TOEFL統合ライティング

📖 読解文章

The decline of the Roman Empire has long been a subject of historical debate. While many factors contributed to its fall, a prominent theory posits that the primary cause was economic collapse. This argument rests on three key points. First, the Roman economy was heavily reliant on slave labor, which stifled technological innovation. With an abundant supply of slaves, there was little incentive to develop labor-saving devices, leading to stagnation in agriculture and manufacturing. Second, the empire faced severe inflation due to the debasement of its currency. Emperors repeatedly reduced the silver content in coins to fund military expenditures, which eroded trust in the monetary system and disrupted trade. Third, the overextension of the empire's borders created unsustainable military costs. Maintaining vast frontiers required immense legions, and the financial burden of these armies drained the treasury, eventually bankrupting the state. Together, these economic weaknesses weakened the empire's ability to respond to external pressures, making economic collapse the decisive factor in Rome's fall.

🎧 リスニング講義

The reading argues that economic collapse was the primary cause of Rome's fall, but this view is oversimplified and ignores political and military factors. First, while slave labor did exist, technological stagnation was not universal. The Romans did innovate in engineering and architecture, constructing roads, aqueducts, and concrete structures. Moreover, the supposed lack of innovation was not unique to Rome; many pre-industrial societies relied on manual labor. More importantly, the real decline in productivity occurred after the third-century crisis, which was a political, not economic, problem. Second, currency debasement was a symptom, not a cause. Inflation spiked during periods of political instability, such as civil wars and usurper emperors, because the state needed quick funds. Stable periods saw relative monetary stability. Thus, inflation was driven by political chaos, not inherent economic weakness. Third, military costs were indeed high, but they were not unsustainable until the empire lost territorial control. The real issue was that political infighting led to short-term military strategies, such as paying barbarian mercenaries, which eventually backfired. In sum, political fragmentation and military overreach, not economic collapse, were the primary drivers of Rome's fall.