10 unconventional reasons for the Collapse of the Roman Empire (Pt.2)

🔴 YOU WANT TO SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL? 🔴
🤗 Join our Patreon community: / maiorianus
Or become an official Maiorianus member on KZbin: / maiorianus461
This is our second video on this topic, you can find the first one here: • Video
But as the first ten reasons were not enough to cover this complex topic, I felt that we must produce another video to explore the other 10 most important reasons for the Fall of the Roman Empire. Why and how did it fall? What were the most important reasons?
🤗 One-Time Donation?
- PayPal: paypal.me/Maiorianus
- Bitcoin: bc1qv4lsfsplvfecrrgvmfclhga28we7mvh9563xdj
🔗 Share the video with anyone who might be interested (it helps a ton!)
👍 Subscribe to our videos FOR FREE: kzbin.info...
Our main source for this video:
📚 One of our favorite books about the Fall of the Roman Empire, "The Fall of Rome" by Bryan Ward-Perkins: amzn.to/3FXeDNg
📚 My favorite Novel of the late Roman Empire, "Julian" by Gore Vidal: amzn.to/3mZwOdJ
📚 BEST BOOKS ON THE HISTORY OF THE CITY OF ROME: 📚
1. "History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages" by Ferdinand Gregorovius amzn.to/3yOvjEd
2. "Rome: Profile of a City, 312-1308" by Richard Krautheimer amzn.to/3yyChgp
3. "Rome: An Urban History from Antiquity to the Present" by Rabun Taylor amzn.to/322ClsZ
These are all excellent books if you are like me, absolutely fascinated by the transition of Rome from late antiquity to the early medieval period.
The wonderful background music is by Adrian von Ziegler: • Relaxing Roman Music -...
🎦 FILMING EQUIPMENT WE USE: 🎦
Webcam: amzn.to/3yFSFvu
Microphone: amzn.to/3e2ZFsW
Disclosures: Some links in the description are affiliate links which means that if you purchase something by clicking on one of them, your host Sebastian will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. In this way you will be supporting the channel to improve the video production quality at no extra cost to you.
📬 Contact us: [e-mail]
#Maiorianus

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

🎁 The full list of perks we offer to our patrons: www.patreon.com/Maiorianus

[@BonanzaRoad]

Exceptional overview exploring the topic of why the Roman Empire declined and ultimately collapsed. Excellent insightful observations and perceptive logical analysis. There were multiple reasons spread out over centuries that eventually brought down Rome. Our world today feels a bit like we are reliving the past in some ways.

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Helly and thanks a lot JeffTownUSA :) I am glad you like the video. Yes, it is a very complex topic, and multiple reasons were at play. Ah yes, then you will certainly like the next video, where I will compare the state of the modern West, to the Western Roman Empire ;)

[@vgusberti]

Your videos are continuously improving. Congrats.

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Thanks a lot, Amicus !

[@personifiedape5347]

Britannia was rich in tin and lead and with lead silver the backbone of the economy. Just to add to this Britannia was rich in metal alloys including copper, iron and gold to lesser extent. Britannia was one of the main sources for lead and tin. Becoming the most important (for a time due to complaints from Hispania) lead supplier in the empire. While Britannia was not the most profitable areas it still held great significance on an empire reliant on metals.

[@joshbaker6682]

It's guys like this, is the reason I browse the comments. You could make a documentary just out of your reply lool

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

@Personified Ape While I do agree that Britannia had some precious metals, we must keep in mind that the Romans didn't invade because of their knowledge of Lead and Tin reserves, and the Roman Empire worked quite well before Britannia was invaded, now did it? One must always see the Pros and Cons of the argument, and the Cons for Brtiannia were A LOT higher than the pros. You can be sure that they would have found lead and tin elsewhere. Also, their largest gold mines were in the Medulla mountains, Spain, which dwarfed the gold output from Britannia.

[@personifiedape5347]

@@Maiorianus_Sebastian the Romans knew full well Britannia was rich in metal alloys. There were mines long before Rome turned up. Also it’s not like Britons weren’t trading over the English Channel. They had very close relationships with the Gauls. Are you expecting me to believe the Romans somehow didn’t realise and they came across it accidentally. I’m sorry the Romans were far too calculating especially at this point in history. Britannia served its purpose and once it became uneconomical they quick scarpered out of there. As for gold I did say on lesser extent. The whole point of my statement was Britannia wasn’t just a burden and a waste of time. It was a vital component of the early Roman Empire. Also my comment wasn’t there to downplay your list just to inform others who might be new to the Roman Empire/republic telling them what Britannia main function was.

