1The fall of the Roman Empire was not a single event but a long, slow decline.
2For centuries, Rome ruled lands stretching from Britain to the deserts of the Middle East.
3Over time, however, the empire simply became far too large to defend and govern effectively.
4Its tired army struggled to protect thousands of miles of border from constant enemy attacks.
5Meanwhile, economic problems, heavy taxes, and deep political corruption gradually weakened the state from within.
6In the late third century, the empire was divided into two separate halves for easier rule.
7The eastern half, centred on the great city of Constantinople, survived for nearly another thousand years.
8At the same time, the western half suffered repeated invasions by warlike groups whom the Romans dismissively called barbarians.
9Finally, in four hundred and seventy-six, the last western emperor was removed from his throne.
10Even today, historians still argue about which single cause mattered most in this remarkable collapse.
11What is clear is that Rome's language, laws, and ideas never truly disappeared from Europe.