Corruption and the Decline of Rome

By Ramsay MacMullen

Book Overview

A radical rethinking of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, with resonance for today

"It is a seductive thesis, told with brio and all the guarantees of scholarship."--The Economist

Prominent historian Ramsay MacMullen here offers a new perspective on the decline and fall of Rome. MacMullen argues that a key factor in Rome's fall was the steady loss of focus and control over government as its aims were thwarted for private gain by high-ranking bureaucrats and military leaders. Written in an informal and lively style, his book--the culmination of years of research and thoughtful analysis--provides a fascinating, fresh line of investigation and shows convincingly that the decline of Rome was a gradual, insidious process rather than a climactic event.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B000H7JXZO
• ISBN13: 9780300047998
• Release Date: July 1990
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 331 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Tells the How very well. But what about the why?

MacMullen is a Roman historian. No doubt about it. His knowledge and use of source material is unmatched. And his subject is the most tantilizing of all for Roman Empire fans. What really caused the decline? The cause he posits, out of control corruption throughout the official and unofficial bureacracy, is one that has long captivated historians. It resonates through all ages and societies. Why? Why that cause and not the standard one of military defeat? Because in govenment corruption we see what we expect ( and hope?) to find in our own times. And in finding it we want to make it uniquely the crime of the opposing party, whoever that is. But MacMullen who does such a good job in describing how corruption worked in the empire and when it began, does not tell us WHY it happened? What made the late 3rd century AD the pivot point ( which it so obviously was) in a system of genial bribery to one of violent rapaciousness able to destroy an empire? Why not the 2nd century? Why not the 4th century? MacMullen never tells us. And maybe because he, nor anyone, knows why.

Who to Read about The Decline of Rome

If you want a pleasant fantasy about Rome's decline, influenced by Tacitus's writings from another period entirely, read Gibbon. If you want to read a standard version that rehashes much of the myth of decline and fall, read Grant. If you want to get a handle on the the conditions of the later Roman Empire, read Ramsay MacMullen.