Decline of the Roman Empire

The Fall of the Roman Empire, also known as the Fall of Western Rome, has been viewed as the end of the ancient world and the onset of the Middle Ages. What lasted for over a thousand years and representing a sophisticated and adaptive civilization, many believed that many factors contributed to its demise. The combination of decadence, the metal lead in the water supply, monetary trouble, and military problems caused the Fall of Rome, with imperial incompetence also added on the list.