[@ale-xsantos1078]

I'd say all that lead was more of a con than a plus Rome was plagued with lead poisoning and adding more to it was to literally poison the Empire

[@personifiedape5347]

@@ale-xsantos1078 true but with lead also comes silver. While Britannia’s lead wasn’t the highest silver content lead it was important still. Did you know some of the illegal mints in Britannia actually produced higher quality silver denarius than the official mints around the empire.

[@audrey2658]

i said it in another video but ill say it again here-- easily the most calming voice on youtube. Period. I could, can, and will listen to you talk for hours on end about absolutely anything.

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Hi Audrey, hehe, thanks a lot :) I feel really flattered XD

[@theicepickthatkilledtrotsk658]

The main problem with the province of Britannica was that the island was not fully conquered. The entire province needed to be turned into a fortress and be on alert at all times for raids by the Caledonians, draining much-needed resources and troops. If the entire island was pacified it would have been easier to govern and cheaper as well.

[@septimiusseverus343]

_Hell, I should know. I poured vast amounts of blood and treasure into conquering the rest of that frozen desert, rebuilt the Antonine Wall, and split the province in two to reduce potential usurpations. Even went full - on genocide against the natives to crush all resistance. And all I got was 50,000 dead soldiers, a full scale guerrilla war on my hands, a chieftain's wife insulting my good lady, and me dying of gout as my sons were fighting over my deathbed._

[@causantinthescot]

@@septimiusseverus343 Your eldest son is mediocre or poor/ below average, and younger is irrelevant. I hope your eldest son is like a more matured version of Severus Alexander.* I am not knocking on him, I think he is as underrated as you Severus. Though you are more underrated than him. Ave!

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

@@septimiusseverus343 Hehehe !

[@RalphEllis]

Indeed - there was always a surplus of legions in Britannia, who were dangerous when idle. That is why they were tasked with building walls all over the place - to keep them busy and out if trouble….! R

[@shamsishraq6831]

@@septimiusseverus343 Where is this from?

[@flaviusstilicho397]

It started with Septimius Severus whose actions turned Rome more into a military dictatorship, and he debased the silver denarius from 81.5 percent to 78.5 percent and then to 78.5 percent to 64.5 percent and finally to 54 percent, he also boosted the Roman soldier’s pay a trend later continued on by Caracalla and Maximinus Thrax, also he increased the legions size from 30 legions to 33 legions making the roman army 165,000+ strong

[@LordWyatt]

For all his conquests and changes…he still failed to conquer the rest of Britainia, Persia, or Germania

[@septimiusseverus343]

@@LordWyatt _I failed to conquer Britannia because I died. I failed to conquer Parthia due partially logistical troubles and it being more of a massive raiding expedition to break the bank. I failed to conquer Germania because I never even considered doing so._

[@Pandadude-eg9li]

To be fair to good ol' Severus, he was pretty close to conquering Britannia.

[@GarfieldRex]

I'd love to see the fall of the Republic since Marius and Sulla to Caesar

[@sk8trryan1997]

Second this!

[@theicepickthatkilledtrotsk658]

The republic was unstable. Sulla proved that you could get what you want by marching on Rome itself. After that, the republic lived on borrowed time.

[@ale-xsantos1078]

Regarding bad luck Overly Sarcastic Production's episode on the early Empire is excellent for pointing out how the odds were constantly against the Principate with all of Augustus's primary choices dying before they even got the chance to be named his heir, something that would lead to Tiberius becoming Emperor and doing what he did And this trend would keep going for quite a while with Nero, Calígula and so on till Rome got its first "Good Emperors" run to alleviate the damage already done It'd be like today if the candidates for the american kept dying non-stop until someone like Jim Jones or Charles Manson became president, something actually featured in the story For All Times Things were rigged that badly against Rome

[@sk8trryan1997]

Can you do a video about the republic? Or maybe about roman architecture? Love the channel!

[@bioliv1]

I'm baffled! The best I've ever seen on this topic. I only started watching historic videos on KZbin about one year ago though. But still, this was very special and clarifying.

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Hello good Sir ! Thank you very much, I feel honored to read such a comment. A lot of research and love goes into these videos, since these are topics that I really care for, and for which I have a deep interest and fascination since about 20 years. I am happy to see that there are people like you who appreciate it, thanks Amicus !

