What caused the decline of the Roman REPUBLIC?
The Roman Republic fell for the same reason the Roman Empire would fall four centuries later. They felt their rich were too poor and their poor were too rich, and they determined to do something about it. Though machinations in the Senate, the wealthy were able to completely destroy the Roman middle class (artisans and yeoman farmers) who were the backbone of Roman civilization and military power. The middle class was replaced with slaves and enormous plantations and the free citizens were left only subsistence welfare and decadent but pointless entertainment.
