The Major Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire

• Antagonism between the Senate and the Emperor
• Decline in Morals
• Political Corruption and the Praetorian Guard
• Fast expansion of the Empire
• Constant Wars and Heavy Military Spending
• Barbarian Knowledge of Roman Military Tactics
• Failing Economy
• Unemployment of the Working Classes (The Plebs)
• The 'Mob' and the cost of the 'Games'
• Decline in Ethics and Values
• Slave Labor
• Natural Disasters
• Christianity
• Barbarian Invasion
• The major causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire

The First settlers on Rome's seven hills were not thinking about building a great empire, they chose the site because it seemed to be a good place to live. The hills made it easy to defend. The soil was fertile. There was a river. But centuries passed, the people of Rome discovered that the location gave them many other advantages. Rome was at the center of a long narrow peninsula we now all Italy. 

Ancient Roman architecture adopted the external language of classical Greek architecture for the purposes of the ancient Romans, but grew so different from Greek buildings as to become a new architectural style. The two styles are often considered one body of classical architecture. Roman architecture flourished in the Roman Republic and even more so under the Empire, when the great majority of surviving buildings were constructed. It used new materials, particularly concrete, and newer technologies such as the arch and the dome to make buildings that were typically strong and well-engineered. Large numbers remain in some form across the empire, sometimes complete and still in use.

Before the discovery of the sea route to India, the Silk Road was the most important connection between the East and West. It experienced its last great era during the time of the Mongol Empire. This ancient trade route starts in the old capitals of Luoyang and Xian (then called Chang'an), reaches the Yellow River at Lanzhou, then skirts westward along deserts and mountains before dividing into three routes at the oasis of Dunhuang.

Augustus Caesar, also known as Gaius Octavius, was the first Roman emperor, and ruled the Roman Empire between 31 B.C. and his death in A.D. 14. Some historians date his reign beginning in 27 B.C., when he dispensed with republican titles and accepted the title "Augustus."

The basic units of Roman society were households and families. Households included the head (usually the father) of the household, pater familias (father of the family), his wife, children, and other relatives. In the upper classes, slaves and servants were also part of the household. The head of the household had great power (patria potestas, "father's power") over those living with him: He could force marriage (usually for money) and divorce, sell his children into slavery, claim his dependents' property as his own, and even had the right to punish or kill family members (though this last right apparently ceased to be exercised after the 1st century BC).

The island of Delos in the eastern Mediterranean was made a free port in 166 BC and became one of the main market venues for slaves. Multitudes of slaves who found their way to Italy were purchased by wealthy landowners in need of large numbers of slaves to labor on their estates. Hence, Option A is correct. Among the rest of the options, the French Emperor Napoleon was exiled to Elba, Stromboli is a volcanic island which was often deserted, and Ponza has the ancient basins built in the 1st century BC by the Romans for breeding moray eels. Hence, these are incorrect. 

The decline in trade along the Silk Roads near the end of the Han dynasty was primarily the result of a significant reduction in the population caused by an epidemic disease that travelled the road. Because the Silk Roads connected so many different regions of the world, it was an ideal conduit for the transmission of disease. By the end of the Han dynasty, various diseases had taken a heavy toll on the population in China and elsewhere. As a result of the diminished population, trading decreased.

"Roman law" also denotes the legal system applied in most of Western Europe, until the end of the 18th century. In Germany, Roman law practice remained longer, having been the Holy Roman Empire (963-1806); thus the great influence upon the civil law systems in Europe. Moreover, the English and North American Common law also were influenced by Roman law, notably in the Latinate legal glossary - stare decisis, culpa in contrahendo, pacta sunt servanda. In contrast, Eastern Europe, though influenced by the Byzantine Empire, was not much influenced by the jurisprudence of the Corpus Juris Civilis; however, they did accept the Roman influence of the Farmer's Law.

The Chera, Chola and Pandya kings encouraged shipbuilding and overseas exploration. This promoted trade and established colonies in Sri Lanka and South-East Asia. The Indian settlers interacted with the local people. As a result, the influence of Indian language, literature and art spread in this region. 

India's overseas trade with Rome is mentioned in Ptolemy's geography and the Sangam literature. A large number of Roman coins have been found in many of the port cities of India indicating trade. India exported spices, precious stones, fine cloth, perfumes, ivory, iron, dyes rice, peacocks, parrots, monkeys, etc. India received gold and silver coins, wine, glass, and metals in return.

During the fifth and sixth centuries C.E., Merchants played a large role in the spread of religion, in particular, Buddhism. Merchants found the moral and ethical teachings of Buddhism to be an appealing alternative to previous religions. As a result, Merchants supported Buddhist Monasteries along the Silk Roads and in return, the Buddhists gave the Merchants somewhere to stay as they travelled from city to city. As a result, Merchants spread Buddhism to foreign encounters as they travelled. 

Merchants also helped to establish diaspora within the communities they encountered and overtime their cultures became based on Buddhism. Because of this, these communities became centres of literacy and culture with well-organized marketplaces, lodging, and storage. The Silk Road transmission of Buddhism essentially ended around the 7th century with the rise of Islam in Central Asia.