Corruption and the Decline of Rome

Prominent historian Ramsay MacMullen here offers a new perspective on the decline and fall of Rome. MacMullen argues that a key factor in Rome's fall was the steady loss of focus and control over government as its aims were thwarted for private gain by high-ranking bureaucrats and military leaders. Written in an informal and lively style, his book-the culmination of years of research and thoughtful analysis-provides a fascinating, fresh line of investigation and shows convincingly that the decline of Rome was a gradual, insidious process rather than a climactic event. "An important book which will initiate a long debate. . . . What is new in MacMullen's argument is not the existence of this corruption but its sheer scale and long-term global effects. . . . A vivid and frightening picture of how a great state and civilization, the construction of centuries of painfully acquired political culture, can be cripplingly undermined."-Stephen Williams, History Today "A powerful account of the vices of late Roman society, which certainly helps us to understand some aspects of its partial fall."-Jasper Griffin, New York Review of Books "All students of history must welcome this wide-ranging book from so eminent an authority. MacMullen's knowledge of the ancient evidence is encyclopedic and his deceptively casual style and deliberate avoidance of technical terms make this an accessible and stimulating book for the general reader as well as for the specialist."-Jill Harries, International History Review "MacMullen's book is excellent: rich and learned in detail, lively in style, and in argument and insights highly stimulating."-S. J. B. Barnish, Times Higher Education Supplement

About the Author :
Ramsay MacMullen (1928–2022), a widely regarded historian of Rome and early Christianity, was Dunham Professor Emeritus of History and Classics at Yale University. His many books include Roman Social Relations, 50 B.C. to A.D. 284; Christianity and Paganism in the Fourth to Eighth Centuries; Christianizing the Roman Empire; Romanization in the Time of Augustus; and Voting About God in Early Church Councils.

Review :
“It is a seductive thesis, told with brio and all the guarantees of scholarship.”—The Economist “Ramsay MacMullen is arguably the finest Roman historian America has produced. . . . His arguments demonstrate good sense, buttressed by data not speculation.”—Erich Segal, The Independent “MacMullen is very widely read; over 700 books and articles are cited. He has a good eye for an interesting topic on a grand scale, and he is not afraid to chance his arm on modern parallels.”—Keith Hopkins, Times Literary Supplement Recipient of a Lifetime Award for Scholarly Distinction from the American Historical Association “A fine study in political sociology. It poses the deep problem of when patron-client political systems can be militarily effective.”—Arthur Stinchcombe, Northwestern University