Rome had just plain became too big for it's own good. It was difficult to govern effectively and the empire was split in to two parts, but the western side had more of the power. Even though it was suppose to make the empire stronger, it didn't work and they became weaker; especially the western side. Trade was decreased and prices increased. Starvation started to set in as well as diseases that killed many people in the Roman Empire. With the deaths, it made if difficult to manage farms which caused even higher prices on food and even more starvation through out the land.
There was corruption in the government and in the military. Officers that were high up in the government were often corrupt and didn't care about the people. Because the emperors were usually selected by violence or by birth, the person leading wasn't always the best man for the job. Many leaders were foolish and also didn't care about the people of Rome.
There was an increase in slavery in Rome. This put many Roman people out of work and into slavery. The rich people gained more money and the poor lost money. The rich seemed to care less and less about what was happening to the empire and about the other people. The poor were very heavily taxed and overworked which made them very unhappy.
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