Discuss the decline of the empire and the last Caesars, what were some of the factors that weakened that empire? Please explain. Do you see any of those things happening in your own nation today? Do you think that might be significant?

Of course whole books have been written on this subject so a one page paper, of necessity, will be very simplistic. With that in mind here are the major reasons contributing to the decline of the Empire.

a) Multi-cultural and multi-ethnic citizens rather than homogenous. There was no such thing as a typical Roman. You could be German, Irish, Frankish, Moorish and also be Roman. There was no set standard of values to adhere to.

b) High taxation was required to maintain the empire. The borders had to be protected and roads and aqueducts maintained. Troops had to be paid. Gladiatorial games were very expensive to put on. For all of these things the government needed money and so taxes were continually being raised.

c) A disconnect between the ruling class and the common people. While the Caesars and patricians lived lives of luxury and excess the plebian poor suffered in a day to day existence.