The **fall of the Roman Empire** is a complex historical event that took place over several centuries, with historians generally marking the **official end of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE** when the last emperor, **Romulus Augustulus**, was deposed. The Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the **Byzantine Empire**, continued until 1453.

There is no single cause; rather, it was a combination of **internal and external factors**:

### **1. Political Instability and Corruption**
- Frequent changes of rulers, often through violence or assassination.
- Widespread corruption and ineffective leadership undermined central authority.

### **2. Economic Problems**
- Heavy taxation and inflation weakened the economy.
- Reliance on slave labor discouraged technological innovation.
- Devaluation of currency and trade deficits.

### **3. Military Decline**
- Difficulty recruiting Roman citizens into the army, leading to increased reliance on **mercenary soldiers** (many of whom were non-Romans with questionable loyalty).
- Repeated invasions and pressures from outside forces.

### **4. Barbarian Invasions**
- Gradual incursions by various **Germanic tribes** (Visigoths, Vandals, Ostrogoths, etc.).
- Rome was sacked in 410 CE by the Visigoths and again in 455 by the Vandals.
- In 476, the Germanic chieftain **Odoacer** deposed the last Western Roman emperor.

### **5. Division of the Empire**
- The decision to divide the empire into **Western and Eastern halves** (initiated by Emperor Diocletian and solidified by Theodosius I) made the Western half more vulnerable.

### **6. Social and Cultural Decay**
- Some historians argue there was a decline in civic virtue and social cohesion.
- Diminished sense of Roman identity as citizenship was extended to more people.

### *Summary Statement*
**The fall of the Roman Empire was caused by a mixture of internal weaknesses and external pressures, including political instability, economic decline, military problems, barbarian invasions, administrative division, and social decay.** It remains one of the most studied and debated topics in history.
