Which of the following contributed LEAST to the decline of the Roman Empire?

(A) Civil wars between rivals for the throne (B) Incursions of barbarian peoples into the empire (C) The persistence of the senate as a body of government in the empire (D) Demographic weakness on account of diseases and epidemicsExplanation: The Senate persisted throughout Roman history and beyond. Choices (A), (B), and (D) are all serious issues that the Romans encountered in the imperial period and all are arguably far worse than the existence of the Senate. Therefore, you can eliminate those three choices and choose (C).