[@septimiusseverus343]

_I should have pulled all the troops off that rainswept rock and conquered Germania to the Elbe instead. But no, I just had to go there myself because I was suicidally bored and wanted to die with my boots on._

[@causantinthescot]

Than conquer all the Picts, not so cold Iceland, then use it as a stepping stone to reach America like the Vikings.

[@iratezombiemann]

The right to bear arms. Weird that being an American, it's not something I considered, but it's brilliant. The Germanic tribes almost seemed to disdain the settled romans they conquered because they didn't seem to have the will or ability to fight back - but simple militias, in every Roman villa, would have been significant in at least slowing the barbarians until the armies could respond.

[@paulcapaccio9905]

Another intense follow up video. Bravo !

[@klaunwelt4404]

Yes! A half hour episode! Thank you for the excellent narration and your engaging passion for the subject.

[@nowthenzen]

Great vid! My vote is #0. Cultural exhaustion. The idea of being Roman just stopped being important enough to fight for. Both for the plebs and the aristocrats. An ordinary person was treated about the same by the Empire Roman or not and for the Aristocrats, the days of expansion were gone and for them it was about holding on to their individual positions of privilege and wealth.

[@frandresser5912]

Excellent!

[@nickie2011]

Great job

[@jackbuck6653]

Thank you!

[@josefmaster1188]

i will never understand why the emperors didn't have a logic continuity in their desitions, Augustus decided to integrate Germania but Tiberius didn't want it, Trajan wanted to divide the Pathian empire and take control of the eastern commercial rutes but Hadrian abandoned the plan, Agricola was near to take all Great Britain but Domitian stopped him, so many mistakes but well is the same with all great civilizations, the incredible is how many mistakes made the romans and yet their civilization linger for 2000 years.

[@ale-xsantos1078]

So in a way the Basques were more similar to the Roman Republic that beat Hannibal than the late Roman Empire? Everyone could fight and they all fought bitterly to the end for the mother country Thats very in character for the always stubborn, always grudge-holding and nigh-unbeatable little Rome of old

[@jl696]

Ultimately, I think the most important reasons why the Wester Roman Empire fell were decadence and a loss of martial vigor. Yes, there were many other reasons for Rome's fall but I think the decadence and weakness of the people and their elites is what really allowed it all to fall apart. I know it's becoming an overused meme or platitude but the "Hard Times makes Strong Men. Strong Men make Good times. Good times make weak men. Weak men make hard times" seems to apply to Rome and most other Empires in the past. We see the same cycle at work today in Western Europe and in the USA. We are rejecting the principles and practices that made us dominant in the World just as the Western Roman Empire did in the 4th and 5th Centuries.

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Hi J L, in some ways I agree, although I don't like the word "decadence", it has been somehow perverted in its use by Edward Gibbon. I would agree though, that the Romans had somehow become fed up to fight for their empire. Now the reasons as to why are really manifold, and they also have a lot to do with declining incentives to join the army, as opposed to the early empire and late republic. The debasement of the currency meant that a late roman legionary would earn a lot less than an early imperial one. And afte 25 years of service, no retirement bonus and land from the Empire. But a much higher chance of death. I am actually planning a video on this very topic :) I hope I can show that the late Romans were not as decadent as we think, and that the loss of martial vigor can be explained by socio-economic factors in play. But we could in theory call this decline of will to defend the empire, decadence, because the word has a very broad general meaning.

[@rb3872]

The Edict of Caracalla (not mentioned in your list I think) might be one of the most important reasons. And it surely is my favourite to discuss, since the essence of that edict is something I would fullheartedly condone! But the outcome is one of the starting points of the decline...

[@thadtuiol1717]

You mean extending citizenship to a bunch of disparate ethnicities just so you can tax them? You must be loving the current state of Europe and America then.

[@ironrabbit7894]

Romans needed to implement some form of national guard system, especially in Gaul.

[@utinam4041]

So good that you embrace the complexity of the subject. To what extent history repeats itself is discussable; but all the same, the parallels between the collapse of Rome and what is happening in the West today are not difficult to see. Depressing.

[@RalphEllis]

The main exports from Britannia were: Tin from Cornwall and Copper from Llandudno in Wales. And latterly - high quality wool. R

[@Memini_me_1984]

“Cultural tiredness” is the reason Oswald Spengler gives when he discusses the decline of the Romans. They had achieved all they could.

[@opaaloys]

24:09 that was the time silvermines run out!

