How did inflation lead to the Roman Empire's decline?

Answer 1

This is an assumption, not a fact.

Contrarily, high inflation towards the end of the empire is arguably the sign, and not the cause, of the weakening empire.

See the reasons for the inflation, at the link below.

Answer 2

There are two terms: decline and fall of the Roman Empire. The former refers to the last 2-3 centuries of the empire. There was a decline in the economy of the empire. Roman coins had been debased for many years. The gold or silver content of the coins was continually decreased, effectively devaluing them. The coins reached a point in which they had as little as 5% of precious metal and had vitally no value. This created hyperinflation and a breakdown of trade as money was useless as a means of exchange. It also led to a decline of the urban economy and a decrease in the urban population because the cities produced manufactures for long-distance trade. Many people migrated to the countryside and became servile labour for the owners of large landed estates whose production had switched to production for local barter, rather than exports for the cities. The empire never fully recovered from this crisis.

Hyperinflation was a major cause of the so called decline of the empire. Whether inflation also contributed to the fall of the empire is a matter of opinion. If so, it would have been at most indirectly. It was the western part of the empire which fell. It fell under the weight of the Germanic invasions. The eastern part of the Roman Empire was not affected by these invasions and continued to exist for another 1,000 years.

The weakening of the economy which had been caused by hyperinflation made government revenues harder to raise and led to heavier taxation of people who were already worse off. At the same time government revenue requirements increased because the army was enlarged due to continuous attacks of the frontiers of the empire. However, I think that inflation was not a critical factor in the fall of the western part of the empire. The crucial factor was the Germanic invasions which made it disintegrate. The eastern part, which also had been affected by the economic problems and changes cause by hyperinflation continued to exist.

Answer 3

Inflation happened because the Roman money lost its value while taxes & prices for food and everyday needs increased

Answer 4

They prevented revolts.