established, which was based on equality and justice. There was no one ruler who dictated all of the laws; rather, everything was voted on by numerous people in power, much like the current government of the United States. When problems began to arise, such as civil war, the Republic ended and the city was left in weak state. The economy was poor, the food supply was small, and many people were without homes. The citizens of Rome needed stability which soon came when Octavian became ruler. Thus began the Principate of Augustus, a period of time which acted as a transition from the Republican period into the Imperial Age. The Imperial Age was the period of time from C.E. 14-476, where emperors ruled the city of Rome, exercising complete control over its citizens. This was the way Rome was ruled for a long time, up until the fall of the great city. Towards the end of the Imperial Age, the people of Rome began to lose interest in making Rome richer, larger, and lasting. They lost their devotion and loyalty and became more interested in making themselves as individuals greater, instead of their city. Due to this decline in patriotism, corruption quickly formed in the government and the city of Rome began its gradual decline. The Imperial Age started well, with good rulers who sincerely wanted the best for their city. They instilled discipline and conquered new lands, bringing Rome to its peak of power and fortune. Unfortunately, the Empire began to decline around the time emperor Marcus Aurelius died in 180. Many bad rulers then came into power, such as Commodus, who ruled Rome from 180 to 192. He played and excelled in many hunting games and demanded to be called Hercules. After a big fire in the city, he chose to appoint himself as the second founder of Rome and officially renamed it as Colonia Commodiana which means Colony of Commodus. Eventually, he was poisoned and killed and another emperor took his place. It is evident that Commodus was the beginning of the demoralization of the Roman government, a tell tale sign of what the future would be like. Another emperor who took advantage of the power of his position was Elagabalus, who was only fourteen years old when he became emperor. Instead of trying to better Rome, Elagabalus used his position to attempt to make himself appear perfect and more powerful. He

considered himself a god and tried to make Rome see him as one as well. He had a temple created in honor of himself and disregarded the Roman gods as if they were his inferiors. Elagabalus was killed after four years of rule by his people. Rome had many dishonest emperors who were more concerned with gaining money and power rather than the welfare of the city and its citizens. Nevertheless, honest emperors who were able to fix the errors of the past would come into power and restore the good. Towards the end of the Imperial age, however, bad emperor after bad emperor was appointed, with no one to correct their mistakes. This created a multitude of problems with no way out. The Romans never established a consistent system for choosing new rulers. This led to much corruption and competition for the title of emperor. Being ruler of Rome guaranteed the power to make new laws and govern the city however they pleased. It would also mean they would have enough money to spoil themselves with extravagant meals and over-the-top parties. Many Roman men found this desirable and attempted to buy a place on the throne. In 193, the previous emperor was assassinated and Rome was in need of a new one. A man named Sulpicianus promised a large sum of money to be made ruler of Rome. Then, Didius Julianus stepped forward, promising an even larger amount. As a result, he was quickly made emperor of Rome. People no longer cared if emperors-to-be had no knowledge or interest in restoring Rome to what it once was- they preferred whoever offered the most money, a certain sign that corruption was taking place of the honesty and determination of the past. In addition to the incompetent people in charge, the government became run more and more by the rich. A large significance was placed on money, more so then in the past. Money could do more than buy food and clothes- it could make unextraordinary people into rulers. This gave much more power to the rich than they ever had before. All of these things put together made for a steady rise in political corruption and the gradual decline of the great Roman Empire. Rome started out as a prosperous city of rich culture and hard work. The city continued to flourish for many, many years until its decline in 476 A.D., which was caused by a multitude of problems, the most important being corruption in the government. The political corruption formed due to many reasons, such as the rise in power of the rich, the loss of patriotism, their lack of a system for choosing new emperors, and the insistent greed for wealth and power. If not for the corruption, Rome could have continued to evolve and advance, perhaps postponing or even preventing the approaching Dark Ages.

WORK CITED "Illustrated History of the Roman Empire." The Roman Empire. Web. 8 Sept. 2011. <http://www.roman-empire.net/>. Nelson, Eric. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Roman Empire. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha, 2002. Print. PBS. "The Roman Empire: In The First Century | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. PBS, 2006. Web. 8 Sept. 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/index.html>. Rome Info. "Fall of the Roman Empire." Rome.info. 2009. Web. 8 Sept. 2011. <http://www.rome.info/history/empire/fall/>.