[@opaaloys]

7:46 You put unreliable legions to Britannia and keep reliable legions on the rhine and danube. 69 BC we got a revolt of the batavians. The batavians were auxillaries during the conquest of Britannia. After the revolt, Batavian auxillaries garrison were in Passau and british auxillaries were in Ratisbone. Both are now far away from home and had difficulties now to convince the germanic neigbours for a plot

[@terrirogers7837]

Thoroughly enjoy these videos. I think the Roman Empire still exists....over and over again only under different names with more and more technologies.

[@ale-xsantos1078]

Aside from Varus and Germanicus Marcus Aurelius also came very close to getting Germania through rather...unpleasant means (yeah he led a full on genocidal campaign) But then his son would step back from it and pay tribute to the germanic tribes to be left alone

[@mustermusli2445]

I think if Rome made Germania a province, its empire would’ve fallen even faster. When the Germans would learn the tricks and tactics of the legions as well as adapting receipts for better steel or weapons, they would be as threatening as the 4th century Germans, whose armies were actually better then the romans, especially through the much higher morale in the German armies. In the first century, the Germans attacked naked without any tactics or self preservation and the legions were nearly at its peak. It was easy to hold the border these days. But when the Roman army was basically a mandatory army of involunteers with the same equipment as the Germans, but they got high morale, the germanic warrior cult, overpopulation due to Roman technology being applied in the German everyday life and the fear of the Huns. They should just have sticked to the Mediterranean and just advance to the Rhine, that’s the best they could do to maximize the time to it’s downfall. Classical Civilization was a walking corpse in the 5 century. Not even maiorianus could reform an entire dying civilization. He would’ve needed to reinvent roman society from scratch at that point and eliminate everyone sticking to the old society. But that would’ve just ended like Stalin’s or Maos rule. I can’t see any alternative history Where the Mare Nostrum Roman Empire has a chance to survive beyond the 7th or max 8th century.

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Hello ! Interesting theory, but I cannot agree here. Hundreds of years of cultural influence of Rome, transformed Gallia from a band of aggressive tribes, into a very highly developed, romanized society. The same would have happened with the aggressive German tribes. But the strategic advantage, that Germania would have offered in the time of the great migrations, would have been great. Especially considering that Britannia was only a hotbed of spawning Usurpers, something which would have been different in Germania. And with a much larger pool of warriors as recruits, this province would have made the Western Empire a lot stronger. For the ROman Empire to survive as a whole beyond the 8th century, it is clear that Roman Society would have to have reformed or been different. The large inquality and slave system was certainly a gigantic problem. I personally see the option of early industrialization in the age of Heron of Alexandria the most viable option for a longer lasting Roman Empire. Technology would lead to enlightenment, would lead to widespread reforms, would lead to a totally different Roman Empire than the one we know.

[@mustermusli2445]

