The Fall Of Rome

The Book is written by Bryan Ward-Perkins, with the title The Fall Of Rome: And the End of Civilization and printed by Oxford University Pres in 2005. John Bryan Ward-Perkins was born in 1912 in UK. He was a British historian and archeologist and director of British School at Rome. During WWII he served in military, during which he gained the knowledge of Tripolitania and Roman ruins which led him to take interest in history.

In 1946 he accepted the position of Director at British school at Rome and stayed on this position till 1974. “The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization”, addresses the general perception of modern historians about the benign change from Roman Empire to Christianity. The author corrects this thinking through archaeological evidence. He mentions that it was the coming of German tribes and their long term effects that led to the dissolution of Roman Empire.

The main argument which I find different from the normal text books is the telling of story of fall of empire from the other side. For example, he mentions that the transition of Roman Empire was neither nor peaceful; instead it was Germanic tribes (Vandals, Visigoth) etc who crossed the river Rhine in 5th BC and took whatever they wanted by force rather than through treaties or negotiations. He argues that one of the main reasons for collapse of Roman Empire was decline of Roman economy through many centuries.

He provides a reality check to modern readers shocking them with the truth about a Rome that was caught in economic collapse, rebellions from barbarians and rise of new orthodoxy; all of which became the reasons Rome collapse. The book provides interesting insight into the fall of Roman Empire from a different view compared to popular thinking in schools and text books. I believe this book is essential for any history student to look at a great event of history from a different perspective. Reference: Bryan Ward-Perkins,The Fall Of Rome: And the End of Civilization. Oxford University Pres,2005.