In a time when ancient Greeks were at the peak of their civilization, The Romans began to rise. The Greek power was based in art, literature science and philosophy. Romans were strong in warfare, engineering and government. Surely this was a clash waiting to happen. The Romans gradually rose to power, with no set initial plan for global domination. Soon, however The Romans were constantly entangled in battle and enslaved countless people. (Forsythe, "From Republic To Empire") .
The Romans were an imperial powerhouse for over 1000 years. They carried with them stability, Prosperity, and order to civilize the west. Excellent roads were constructed to connect the far extents of the empire to the capital. These were built originally for military purposes but later functioned to develop more effective communication and trade. Roman law was successful in maintaining the internal peace, and many roman legions defended the vast frontiers. (Dorrington, "The fall of Rome") .
Clearly, the focus of the Roman Empire was military strength and stability. Their military proficiency allowed for them to control much of the Mediterranean. Many people believe that the affluence of Rome is directly tied to that same military strength. However, when this military strength was lost, so was the empire. The Roman Empire eventually declined for a number of reasons. Though, It was the failure of the military that eventually caused the collapse of the Roman Empire. (Stipek "The Decline of the Military") .
Several factors may have lead to the slow decline of the military. A lack of recruits from truly Roman backgrounds could be to blame. Also the granting of citizenship to all free men within the reaches of Roman Empire was a significant mistake. (Initially citizenship was only granted after service in the army was completed.) This caused less incentive to join the military. Rome was also suffering from large population losses.