When did the Roman Empire fall (your thoughts)?

[Epictetus]

To me, the introduction of Franks, Goths, Vandals, Heruli, and Alans, into key/high military positions in BOTH the East and West placed authority with men who had other agendas beyond the traditional Roman one. We cannot say these men were only in the East, not when we have Sarus, Saul, Gainus, and even Alaric and Athaulf in the West.

[color=#000088]Agreed. I didn't say or mean to imply that these appointments were an Eastern phenomenon - only to point out that it wasn't unique to the Western provinces. Sure, appointing foreigners to positions of power is never desirable. The Eastern court in Constantinople managed to maintain a balance by appointing loyal Romans. Obviously, the Western court was not so successful in dealing with the problem.

What you are saying makes sense, and I’m unable to argue against it, but I keep thinking this is inadequate and we are missing something. The Roman state was practically defined by its openness to foreigners.

According to legend, Romulus opened an asylum and accepted all comers. Some traditional kings were foreigners invited or accepted to rule over Rome, and academics like T.J. Cornell have no problem believing this could happen in some form. In its period of expansion, Rome successfully integrated foreign elements – local elites, mostly – into its system. Some say that Roman openness was the key to its growth and success, and contrast this with some of the Greek city-states, which jealously guarded citizenship and refused to integrate foreigners.

Of course, there were backslides, like the Social War and the rebellion under Marcus Aurelius, but overall Rome was extremely successful at bringing foreigners into the Roman fold. If this is the case, why did it suddenly fail, and foreigners in the Empire became a liability instead of an asset? I have repeatedly looked for a good book or article on this subject, and haven’t been satisfied with what I’ve found.