The history of ancient Rome is a tale of just how a small community of shepherds in central Italy was able to grow to the point that it became known as one of the grandest empires in history-and then collapsed. The old analogy that states what goes up must come down is more then pertinent when dealing with the Roman Empire. The larger they are the greater they fall, is also extremely relevant when examining the Roman Empire. .
The Middle East was conquered by the Romans in 30 B.C. At its peak, in the A.D. 100", the Roman Empire covered much of the Middle East, about half of Europe, and the north coast of Africa. It was at about this time that the empire began to collapse. One theory for what caused the fall of the Roman Empire is that it was too large in size for the Rome to govern. Simply the shear magnitude of the land that was governed by Rome is startling in its extent. Ranging over the area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea it is not difficult to realize that there would have been difficulties governing the area in its entirety.
A common misconception about the Roman Empire is that the people under it were subjugated and beaten into submission. There is much legitimacy behind that statement, but there is also more to it than just that preconceived notion. The truth of the matter is that the throngs of people who lived in the Roman Empire followed many customs and religions. The people of the land also spoke in many different languages. A common system of law and government was what bound the Roman Empire together. .
Even with all of the freedoms that the people were permitted to use and access there still were problems with the system. The fact that many of the borders were left relatively unguarded from enemy attack made it more susceptible and appealing to enemies. It was actually the location of the Middle East that helped to keep them out of harms way after the empire split in 330 B.