Over Expansion

Rome was a bustling empire. The Roman Empire was filled with millions and millions of people from all directions that came from conquered lands. In fact, Rome was so populated that it was hard to walk anywhere without making contact with another citizen. When I used to live in the Roman Empire, I would have to maneuver my way around people. It made me wonder how the emperor was keeping everyone in check?

Dividing the Empire

Walking around the streets in the mornings, I could hear the citizens talking about how Emperor Diocletian is going to split the Roman Empire to make it easier to manage because it was so populated. After a week of hearing the rumors, it finally happened. Emperor Diocletian split the Roman Empire into the Eastern and Western Empires, the West being weaker than the East. I was living in the Western Empire with a co-emperor, but each of the empires had a second-in-command in case an emperor suddenly died.

Corruption

As a younger child, my mother and father used to complain about the terrible emperors after Emperor Marcus Aurelius' death. After his death, there was a succession of inadequate emperors who caused the empire to decline. My mother and father would complain about how those emperors only cared for power and wealth and not of the citizens of the empire. This lead to a period known as the Third Century Crisis.