CAUSES OF THE FALL OF ROME, Shortest Version

The simplest version of the Fall of Rome is purely military and brutal: in August 379 CE, the Goths destroy the Oriental Roman field army. Then, in September 394 CE, the same Goths, allied to Roman emperor Theodosius I, a Christian fanatic, destroy the Occidental Roman field army. Ergo, the Occident is left without defense, and immediately invaded (Spring 395 CE to the giant invasion of 406 CE). Britain is evacuated by the legions. In 410 CE, the very same Goth, led by the king who won in 394 CE, seize Rome.

So the military apect of Rome’s collapse is clear. The deeper question is how Roman civilization got there and why a few dozens of thousands of Gothic warriors could collapse an empire on 80 millions… And why said empire didn’t defend itself?

To give the answer in one word: plutocracy.

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More than 200 potential causes for the Fall of Rome have been found, some very imaginative. Most of them have merit, and played a role. However a new and very significant cause appeared in 2019, in Science Magazine : the genocide of the Roman people… by whatever happened two thousand years ago. The Roman State kept on going, but its genetics did not. And with this changed genetics, changed ideas. So no wonder that the ancient Roman creativity collapsed. This so far hidden genocide was revealed only in 2019 in Science Magazine; it needs to be confirmed, but it is likely true. Think about it: whatever caused the fall of Roman Republic, it was huge enough to wipe out the old population. In turn, this consequence became a cause of what happened next: further decline and fall into lethal stupidity.

Augustus showed the way, but it was the wrong way. The way Augustus showed was the exact opposite of the one his great uncle and adoptive father Caesar had pointed at: forgiveness and openness of mind and debate. Notice Cupid, Venus’ son, straddling the dolphin…

I basically explain all the more than 200 causes of the decline and fall of Rome, with one master cause which imply them all: the FALL INTO GLOBAL PLUTOCRACY. As the master cause, the Fall Into Plutocracy (FIP) preceded, and caused, the Fall Of The Republic (FOR). The FOR led in turn to MENTAL FASCISM, in particular INTELLECTUAL FASCISM, which brought global stupidification. 

To save itself, from itself, the army of the Roman plutocracy then installed the so-called “Dominate” (thanks to emperor Diocletian), where the emperor became Lord and Master. This was promptly followed by emperor Constantine posing as the self-described “Thirteenth Apostle” inventing and imposing Roman Orthodox Catholicism and imposing terror and genocide (he killed all the priests of Egypt). Creative intelligence became an heresy. And by 381 CE, emperor Theodosius could reward heresy with the death penalty (among other torturous pleasantries). The decline was over, and the catastrophic fall of Rome, immediately followed. Literally, in a matter of months. Christian apologists do not want you to know the chronology, because the few months between the crushing of secular forces and the implosion of the empire through invasions make the responsibility of triumphant Christianism clear: there was no delay at all. A few more details:

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So vicious were the Civil Wars of FOR, a catastrophic genetic fall ensued: 

The genetic collapse and change were not known for sure before 2019 CE, when genetic analyses of Romans through the millennia were published. So the genetic fall of Rome, which could be construed as a racist theory, was not among the 200 potential causes identified previously… But genetic collapse certainly played a major role in the Fall and Decline of Rome: the new populations were from the Orient, and the South, and brought with them their Hydraulic Dictatorship Mentality (complete with dictatorial politics and dictatorial religions). Let’s backtrack some more:

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE KILLING OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC BY GLOBAL PLUTOCRACY:

In my explanatory scheme, global plutocracy became hyper wealthy beyond the limits set by Roman law… thanks to globalization, Thus empowered, hyper wealth impoverished the middle class. Tribune Tiberius Gracchus and his followers explained what was going on, and tried to reverse it with an appropriate law, which was passed. The global plutocracy insulted Tiberius to no end and then, accusing him of a coup (fake news) installed their own coup, which brought the assassinations of more than 5,000 we know of, including the Gracchi and other prominent Romans who had sided with the Populares. Gangs of unemployed Romans, put out of work by the influx of slaves brought in through territorial conquests, and the wealth of the wealthiest, hired themselves out as thugs to do the bidding of whatever wealthy Senator or plutocrat would pay them.

As a distraction, and to foster globalization, the global plutocrats, who called themselves “Optimates”, engaged in a succession of wars where the Roman Republic used its raw military power to destroy local democracies (Carthage, Numantia, Corinth, Athens, among many others). “Optimates” means “super good”. The Optimates tried their best to not apply the wealth redistribution law of Tiberius. All of this brought Rome to near death experience, when a number of Rome enemies, from Germans to Numidians engaged in synchronized attacks. Marius, a “New Man”, saved the Republic and imposed military reforms, during his seven Consulships, which addressed some of the problems Tiberius had evoked. Followed a war with Rome Italian allies… which won and got what they wanted, being incorporated in Rome. One more very confusing civil war soon followed, where the Optimate Sulla became dictator, and yet acted the other way, reestablishing the Republic, in particular the Tribunate. Sulla retired and died of natural causes. The Sulla generated civil war had killed more than 100,000 soldiers in combat. This check to decay enabled the Republic to flourish again…

However, more confused action followed when another New Man, Cicero, who spoke well but acted badly, having become Consul, took the side of fascist injustice and the Optimates, while talking as if he were saving the Republic… which he was helping to destroy in a pernicious way (Caesar then opposed Cicero in the Senate). Caesar, grand nephew of Marius, then became Consul and finally enacted the redistribution law of Tiberius, in 59 CE… Earning the hatred of the Optimates in the Senate (whom Caesar did not have to talk to, so he didn’t).