@@Maiorianus_Sebastian When Caesar invaded, Gallia had as much inhabitans as italy, 14-17 million. But Germania had 1 million. Gallia had advanced bueraucratic structures, large cities, and a good economy while germania had nothing. Caesar marched through it for 8 days straight without encountering a single human. The romas had to build everything from scratch, and they are known for beeing pretty parasitaric to the countryside, Britainia is the best example for this. Most forts and towns were build by heaviliy taxing the population. Wherever the germans invaded in the 5th century, and disabled roman governemt authority, the standart of living rose drasticly an so did the birthrate, in my eyes this means the peope were much happier without the romans. Germania streches not just to the elbe or the rhine, the Germans streched even into Ukraine. The invasions would NEVER end. The closer the border is, the cheaper and easier it is to maintain. Moving the border to the elbe is much more costly and a nasty situation to supply. It would take so much money to build everything from scratch in germania, money needed to pay the now even more expensive legions at the elbe. The romans are really bad economists to be honest. Germania would just spawn constant uprisings from a population beveling dying in battle is the greatest thing to achieve in live, and ursurpers like Maximunis Thrax. We saw in the 1850s that every Nation that had slavery did not industrialize, because slaves are a long time investment. And in the late western empire weath inequality was so drasticly that everyone needed a patron to survive. At its death, to roman empire was a buearaucratic mess, corrupt to the bone, very low birth rates, low morale population, and a fucked up social structure. Without the feelable threats in italy, the upper classes feeded from the lower classes as much as they could without their empire falling appart. Once terrible treads emerged in the 4 century, the roman system wasnt able to snap back and the upper classes just consumed to much power. In Percentages, fewer Germans migranted into the empire then muslims since 2015 into countries like Sweden, France or Germany. in the 5th century the romans had an population of 50 Million but got their asses beaten by 150.000 Visigoths, 50.000 max could fight. In the Punic Wars the Romans lost 13% of their male population because they could draft so many volunteers. But in the late empire it was quite common that cou cut of a limb or your genetalia so that you dont get mustered. 5th century rome would stand no chance againt carthage. No one wanted to be a soldier in the 5th century. you just stayed in so that you wont get burned alive when they catch you after deserting. Classical civilisation had died because of the massive weath inequalities and inablity for an intelligent economy it tends to. You needed Augustus, the geratest politican who ever lived to set the clock back for 250 years and set back some inequality. But the 2 class system and slavery will just naturaly create a society over time where no economic gorwth can occure. I guess the romans didnt even had a concept for an economy, because we see that the romans know technologies which they didnt use, like growing more nutrient food like beans insted of just allways barley from egypt, or they knew how to better the ground with chemicals. Rome was a comminist state whose power lied in a few very big machines. the great mill you mentioned is a rediclous investment, beause in the time you need to transport all this grain to feed the massive hunger of this machine looses you money. it would by much smarter to mill their flour decentraized right were its produced. Capitalism spawned the inustrial revolution, but trading was discourged by the roman government, they prefered patronizing with means economic freeze. With diocletian rome was transformed into a totalitarian fascist militarist command economy. By the time the empire fell, its the state structure that comes clostest to the Empire of Mankind in Warhammer 40k. It had no long term chance of survival. Constantine the greats rule has soooo many similarities to the rule of Mao, Stalin or some mad chinese Emperor. Whenever the West straived to much towards inequality, they relied on their germanic cultural thirst for freedom to tear opressive structures down, and do to the liberty in the market europe was able to grow from a backwater in the 9th century to the most advanced civilisation in the 15th century. But in Rome there was no concept of freedom at all, and all problems were solved by authoritarianism and hierachies. Working was seen as an ungentlemanly activty in the classical civilisation, in western christian culture beeing lazy is on of the deadly sins, while once youve got the money in the classical world you buy a slave. All your work you could do is now done by someone hindered by the social pyramid to follow his own dreams, like becoming a smith, wich would be far better for the economy then inflating the currency. If you wanted to safe rome and let it industrialize, in the 5th century you would need several Emperors who are like Charlemange, Augustus or Frederick the great three generations in a row. they would a new social structure, identity (what was a roman in the 5th century, everyone basicaly), ideology and economic system. But due to the cuppt nature of the court I could never see that happen. I know, as romaboos we really want to see it survive. but its downfall was coded into the empires genes from its very start. I send you some pictures via your email in german, because it think you are one. if you didnt understood ill send it in english, because i want to work for you. I love this channel since the first video, wich was proposed by the algorythm several hours after it was uploaded. So im here since day 1!!! :)

[@GHST995]

I love the background music. Age of Decadence?

[@ale-xsantos1078]

Besides helping with the great migrations, if Rome didnt have the threat of the germanic tribes next door they could have focused their full force on a assault against Persia if it came down to it Meaning it would be another reason off the list

[@fromsupply2superfly101]

Salve escritor honoris! What was the status and doings of the church in the crumbling western Roman Empire? This far in your channel and as far as I have read in outher sources covering the same period they have been absent or obscured by outher factors. Some (not sure who but I’ve heard it sometimes) say that the Catholic Church is a continuation of the empire but that seems like a overstatement considering how little they seem to have shaped the politics of the fifth century. Thanks for the amazing work on this channel!! I have really been looking for a deeper understanding of the events that lead to the birth of the western world.

[@albtub]

Great videos. Huge effort. Thanks. Some addictions. Rome fell because there were no more Romans (or they were a minority). Rome began slowly falling the day it got an empire, but, then it had an considerable acceleration with the Caracalla edict. At that point the empire was just a burocratic, military and, above all, fiscal machine, as later the Diocletian tax edicts would confirmate (high taxation, prices freezings and even the mandatory duty for a son to compulsory continue his father's job, in order to have steady and reliable tax revenues). Where is Rome in all this ?? (And Rome in itself, since the very beginning, already was a quasi betrayal of the pristine latin mos).

[@lacintag5482]

There are so many more topics like this that also have a million and one causes. The rise of Fascism and Communism in the early 20th century, the decline of Egypt, the rise of Islam, the fall of the New World empires. I wish they all could be explored in such a succinct and informative manner.

