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Not really a 'what if' but more an interrogative...

What was the core reason that Rome had difficulties in the final years of its existence?

In the early years, say the Punic Wars, Rome held just the Italian peninsula, but was able to defeat Carthage in three wars, and was basically a strong military power. By the end of the Western Roman Empire's existence, Rome was again mostly locked into the Italian peninsula, but was exceedingly weak and unable to really defend itself or expand. What had changed, exactly? They were able to defeat contemporary, similar-strengthed powers like Carthage, and were now fighting Germanic tribes.
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