Here is a perfect example of why we never learn from our past mistakes

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 Rome fell due to a combination of internal decay and external pressures, with no single cause but a gradual collapse of the Western Empire by 476 CE. Average life expectancy in ancient Rome was around 25-35 years at birth, heavily skewed by high infant mortality. Adults who survived childhood often lived into their 50s or 60s.historyfacts+2​

Key Causes of Fall

Multiple interconnected factors weakened Rome over centuries. Barbarian invasions overwhelmed overstretched borders, while economic stagnation from overreliance on slave labor, heavy taxation, and inflation eroded prosperity. Internal issues like political corruption, military decline due to poor leadership and recruitment shortages, and pandemics such as the Antonine Plague decimated populations and resources.youtube​wikipedia​

Climate and Disease Role

Climatic shifts, including the Late Antique Little Ice Age after 450 CE, reduced agricultural output and exacerbated famines. Endemic diseases and plagues, spread via trade networks, caused demographic collapses that undermined the empire's manpower for armies and taxes.wikipedia​

Life Expectancy Breakdown

Infant mortality was extreme, with 25-50% of babies dying before age 10, pulling the average down to 25-35 years. For those reaching adulthood, life spans extended further; elites like senators often hit 60-65, and outliers reached 80-100, aided by better nutrition and hygiene. Harsh conditions like disease, malnutrition, and violence limited most to shorter lives.youtube​reddit+3​

  1. https://historyfacts.com/world-history/fact/the-average-life-expectancy-in-ancient-rome-was-35-years/
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMIfqoafOt4
  3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvGM4LVfWb8
  4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_the_Western_Roman_Empire
  5. https://www.reddit.com/r/ancientrome/comments/15zqiqf/what_was_the_life_expectancy_of_the_roman_people/
  6. https://www.usu.edu/markdamen/1320hist&civ/chapters/08romfal.htm
  7. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2475/growing-old-in-ancient-greece--rome/
  8. https://www.facebook.com/groups/mikerielly/posts/7537474393028037/
  9. https://revealedrome.com/2012/06/ancient-rome-daily-life-women-age/
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demography_of_the_Roman_Empire

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