Originally posted by AThousandYoungIt's when the Liberals took over that's when it fell apart. Much like it's happening to this country.
Rome grew to great power as polytheists, with special reverence for Jupiter and Mars. They took over Europe and North Africa. Then they adopted Christianity and it all fell apart.
Discuss.
Originally posted by AThousandYoungI propose two theories. One to suit the rabiate anti-Christian (more or less) leftist wing and one to suit the rabiate (more or less) rightist anti-Islam wing.
Rome grew to great power as polytheists, with special reverence for Jupiter and Mars. They took over Europe and North Africa. Then they adopted Christianity and it all fell apart.
Discuss.
Of course the first theory claims that Christianity caused the downfall of Rome and the second claims that Islam caused the downfall of the Roman Empire when Constantinople fell in the fifteenth century.
The historical truth in a scientific sense however is much more complex and usually much more layered than the politically inspired and thus necessarily more simplistic and one-dimensional ideas and theories we hear here and there to further one own's present ideological cause.
"In 1984, German professor Alexander Demandt published a collection of 210 theories on why Rome fell."
"1 Theories about the decline of the Roman Empire
1.1 Vegetius
1.2 Edward Gibbon
1.3 Henri Pirenne
1.4 J. B. Bury
1.5 William Carroll Bark
1.6 Radovan Richta
1.7 Lucien Musset and the clash of civilizations
1.8 Arnold J. Toynbee and James Burke
1.9 Michael Rostovtzeff, Ludwig von Mises, and Bruce Bartlett
1.10 William H. McNeill
1.11 Peter Heather
1.12 Joseph Tainter
1.13 Bryan Ward-Perkins
1.14 Adrian Goldsworthy
1.15 Environmental degradation
1.16 Late Antiquity"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decline_of_the_Roman_Empire
Please continue ........
Originally posted by ivanhoeAll right. Did Christianity contribute to the fall then?
I propose two theories. One to suit the rabiate anti-Christian (more or less) leftist wing and one to suit the rabiate (more or less) rightist anti-Islam wing.
Of course the first theory claims that Christianity caused the downfall of Rome and the second claims that Islam caused the downfall of the Roman Empire when Constantinople fell in the fifteenth ce ...[text shortened]...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decline_of_the_Roman_Empire
Please continue ........
Originally posted by AThousandYoungNo! Neither did Islam or other religions. There were complex interactions, that were not countered, which facilitated the fall, as stated in Ivanhoes' post. (quoted below)
All right. Did Christianity contribute to the fall then?
"The historical truth in a scientific sense however is much more complex and usually much more layered than the politically inspired and thus necessarily more simplistic and one-dimensional ideas and theories we hear here and there to further one own's present ideological cause."
Do you think Christianity destroyed Rome? Is that the reason for the question?
Originally posted by MacSwainI think it had an influence. Constantine put people into power based on whether or not they were Christian instead of on merit.
No! Neither did Islam or other religions. There were complex interactions, that were not countered, which facilitated the fall, as stated in Ivanhoes' post. (quoted below)
"The historical truth in a scientific sense however is much more complex and usually much more layered than the politically inspired and thus necessarily more simplistic and one-dimens ...[text shortened]... al cause."
Do you think Christianity destroyed Rome? Is that the reason for the question?
Gibbon, author of The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, "pointed to Christianity. Christianity, he says, created a belief that a better life existed after death. This fostered indifference to the present among Roman citizens, thus sapping their desire to sacrifice for the Empire. He also believed its comparative pacifism tended to sap the traditional Roman martial spirit.
According to Gibbon, Romans were far more tolerant of Christians than Christians were of one another, especially once Christianity gained the upper hand. Christians inflicted far greater casualties on other Christians than were ever inflicted by the Roman Empire. Gibbon extrapolated that the number of Christians executed by other Christian factions far exceeded all the Christian martyrs who died during the three centuries of Christianity under Roman rule. "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_History_of_the_Decline_and_Fall_of_the_Roman_Empire
Well the rise of Christianity did help destroy the Roman empire but it was a complex assortment of reasons that all had a play in the destruction of Rome here are just some.
Christianity- helped destroy the over all tollerence of the empire before they would tollereate litterally any religion and bring in the outside religion into their own. But when the christians took over the put a stop to the tolerence that their country had used before, they did much like Alexander the Great.
the shear size of the country made it harder to control and maintain as well as be on the ball of what was going on.
Lavish spending within the major cities like Rome caused it to go broke and be forced to highly tax already added providences and to go conquer other nations to try to add income. This also forced them to move their troops it the out-skirts of the country weakening the defence in other areas.
Absolutly f'ing insane rulers who ruined the country such as nero, caligula, and I forget his name at the moment but he was 16 would walk around backwards with a rock all day for his cult, had his gay lover wip him in public and was finally killed by his guard when he order to be castrated.
there are many other reasons in the collapse of rome but I don't feel like typing any more. But these are some of major reasons.
Originally posted by RedmikeGlad you agree.
You're right, I think we can safely say Islam didn't contribute to the fall of Rome.
🙄
Although some believe the Roman Empire did not fall until the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire sometime in the 15th century. There were many other non-religous factors involved.