Which was not a factor in the decline of the roman empire?

a.
sending romans overseas as soldiers left fewer farmers near rome and led to severe food shortages.

b.
waves of smallpox, plague, and other diseases brought to rome from foreign lands ravaged the city.

c.
locally hired soldiers guarding the frontiers tended to support their own commanders over leaders in rome.

d.
julius caesar's defeat by carthage in the third punic war cost rome most of its overseas possessions.

islamic religious leaders have traditionally been people who, as part of the clerisy, mosque, or government, performed a prominent role within their community or nation. however, in the modern contexts of muslims minorities in non-muslim countries as well as secularised muslim states like turkey, indonesia and bangladesh, religious leadership may take a variety of non-formal shapes.

compared to religious leaders/clerics of the other abrahamic faiths, islamic clergy are said to resemble rabbis and not priests. unlike catholic priests they do not "serve as intermediaries between mankind and god",[1] have "process of ordination",[2] or "sacramental functions",[1] but instead serve as "exemplars, teachers, judges, and community leaders," providing religious rules to the pious on "even the most minor and private" matters.[1]

a. always outside of government control.