Social and Economic Decline in the Western Roman Empire Essay

By the fourth century, the Roman Empire had developed exponentially with significant growth in cultural, social, and political activity. Leading up to the Battle of Adrianople of 378 AD, the Empire suffered significant division and its once uniform body began to splinter. After multiple attempts to unify the empire, the East and the West grew increasingly independent. The battle proved a critical turning point in the prominence of the West significantly foreshadowing its future. While the declining reputation of Rome was apparent long before the battle itself, it was clear that the Roman defeat at Adrianople significantly contributed to the Western Empire’s gradual disintegration as the dominance of the East thrived. Nearing the fourth†¦show more content†¦As the two mingled, conflict arose and the Goths revolted. The conflict grew and the forces met at Adrianople. The Roman army numbered 30,000 as the Germanic tribes numbered nearly 60,000 (Barbarians). The Western emperor, Valens, acted in haste attacking the Goths head on using little strategy. The Romans ill-prepared army was defeated, losing two thirds of its men and even its emperor. The Roman loss at Adrianople proved very significant to the decline of the Western Empire. Being such a powerful empire, the inconsistency of leadership left the social and economic order in a state of jeopardy. â€Å"†¦in the course of fifty years some twenty-three emperors succeeded to the imperial throne† and with so many emperors, there was little sincere leadership for the success of the Empire (Barbarians 5). As Valens rose to power, he quickly became unpopular in the eyes of the people. Going into the battle, he held a firm desire for swift victory on the apparent weak opponent, and hastily sent his army with inadequate equipment â€Å"because of reductions in available funds for military spending† (History). The insufficient training of the army was also a predominant reason for their loss in the battle. With the economic conditions of the Empire in gradual decline, Valens did not provide his army with the necessary equipment and instruction to be victoriou s in the Battle of Adrianople, eventually resulting in a dreadfulShow MoreRelatedThe Fall Of The Roman Empire1419 Words   |  6 PagesThe Roman Empire was a powerful governing body of extensive political and social structures throughout western civilization. How did this empire fall and were internal factories responsible? Slow occurrences in succession to one another led to the fall of the empire rather than one single event. The fall of the Roman Empire was a combination of both internal and external pressures, not just one, leading up to the complete decay of the cities—Rome and Constantinople. 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