[@silveryuno]

28:26 Has a guy who has been trying to learning German for the past 5 years, this mistake here tells me you are probably a native German speaker... Did I get it right? As always, Great video! I love learning about this lesser talked about stuff like the right to bear arms in the Late Roman Empire!

[@thecobaltemperor]

Make a series on the lands Rome could have conquered but couldn’t or chose not to ( Ireland Scotland Germany Persia etc)

[@Joanna-il2ur]

There is a Roman dock at Drumanagh, near Dublin. If the Romans were never there, why did they build it?

[@RaidenTheRipper950]

But Britannia had Tin and Copper mines that was needed for the empire.

[@LTPottenger]

They disarmed the populace, which was huge enough to resist almost any invasion if they had not done so.

[@opaaloys]

27:27 Whe have also the lost of books and the art of reading and writing. It come back to to the continent via Ireland. Charles le magne implement minuskle e instead of E , in roman skripts we see CAESAR not Caesar

[@MarymonckiJohn]

Please, correct me if there are holes in my knowledge here: Eastern Roman Empire actually did create conscripted, citizen army later on in 10th/11th century. Recruitment was based on Themes, administrative regions of the empire. Infantry based on Greek peasants almost worked but it was destroyed when it was actually beginning to get battle hardended due to the treachery at the battle of Manzikert of 1071. It is fascinating subject but I believe that Christianity contrubuted more to the fall than even our great host thinks. If you look at the history of the Senate in late Rome and the story of the statue of victory at the senate house (Curia Iulia) being removed and fight to bring it back, you'll notice a thin fragment of how the Roman "patriotism"("Roma" referred to as "patria".. after all though only for declining number of elites) gave way to the church and how there was no incentive to defend the "mother.."or rather "fatherland" (as Rome was heavily patriarchal) anymore. As it would have been or actually was earlier on. That has also to do with taking power away from the senate and elites of Rome, taking army from out of their control and sort of to some Emperors who now mostly recruited from.outside of Italy or Rome.. making christianity the Emperors religion to oppose the old elites. It is estimated by some that there were 8 mln Italians ir inhabitants of Italy in 5th century AD and from 200 thousand to at most 500 thousand of Germanic Barbarians- all societies, not only warriors. If Italians really wanted to defend Rome or Italy from Germanic Barbarians and drive them out, united under Roman banner, they would have done so

[@cheekybreeky6925]

We need a video about Hannibal and his victories against Roman Republic and how they managed to win in the end the second punic war.

[@MerkhVision]

In addition, having closer control over Germania would have decreased the amount of Germanic invasions into Italy, saving Rome from a lot of violence in its later centuries.

[@sebastianhall6554]

When I was a child I remember my grandmother telling me that the reason Rome fell was due to lead poisoning, does anyone know of any truth in this ?

[@josephpercente8377]

The devision of the empire was fatal because military stratagy, and finances could no longer be coordinated. There is no such thing as luck, you make your own.

[@coling3957]

let's not forget that Britannia had something very rare in the Roman Empire - tin. that was more important than the gold mines. the fact that the province had about 3 legions plus auxiliaries is extraordinary. almost all other provinces had one, or even half a legion.. and the weather isn't that bad :)

[@iratezombiemann]

Britain couldn't be left alone due to channel raids and the fact that they were sowing dissent in Gaul. There is also the issue of invaders from the British Isles - it is my pet theory that one reason they clung to Britain as long as they did was because they didn't want Irish and Pictish raiders invading Gaul. Kinda pick your poison, either you get Celtic raiders or Germanic ones. One is just as bad as the other. Also, concerning Germania, though it definitely had strategic value, it seems like the Romans didn't think the juice was worth the squeeze - what would they get but rebellious natives in mud huts?

[@dora3743]

First half was removed?

[@NateTheGnat]

Rome began its fall the moment Marcus Aurelius appointed Commodus to be his heir. If he had appointed someone based on merit rather than lineage, the empire may have survived. It still would have been very difficult, and many things would have been the same such as the barbarian problems and inflation as well as wars with Persia. But that was the real turning point.

[@josephpercente8377]

How would rome defend gaul from seaborne raids if they didnt conquer britain?

[@alkazaryyy]

Where is part 1?

[@malicant123]

I think that the cultural tiredness matter is most pertinent given the state of the modern West.

