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From a societal standpoint it has been posited that [[immorality]] and [[homosexuality]] so weakened the spirit of the Empire that it was unable to stand firm against the Barbarians. Certainly poets such as [[Catullus]] and [[Juvenal]] describe many unnatural practises that may well have contributed to the final collapse just four hundred years later.  Well known British writer [[Edward Gibbon]], who wrote the influential ''[[Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire]]'' was an advocate of this view.  Since the time of Gibbons, modern historians seek answers in other areas.

From a societal standpoint it has been posited that [[immorality]] and [[homosexuality]] so weakened the spirit of the Empire that it was unable to stand firm against the Barbarians. Certainly poets such as [[Catullus]] and [[Juvenal]] describe many unnatural practises that may well have contributed to the final collapse just four hundred years later.  Well known British writer [[Edward Gibbon]], who wrote the influential ''[[Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire]]'' was an advocate of this view.  While his book stood the test of time as a masterpiece of Roman history, even being required reading in some American schools for the first half of the 20th century, modern historians seek answers in other areas.

One influential writer theorized that the Roman Empire fell because it was never strong enough to resist the barbarian hordes.  The hordes just didn't show up until 300 A.D.<ref>Edward N. Luttwak, ''The Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire''</ref>  Prior to this time, a system of "buffer states" and sedentary provincial legions could hold such a vast territory and defer the conflict - however, with the loss of the battle of [[Adrianople]] and the subsequent barbarian deluge, led by the [[Visigoths]] and [[Alaric the Visigoth|Alaric]], the reckoning had finally come.  Similar to Gibbons view, this view also has a minority following.

== The actual "Fall" ==

== After "the Fall" ==

== After "the Fall" ==

Accounts of the Roman world's immediate descent into poverty have been greatly exaggerated.  Rather, rulers such as [[Theoderic the Ostrogoth]] and his followers (the [[Amal]] clan) ruled from [[Ravenna]] in the Roman style, maintaining much of Roman life and infrastructure.<ref>Peter Wolfram, ''The Goths''</ref>  Theoderic even employed Romans to ensure this continuity and sense of Roman stability.  One example was [[Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator]] (or just Cassiodorus), who, writing as Theoderic, famously urged all Romans to "clothe themselves with the morals of the [[toga]]" - i.e., retain your Roman ways, in spite of the "barbarian" rule.

Accounts of the Roman world's immediate descent into poverty have been greatly exaggerated.  Rather, rulers such as [[Theoderic the Ostrogoth]] and his followers (the [[Amal]] clan) ruled from [[Ravenna]] in the Roman style, maintaining much of Roman life and infrastructure.<ref>Peter Wolfram, ''The Goths''</ref>  Theoderic even employed Romans to ensure this continuity and sense of Roman stability.  Indeed, in the eyes of the people of Italy, the formal pronouncement of the end of the Roman empire wasn't apparent; that is only a label that was put on in retrospect due to the One example was [[Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator]] (or just Cassiodorus), who, writing as Theoderic, famously urged all Romans to "clothe themselves with the morals of the [[toga]]" - i.e., retain your Roman ways, in spite of the "barbarian" rule.

This twilight period was finally cut short by the reconquest campaign planned by the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] emperor [[Justinian I]], led by the general [[Belisarius]].  In a bloody war, both sides reduced the Italian countryside to nothing, with the Byzantines finally inheriting a ravaged husk.<ref>Procopius, ''the Gothic Wars''</ref>  Many Romans - Eastern and Western - blamed Justinian for this devastation.<ref>Procopius, ''the Secret Histories''</ref>

This twilight period was finally cut short by the reconquest campaign planned by the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] emperor [[Justinian|Justinian I]], led by the general [[Belisarius]].  In a bloody war, both sides reduced the Italian countryside to nothing, with the Byzantines finally inheriting a ravaged husk.<ref>Procopius, ''the Gothic Wars''</ref>  Many Romans - Eastern and Western - blamed Justinian for this devastation.<ref>Procopius, ''the Secret Histories''</ref>

== References ==

== References ==