- How many millennia passed from the development of writing in Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome?
- The fall of Rome
- Conclusions
- References
About five millennia passed from the development of writing in Mesopotamia until the fall of Rome. But is it possible to more accurately determine the duration of this period?
To answer this question as accurately as possible, it is sufficient to first determine the date on which the appearance of writing in Mesopotamia is estimated and the date on which the fall of Rome occurred.
Early writings
Both the emergence of writing in Mesopotamia and the fall of the Western Roman Empire mark the beginning of two important periods in human history.
The appearance of writing in Mesopotamia marks the beginning of what was called the Neolithic Revolution, while the fall of the Western Roman Empire is considered by historians as the starting point of the so-called Middle Ages.
How many millennia passed from the development of writing in Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome?
Due to the few historical sources found by archaeologists and historians, it is not easy to determine exactly when writing appears in Mesopotamia.
However, despite this, an agreement has been reached to establish that the appearance of writing in Mesopotamia is situated sometime between 3,500 BC and 3,300 BC.
Even though not all specialists coincide with this date, it is generally accepted as the most exact to establish its appearance.
The fall of Rome
Having established on what approximate date the writing appears in Mesopotamia, it remains to determine the date of the fall of Rome.
In 476 AD, the so-called Western Roman Empire was seized by the leader of the Barbarians, the leader called Odoacer.
At that time the emperor of Rome was Romulus Augustus, who was barely 15 years old.
In view of being so young and inexperienced, the responsibilities of managing the empire fall on his father, Flavio Orestes, who from his position as regent refuses to accept the intentions of the Germanic barbarian tribes of the Erulos and Sciros to appropriate the territories of Italy.
Such opposition provokes the wrath of the barbarian tribes, a circumstance that Odoacer, leader of the Herulos, takes advantage of by organizing an insurrection that causes the capture and death of Orestes on August 28, AD 476.
This forces the young emperor Romulus Augustus to abdicate and go into exile, thus bringing about the end of the so-called Western Roman Empire.
However, it is necessary to clarify that the fall of Rome or the Western Roman Empire does not definitively decree the end of the Roman Empire as such.
For many historians, the final fall of the Roman Empire occurs almost a millennium later, with the taking of Constantinople by the Ottomans on May 29, AD 1,453, ending the Eastern Roman Empire.
From there you can talk about the fall and the absolute end of the Roman Empire.
Conclusions
Taking into account the above, we can talk about two possible options to determine how many millennia passed from the development of writing in Mesopotamia until the fall of the Roman Empire.
If we consider the classical position of establishing the fall of the Roman Empire from the disappearance of the Western Roman Empire in the year 476 AD, and knowing that the writing in Mesopotamia developed approximately between 3,500 and 3,300 BC, it can be said that they have between 3,476 and 3,976 years.
Therefore, if we take this option as valid, it would be correct to say that 3.47 millennia have passed.
On the other hand, if the later fall of the Eastern Roman Empire in 1453 AD is taken as a reference. C., between 4,753 and 4,953 years would have elapsed until that date, establishing between 4.75 and 4.93 the number of millennia elapsed between the appearance of writing in Mesopotamia and the absolute end of the Roman Empire.
References
- nationalgeographic.com.es. (November 21, 2012). Excerpts from the article “The end of the Roman Empire”. Recovered from nationalgeographic.com.es.
- Matín G., M. (August 27, 2007). Excerpts from the article "The fall of the Roman Empire". Recovered from senderosdelahistoria.wordpress.com.
- defensecentral.com. (July 2, 2014). Excerpts from the article "In what year did the Western Roman Empire fall?" Recovered from Defensacentral.com.
- Peinado, J. (August 25, 2008). Excerpts from the article "History of writing." Recovered from es.wikipedia.org.
- Lopez Z, A. (undated). Excerpts from the essay “APPEARANCE OF WRITING. Mesopotamia, Egypt and other regions ”. Recovered from andrealopezzanon.files.wordpress.com.
- Erice.anell (pseudonym). (June 26, 2015). Excerpts from the article "Fall of the Western Roman Empire". Recovered from es.wikipedia.org.