Edward Gibbon's General Observations On The Fall Of The Roman Empire

One of the most fundamental and intrinsic human inclinations is survival by responding to particular stimuli with one of the four basic instincts: fighting, fleeing, feeding and fornicating. Since man has come into existence these four basic instincts have guided and advanced our species to great feats. No one instinct is superior to the other, but rather each posses its advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the appropriate response lies solely upon the situation and individual or group individuals. Any choice in life, whether good or bad, is driven by the desire to gain something such as happiness or honor. The choices that the Roman empire made forged one of the greatest empires ever, but ultimately led to their demise. The longevity and power of Roman empire is
By the late fourth century, however, the manner which the Roman empire collapsed is even more fascinating. All though a plethora of factors contributed to the overall outcome of Rome’s fate, there are several notable factors. In Edward Gibbon’s General Observations on the Fall of the Roman Empire in West the first contributing factor was the invasion of Barbarian tribes, specifically King Alaric’s successful sack on the city of Rome. As powerful and advanced as Rome and its military was, the constant battling with outside invaders for hundreds of years finally caught up with them. According to Gibbons, the Barbarians “pressed the Roman empire with accumulated weight” (Gibbon 2). Gibbon’s work doesn’t praise the Roman’s almighty power and success, but points out their flaws such as ignorance. He describes the Roman’s as “ignorant of the extent of their danger” (Gibbons 1). The Roman empire was