Hi Anya,

Many people speak of the collapse of Rome as historically inevitable, as all civilisations supposedly must rise and fall (even though we may not be willing to accept that ours might). In the truest sense, I believe that Rome was allowed to fall by the same preventable means that contribute to the internal collapse of all civilisations - complacency. As soon as the better portion of people succumb to indifference regarding the fate of their civilization, that invites its fall by advertising their unwillingness to save it. When people are convinced something is not worth saving, whatever the reason, be it overconfidence in security or a cynicism regarding its historical virtues and benefits, that thing is on track to fall sooner or later. Being able to articulate and justify why a thing is worth preserving is the first and foremost means of preserving it.

Nick

Why did Rome Fall and Why Were the Vestas so Important?

I want to thank CW as well as Mary Naples for interweaving thoughts regarding Ancient Rome.  These are such important topics for the sake of understanding history and who we are with regard to the tropes of history.  Regarding the fall of Rome it might be the same question as to why did the United States fall and when did this happen?  According to Gibbons, Rome fell as a result of Christianity and with the United States, one could say it is when we discovered the secrets of the TV show "The Brady Bunch."  

From my point of view, Rome never fell but rather changed as did the United States, as well as England and other Empires. They have all lost their homogeneity and thoughts changed. Yes, Rome lost much of its literacy only to be eventually re-discovered later on in the later middle ages, but can we not say the same regarding literature of the US?  For the US, I am yet waiting for the rediscovery.  To say Rome fell is to ignore the people who inhabited the land for a long period of time.

We often ask the question of why Rome fell because we often only look at that which is powerful in a patriarchal way.  If one looks at the architecture of Rome the Empire, the edifices signify power, and this was lost, that is until Brunelleschi re-discovered the secret of building domes, thus we have Il Duomo in Florence.  With most civilizations, there has been a quest for power, and here is why the Vestas were so important, at least to my view.  It was symbolic of controlling women's sexuality, that virginity is not the property of women but rather of men.  To bring this to contemporary times, the biggest fear in the novel Dracula, is not Dracula himself but rather the release of women's sexuality.  To kill Dracula is to kill not Dracula but rather (symbolically) the unleashing of female sexuality.  And yes, the Vestal Virgins were to keep the fire lit, but maybe we all know what Freud said on this, I believe in his Totem and Taboo: that men had a homosexual desire to urinate out the fire, which is life-giving, whereas the female anatomy makes it hard to do so; thus, the women are in charge of the hearth. 

Herman. H, San Francisco

Augustine told us. Because Rome lacked unifying ideals, instead attaching aspirations to divergent and passing needs and desires as represented in prayer to different Gods. As leadership no longer represented binding ideals, and without a God representing a unifying ideal, dissolution was inevitable.

Jeff w 

Why did Rome fail? Of course, I have my two cents. Bad emperors, beaning one, another being the slave economy, for another, and in the third century, I have been told that 80% of the population of the Roman Empire were either serfs or slaves. I had better stop!

Mel H 

Why did Rome fall? Did it commit suicide? Or was it murdered? Did it crumble from within or simply fall from the natural cycles of power? 

The seed of plants and trees create the plants and trees that follow. Does that mean the earlier versions failed? No. The earlier generations are seeds for the ones that followed. For animals and man, the same principle applies. Parents become the seed for the next generation of both animals and man.

Man’s government, culture, and civilization function similarly. Since creation is cursed, entropy and death causes all creation to groan. This extends to what man creates, builds, and institutes. 

Greece was the bulwark against Persia and the seed flowering from Rome against Islamic assault. This same seed also restrained and overcame Viking and Mongol invasions.

Greece was the seed of Rome and Rome the seed of what is now central and western Europe. Rome did not commit suicide. It simply became a good seed for what followed. This good seed sown in North America led to the first successful republic ever created. Sadly, the tree of that liberty is now dying from blight but the seed produced shall reappear yet again.

Entropy is not denied in a fallen world. Seed sowing, harvesting God has given His Word this shall never cease. Once harvested the plant creating the seed perishes but the seed from that perished plant waits only on opportunity for germination. And for that be more than thankful.

Charles F.