Did Immigration Really Cause the Fall of Rome?

Dan Snow's History Hit

Boris Johnson recently stated that the fall of Rome was caused by 'uncontrolled migration' and the image of a mighty empire bought to its knees by hordes of barbarians from the east is certainly a powerful one. It is, however, not true and for many historians, even the idea of the "fall" of the empire is considered dubious. In the west, the empire dissolved into successor states that continued many elements of Roman bureaucracy and societal order. In the east, the empire became the Byzantine Empire and continued to rule up until 1453. The empire certainly did change but for a variety of reasons including the changing nature of power, new groups settling within its borders, environmental changes and conflicts both external and internal. Joining Dan to discuss this mighty subject and shed some light on the reality of the fall of Rome is Mark Humphries, Professor of Classics, Ancient History & Egyptology at Swansea University.