To clarify, when I say "Roman Empire" I mean the Western Roman Empire which fell in 476 to Odoacer. I realize that the eastern half of the Empire continued to exist as the Byzantine Empire, but popular history usually does not label them as Roman, so for the sake of this article I won't either.
With that out of the way, if we want to prevent Rome from falling, we need to look at why it fell in the first place. The generally accepted theory is that the Empire fell because of barbarian invasions. That theory, however, does not paint a full picture. It only gives the specific cause of death, but says nothing of the overall health of the Empire. Following the end of the Pax Romana 180 AD, the Empire began a gradual decline as civil wars raged across the Empire over succession to the Imperial throne. A couple of strong emperors, like Diocletian and Constantine, attempted to stop the decline, but their effort were too little too late. To fix the Empire, we will need to change things farther in the past.
I have always been a fan of the economic reasons for the collapse of Rome. These range from agricultural decline, lack of economic freedom and slavery hampering ingenuity. Fixing these issues would be difficult and would require a major paradigm shift (or assistance from alien space bats) for Classical civilizations. It seems near impossible, but to give Rome the best chance you would need some reform minded emperors not distracted by civil strife throughout the Empire.
Perhaps fixing the system of succession could help. Rome was notable that those who took the purple were not always the son of the man who held it before. This actually gives us some hope because it means competent men have the chance to take control over incompetent children of the current reigning Emperor (as what happened when Commodus succeeded his father Marcus Aurelius). The problem is such a structure breeds strife as factions (army, bureacracy, Senate, etc.) fight over who gets the top spot. A more formal framework would need to be adopted to ensure a peaceful transition to power, especially if the current Emperor dies before naming a heir. Perhaps the Senate would then act as the College of Cardinals does today for the Pope.
Perhaps fixing the system of succession could help. Rome was notable that those who took the purple were not always the son of the man who held it before. This actually gives us some hope because it means competent men have the chance to take control over incompetent children of the current reigning Emperor (as what happened when Commodus succeeded his father Marcus Aurelius). The problem is such a structure breeds strife as factions (army, bureacracy, Senate, etc.) fight over who gets the top spot. A more formal framework would need to be adopted to ensure a peaceful transition to power, especially if the current Emperor dies before naming a heir. Perhaps the Senate would then act as the College of Cardinals does today for the Pope.
A more stable Empire could then deal with the immediate threat of barbarian invasion. In fact, they may even take advantage of the golden opportunity to assimilate the barbarians into Roman culture. Many of the Germanic tribes who "invaded" Rome were actually refugees who were pushed west by more powerful tribes (like the Huns). I fear, however, that I am starting to get optimistic. Its just not plausible for large empires to stay together indefinitely (unless you count China as an exception). It is probably unlikely Rome would avoid all potential civil wars or survive other "barbarian" invasions (Arabs, Norse, Magyar, Slavs, etc.).
Perhaps Rome surviving on the German/Italian model would be appropriate. By that I mean that because of a longer Pax Romana Latin culture is even stronger in Europe. If the Empire does collapse, more successor states like the Byzantines arise allowing for a future reunification down the line. Thus in this scenario we have multiple versions of the Empire that reunite following brief periods of strife. We may even see future versions of the Roman Empire having a written constitution that structures the empire into more of a federation. Instead of the eagle, the phoenix may be a better standard for these future incarnations of the Empire.
There are still many variables that could wreck the scenario above. What if Rome changes the course of the migration of the steppe nomads from west to east? What if the Roman Empire's size and power makes it complacent and they are unprepared for a more dynamic rival? What if the author of this piece just doesn't know what he is talking about? That sounds the most likely actually, so please let me know your thoughts in the comments and if want to submit your own scenario email me at ahwupdate at gmail dot com for a chance to be featured on What If Wednesday.
Perhaps Rome surviving on the German/Italian model would be appropriate. By that I mean that because of a longer Pax Romana Latin culture is even stronger in Europe. If the Empire does collapse, more successor states like the Byzantines arise allowing for a future reunification down the line. Thus in this scenario we have multiple versions of the Empire that reunite following brief periods of strife. We may even see future versions of the Roman Empire having a written constitution that structures the empire into more of a federation. Instead of the eagle, the phoenix may be a better standard for these future incarnations of the Empire.
There are still many variables that could wreck the scenario above. What if Rome changes the course of the migration of the steppe nomads from west to east? What if the Roman Empire's size and power makes it complacent and they are unprepared for a more dynamic rival? What if the author of this piece just doesn't know what he is talking about? That sounds the most likely actually, so please let me know your thoughts in the comments and if want to submit your own scenario email me at ahwupdate at gmail dot com for a chance to be featured on What If Wednesday.
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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.
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