In 44 BCE, Caesar, one of the best three generals Rome ever had, was going to leave at the head of Rome’s most experienced and powerful army, ever, to sort out the military problems which would end up destroying the Occidental and Oriental Roman States. Instead, so great was the hatred of the establishment, that he was treacherously assassinated by the Optimates. The Populares rose in revolt at the murder of their chief. The Optimates found themselves on the run, and were in turn killed in a messy war. In the end the army of Octavian, Caesar’s grand nephew, and heir, imposed its will on the Senate. The army installed Octavian at the helm of the State. Much of the Roman male, combat age population had died during these two generations of continuous wars.  

Exhausted by what turned out to be a genocide, what was left of We The People preferred Octavian’s “Princeps Senatus”, First in Senate, rule, a semblance of restauration of the Republic, and soon he was named “Augustus”, the Augmenter.

But the worm was in the fruit… Violently reshuffling the Senate, Augustus established intellectual fascism during his rule by becoming Tribune of the People for life, which gave him a right of veto of all and any law or action: thought and facts were OK, as long as Augustus agreed with them.

A famous example occurred, when Augustus decided that a Military Tribune was actually a Consul when he got a top reward… Four centuries prior. This apparent detail exemplifies that the “princes” paid attention to extreme detail: if that Tribune, who later became Consul, had been Tribune at the time when Augustus decided he was actually Consul, that would have potentially severe consequences for Augustus. Yes, that devious. (The historian Titius Livius, aka Livy, relates the incident in such a subtle, backhanded complimentary way, that Augustus couldn’t stop him, but the “Princeps” surely hated him for it…)

Intellectual fascism had been instituted by Augustus, it would only get worse in the following centuries. In the end the Roman chicken lost its head, and then, after spilling blood all over, all its substance. Let’s notice that Caesar was just the opposite. But he died from it... Augustus would point out…

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Intellectual Fascism And The Destruction of Rome:

Rome had a few emperors who brought in some good measures, or policies: Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Spetimus Alexander come to mind. But while the emperors changed, the Deep State evolved more slowly, and not in the good direction. Local democracy became the province of the rich, for example. A huge ecological crisis affected metal production. Adversaries became more advanced in military technology. 

All these problems had this in common: they could have been solved with more intelligence. And indeed, the successor regime of the Romans, the “Renovated Roman Empire” of the Franks would solve them. Confronted to triple invasions starting with the undefeated Muslims in 721 CE, the “Renovated Empire”, in spite of a deadly internal civil war, was able to repel and submit its adversaries, in great part because of better tech (superior steel, massive horses, etc.)  

So why did Rome become stupid? Intellectual fascism. If one displeased religiously in 382 CE, one could be killed by the Roman emperor, who could accuse anybody of heresy and apply any punishment. After the Franks came to power, the very notion of heresy became irrelevant for more than five centuries. 

Roman emperors had established anti-patenting: inventors were rewarded for NOT publicizing their discoveries: the Roman empire had become determined to become senile. After the Franks took control, the very notion of conservatism became a non-starter: innovation was the order of the day, every day. The practical result was that, by the Fourteenth Century, Europe, centered on its largest city, Paris, had surpassed in technology, science and philosophy the ancient Greco-Roman world and China. And some of these inventions were extremely practical: hydraulic hammers to forge large pieces of metal, mechanical advantage to replace armies of slaves, and glasses for keeping expert artisans active beyond the age of 40.

Europe technological superiority is worth emphasizing, because it demolishes the main premise of the “French Theory” historico-philosophical line, that Europe became wealthy by stealing the rest of the world: by 1400 CE Europe, except for Vikings in the New World, had not started its colonial expansion. 

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Maintaining A Civil Debate Is A Matter Of Intelligence, Not Just Politeness: 

As Trump fell ill, celebrity Professor of Philosophy at [New York] City College, evolutionary biologist, student of Stoicism, author of A Field Guide to a Happy Life, Massimo Pigliucci, typically wrote: “Unfortunately, he’s likely to recover”… Why do so many supposed to teach wisdom teach hatred instead?   

Because that’s who pays their salaries want. 

Ultimately, the attempted take-over of the Republic by an overpowerful oligarchy over We The People represented by the “Populares Party”, the “People Party”, failed: after a few generations of war, most of their descendants were killed or put out of power. However the mood that violence and power are more important than reasoned wisdom, triumphed. The brute force of the army, deeply mourning Caesar, and the loss of its most noble mission, was imposed, and brute force became the new psychological leader of Roman humanity.