[@thechanglingprince1853]

Kinda upset honorius wasn't his own spot on the list

[@jaf9365]

Reminds me of america now. Slowly falling apart

[@bioliv1]

Norway too, but it doesn't matter so much anyway.

[@opaaloys]

378 AD or roman logistics provide food and seperate the refugees in different regions. Vanitiy of Valens to beat the Goths without Gratians help, corruption and ill management.

[@alessandrogini5283]

I think that caracalla and Alexander severus could had vassalized sassanid empire

[@naughtiusmaximus3690]

i don't see how making Germania a province would matter, so rome would annex another piece of land till the alba(albis i believe they called it) there were germanic tribes far into eastern europe where the romans never thought, nor could, reach, and at the times of the great migration there wouldve been still a massive amount of tribes knocking on the empire's door

[@TheMrgoodmanners]

it mostly has to do with poverty and suffering. the poorer romans got the more disillusioned they became with their imperial govt, the sicker they got from plague, the more disillusioned they became with their gods and state, but mostly their gods. romans suffered, there was hardly a middle class in rome, you were either supendously rich or poor.

[@VangelisMourelatos]

Reason number 2 is the MAIN ONE. If Britannia had been left largely to its own devices (part from creating some client states in the south coasts) and Germania conquered and colonized (like Dacia did after Trajan) then Rome would still exist today. Persia would have been mostly conquered under Trajan and Hadrian (no need to pull out troops to consolidate the Rhine and Danube frontiers - no need to build the Hadrian's wall). With the Eastern border secure, the Hunnic raids, the Ostrogoth threat would have been either neutralized or non existent. The empire would have many more soldiers of high quality fully latinized at it disposal. With all this manpower we can envisage an empire around 450. possibly under Majorianus, able to conquer the British Islands, the kingdoms in present Sudan and even reach the extent of Alexander the Great's conquests. Such an empire, would never crumble. A boon im technology. most probably the steam engines, would have made it truly global by the year 1000 A.D. Not even the Mongols would even manage to break Rome's power. Therefore I consider Tiberuis decision the biggest mistake ever perpetrated by a Roman emperor.

[@Anaris10]

Optimum!.

[@jelkel25]

You may not have had as many usurpers if Germania was conquered instead of Britannia but it may have turned into a breeding ground for Gallic rebellions as many tribes in Gallia had kin ties in Britannia, especially the more troublesome Belgic tribes. A fat prize like Gallia would have been tempting for ambitious British leaders too. Would you have been swapping one problem for another? Who knows.

[@bellatordei3440]

All conspiracy theories are not over simplification but quite the opposite - digging deeper

[@TEverettReynolds]

I have a simple reason for the collapse. *The Roman Empire was just too big.* During their plundering phase, they were able to conquer, raid, plunder, enslave, and subjugate those left behind to pay the taxes and get drafted for the next raid. This went on for centuries. When Rome expanded as far as it could and was unable to conquer anymore due to the limits of its technology and the lack of areas worth conquering ((no cities to enslave, no gold to take)), it had to switch to a defensive economy based upon taxes. Guess what, it didn't work, and could not support the entire Empire's defensive needs. Like a corporation that over expands and over extends itself, the Empire was just too big for one man to support based upon taxes. That's why they had to split up. That's why they needed more than one emperor. Add in the incompetent and feeble-minded emperors like Honorius, and the end was inevitable. Simply said, the Empire expanded beyond its ability to defend or support itself.

[@guilhermebollorini1511]

The essencial cause: absolutism.

[@SeanHH1986]

tu es maximum productum in KZbin

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Gratias Amicus :) Yes, I try to keep busy these days, hehe!

[@Trevor13666]

- Extreme inequality and Injustice (a tiny % owning all the wealth) - High and rising inflation - Debasing the currency - Pandemic Phew! Thankfully these are all things of ancient history, and not likely to happen again! Oh! Hold on...

[@neymarmessironaldo5881]

the G in germania is pronounced like in Germany.

[@opaaloys]

31:14 The goal of Rome at least was a united christian people. whe see Constantin II against Arbogast praying not his sword in his hand , ( manum ad ferrum )fighting , We see Theodosius the great on the river fridigus praying and not fighting. , Theodosius dynasty was dominated by women .

