People often think of the "Decline and Fall" of the Roman Empire as separate parts, but I think one thing the author illustrates is the fall of the Western Roma

People often think of the "Decline and Fall" of the Roman Empire as separate parts, but I think one thing the author illustrates is the fall of the Western Roman Empire was a continuation of the decline. The shifts in culture, declines in economy, the lack of political stability, started before the Western Roman Empire fell. This muddies the dark ages were not too dark argument because are you comparing the height of Rome to the lowest point of the dark ages, and so on. When historical arguments quickly get stuck in the weeds of where you draw the lines, it's a good sign that the argument is probably beside the point.