Rome was like a bridge that connected the civilizations of the East and the West. It included both eastern and western properties. This bridge, Rome, has thrived for centuries and has left a mark on today's society. Unfortunately, “all great things must come to an end.” As much as it thrived, this bridge suffered from internal cracks. These cracks destroyed the foundations of the structure, causing it to collapse in on itself. The main cause of these cracks would be social, political, economic and military issues. The first crack appeared due to the plundering of the social world. As seen in document 3, “As the empire expanded, its prosperity was fueled by plundered riches.” In the beginning, the Roman Empire was continually expanding throughout the world. When they could no longer expand their territories, the wealth gained from each conquest soon ceased. When wealth stops increasing, so does the economy. During some emperor regimes, this economic error had a large impact on the value of coins. The currency of the coin has been devalued and has no default value. IT was represented by the amount of silver contained, which decreased over time. At one point during the reign of Emperor Claudius, coins were made up of only 1% silver. The devaluation of the monetary currency soon led to extensive and severe inflation. This inflation directly caused a disaster in Rome's bridge, harming it and its people. People could no longer afford most basic necessities, which destroyed Rome economically. A second crack appeared when political questions arose. As the empire grew in size, cultures and religions spread across the conquered territory. As seen in Document 2, this led to “The Introduction… of Christianity.” While the emperors were very lenient with religious views, the right side… middle of the paper… As seen in Document 5, “The Roman army [was] composed entirely of Germans.” These Germans were paid mercenaries. They were not pious, they had no courage, and they certainly would not willingly die for the empire. The old city soldiers would not come to assist, for they would refuse to leave their retired states on their beautiful estates. These soldiers with no heart for the empire, soon caused enemies, such as the Huns, to soon overthrow the Empire. Finally, in 476 AD, Alaric, the leader of the Visigothic Empire, forced Romulus Augustus to surrender, which in turn ended the prosperous Roman Empire. The Tomo Bridge, which connected the civilizations of the East and West, thrived for years. “All the great countries are destroyed” clearly describes the final effect of all the cracks found in the foundations of the Roman Empire. These cracks in the foundation led to the final destruction of the Empire