1001 Space Earth Nature History First Civilisations Ancient Egypt Biblical Times Ancient Greece Ancient Rome Chinese, Japanese Civilisations Indian Civilisation African Civilisation The Early Americas The Rise of Islam The Middle Ages The Renaissance Civil War and Revolution The Industrial Revolution Two World Wars 20th-century Achievements Human World Science and Technology	Why did the Roman empire collapse? In the 5th century AD the Roman Empire came under attack from Germanic barbarian tribesmen who wanted to live in the empire and share its wealth. The emperors, by now powerless, could not prevent them from taking over half the empire. A map of the Roman Empire   Previous: Back Book: 1001 Section: History Chapter: Ancient Rome