Ebook: How Rome fell : death of a superpower

Describes the forces that ultimately destroyed the Roman Empire, challenging the traditional assumption that Rome was sacked by ultimately irrepressible foreign armies. Asserts that Rome's foes in the death throes of empire weren't any more formidable than those at its peak, but that the cutthroat nature of its political system fractured and diverted forces better spent maintaining the integrity of provincial borders - it was civil war and paranoia that destroyed the empire from within. Some descriptions of violence. 2009.;Introduction. Big Question -- pt. 1. Crisis?The Third Century -- 1. Kingdom of Gold -- 2. Secret of Empire -- 3. Imperial Women -- 4. King of Kings -- 5. Barbarians -- 6. Queen and the 'Necessary' Emperor -- 7. Crisis -- pt. 2. Recovery? The Fourth Century -- 8. Four -- Diocletian and the Tetrarchy -- 9. Christian -- 10. Rivals -- 11. Enemies -- 12. Pagan -- 13. Goths -- 14. East and West -- pt. 3. Fall? The Fifth and Sixth Centuries -- 15. Barbarians and Romans: Generals and Rebels -- 16. Sister and the Eternal City -- 17. Hun -- 18. Sunset on an Outpost of Empire -- 19. Emperors, Kings and Warlords -- 20. West and East -- 21. Rise and Fall -- Conclusion -- A Simple Answer -- Epilogue -- An Even Simpler Moral.