The decay of the Roman Republic started with a decay of public discourse. The motivation of Tiberius Gracchus was depicted in the worst light: he wanted to be king, said his enemies. There is no evidence of this, just the opposite.   

There has been a decay of public discourse in the USA. This is not a debate anymore, but a flow of insults. This is much more dangerous than it looks. This is how the Roman Republic started to go down: the devolution of debate into the grossest insults, and no will to sincerity.

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Intellectual Fascism And Massively Lethal Pandemics:

Stephen Jones commented:

Although multiple disease epidemics that lasted for a century, didn’t help the Romans as well.

The Republic didn’t really collapse… Augustus was careful to pretend that he had reestablished the Republic. Relevantly, there were NO massive epidemics during the Republic.

Indeed, massive epidemics did not help Rome. Marcus Aurelius succumbed to the first massive one, as he was finishing a crucial war against the Marcomanni (so he didn’t, and the Marcomanni would pester civilization for centuries). 

BUT I do NOT know of the Roman State taking active counter-epidemic measures as a fascist “Principate” (I remember of Marcus’ measures against a handful of Christians, but not against any “plague”). 

Pericles had been TRIED for dealing in a bad way, it was alleged, with the epidemic which ravaged Athens.

The Plague outbreak in Constantinople in 541 CE, was thought to have been carried to the city by infected rats on grain ships arriving from Egypt. To feed its citizens, the huge city imported large amounts of grain, mostly from Egypt. The rat and flea population in Egypt thrived on feeding from the large granaries maintained by the government. Obviously, not enough cats.

Roman emperor Justinian had engaged in a reconquest of the entire Occidental empire. He reconquered North Africa and Italy. The Plague struck when he was engaged in the reconquest of Spain… The Goths, who held Spain, were saved by the Plague. In his Secret History, the Roman historian Procopius records the devastation in the countryside and reports the ruthless and fully inappropriate response by emperor Justinian:

“When pestilence swept through the whole known world and notably the Roman Empire, wiping out most of the farming community and of necessity leaving a trail of desolation in its wake, Justinian showed no mercy towards the ruined freeholders. Even then, he did not refrain from demanding the annual tax, not only the amount at which he assessed each individual, but also the amount for which his deceased neighbors were liable.”

It is evaluated that this Plague killed half of the population… About the same as the similar Plague of 1347 CE,

In 2013, scientists confirmed speculation that the cause of the Plague of Justinian was Yersinia pestis, the same bacterium responsible for the Black Death (1347–1351).^[4][5] The latter was much shorter, but still killed an estimated one-third to one-half of Europeans

In 1347 CE, when the Black Death streaked through Europe, the anti-epidemic measures taken were astounding. Anti-contagion and confinement were enforced under the penalty of death. Indeed no aristocrat I know of, died… Whereas many prominent Romans caught the Plague of 541 CE, including Justinian. So it is likely that the mental decay into intellectual fascism of Rome facilitated the pandemics. Interestingly the 6C pandemic hit the Oriental Part of the empire hard, putting an end to its military reconquest of Occident. Whereas the Occidental Part, the Imperium Francorum, and the Goths seems to have been politically and militarily unaffected much less (I say “seem” because that’s all it is; we know Francia (Gaul) was hit hard).

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Examining the decline and fall of the Greco-Roman world is an analysis of what can go wrong when one declines and falls into plutocracy. However the decline and fall of the Greco-Roman State, although terrible, was only partial: in Occident, the elite kept on talking Latin for more than a millennium, and present day Western European languages are mostly derived from Greco-Roman (as they are mixes of Greek and Latin words). More fundamentally, Roman law stayed in force as the bedrock of justice… 

The big difference between decaying Rome and the Europe installed by the Franks was the attitude towards innovation and education. Whereas Rome had fallen in mental, intellectual and Catholic fascism, Europe would forever resist this, from a dispersion of power, the rearmament of localities, and a separation of church and state. The outlawing of slavery by Queen Bathilde in 655 CE accelerated technological progress. And, from there, progress in science. 

How this all started is interesting and documented well enough: elected King of the Franks Clovis, Roman imperator and Consul, instituted a completely different mood from that of the fascist Roman State. In this, he was just following the mentality of the Franks, a German-Roman mix enshrined in the Lex Salica, written in Latin, two centuries prior by Roman lawyers. Clovis had to work hard the other way, to impose a modicum of Roman military fascism on his army (the famous Vase de Soissons incident, a summary execution by Roman imperator Clovis of an insolent soldier, illustrated this).    

Judeo-Christianism, for better or worse, stayed supreme, for 15 centuries after the military collapse of the Romans in “Occident”… giving even birth to various religions, including Islam. But it never again was in charge. Because during the few years it was in charge, starting in 395 CE, it collapsed civilization.

Patrice Ayme

Tags: Cause, Fall Rome, plutocracy