[@carvoloco4229]

I think the most unconventional reason is an invasion by time travelling aliens

[@deeznutz7064]

The biggest mistake Rome made was expanding beyond the borders they had in 118 bc. The Romans were still able to defend Italy during the cimbrian war

[@tobygoodguy4032]

Sounds way too familiar today for comfort. FJB. 🤠

[@opaaloys]

8:07 Rome lost workforce or the mines run out of silver and gold during the antonine pandemic plague. Rome could not earn profit, and trade with india decrease Silver and God mints , so " East- Rome" with grane from egypt still had minted economy but the west runs out of money and started a barter economy. The landlord do not produce Chashcrops. They do the goods and services for himself on there own Villa Rustica ( an autark unit ). No extra money for specialised Craftsmen in the cities. No trade over long distances under thread of invaders destroyed the unitiy of the empire. The last amphore in a habor on the market, the last chariot race in circus sponsored by an landlord means the last roman day in a city without a plundering Vandal.

[@margaretpepper3550]

Your last reason of "cultural tiredness" is exactly what is happening in the west in the 21st century....strange, but alarming also....

[@AntonioBrandao]

Reason 0 (zero) Christianity didn’t come in to fill the void… it created the void, then filled it.

[@americanmapper07]

The Empire would fall quicker if Germania was conquered instead of britiana this whatifalthist video explains it kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIWpZWymn9GFeqs the only difference i think from this timeline would happen is that Christianity would still be the dominant religion in europe

[@wynnschaible]

"Cultural tiredness" -- a truly delicious phrase! And quite frankly, beyond-alarmingly apropos to much going on in Western societies today. The prevailing culture and its frontmen have nothing but contempt for the old values, and they have their last hold among the "deplorables" (count me one) and people and countries newly escaped from old-style tyrannies: such as Yeonmi Park and UKRAINE!

[@Maiorianus_Sebastian]

Hello Sir! Well then you will certainly like the next video, where I will compare the modern West vs the Western Roman Empire ;)

[@wynnschaible]

@@Maiorianus_Sebastian I will be eagerly awaiting that one! The lists both of our similarities and differences are very long: and hanging over both is the question of whether technology has advanced so far as to change matters not merely in degree but in kind, as atomic weaponry has done for major-power warfare.

[@opaaloys]

Erosion of the tax base is to become a christian bishop, a christian partriach to pay no taxes. Rome take the wealthies man of a diocese to collect and to garant the tax. If weatherconditions caused ill harvest or germanic invaders looting the contryside, the wealthiest man had to garant the tax. To be bishop or patriach you are out of duty and you are now a guy controlling the people not to be pagan and you do not controll the roman borders and do not repell the interloopers. The roman elite made hole europe from Ireland to Germany to Scandinavia to east Europe christian staate with no pagans , no monophysites , no nestorianians .

[@sarahsarah2534]

I can't believe that the Romans couldn't figure out that money doesn't need to be precious metals.

[@terhitormanen]

OK, I'm not sold with your Britannia bashing... You say, that the reason that many usurpers rose from Britannia was the unpleasent weather!!! Really???? That is just silly. Well, the weather in the Germania was not much more pleasant. Come on! I think one of the reasons that Britannia gave rise to the usurpers was actually that it was not a poor province. Production of grain and many metals (tin, copper) was not insignificant in Britannia, especailly during the 4th century AD. You needed to have resources and cash to get the legions to follow you if you wanted to gain a military following. And even if the province was not always so profitable, the Roman Empire and the Roman society was for such a long time dependant on conquering new territory for the loot and wealth for the legions, and new slave labour and territory to utilize that blaming one province for usurpers because of the bad weather is just silly and foolish, in my opinion. I'm sensing quite a bit of German vs. Britain contest here in your attitude that I find highly irritating and frankly not very productive or objective. Therefore, I'm sorry to say I'm ending my Patreon support. I think you're producing interesting content but the lack of objectivity is annoying. (You seem to think that the Roman Empire was such a great thing when in many ways it was very brutal and one of the contributing factors to its demise was its inability to evolve and change. There was a reason why German tribes resisted outright Roman conquest and occupation...)

[@mikecoolwind7039]

Empire does not mean more advanced. Basque region was far more advanced than imperial territories for its own autonomy and technological self-sufficiency

[@WayneBorean]

Remember that Christianity only gained converts because it was in a position to force conversion.

[@thadtuiol1717]

The human brain is not at all simple, it is in fact incredibly complex and we still don't know a whole lot about it. Right off the bat, your video is fail.

[@HeliodromusScorpio]

Romans never started to lose faith in the old gods this is a myth and christian propaganda

[@nebojsag.5871]

Germania would have been an agony to maintain as well, as neither the climate nor the natives were any tamer or more docile.