The reason why long-distance trade had declined They did their best, but they ran into some severe scale and distance issues. The Empire had massive population losses in the fourth and fifth centuries. The Mediterranean basin has traditionally been sparsely inhabited, barely sustaining itself on existing agriculture.
Despite Roman dominance and uniformity of culture/military might, as well as the influx of Egyptian grain, the population of Gaul and especially Germany was disproportionately in favor of the 'Barbarians,' friendly or otherwise.
The pressure on the Roman and traditionally Greek worlds in terms of demographic imbalance only increased as those tribes and subsequent influxes of huge nomadic populations (Goths, Franks, etc.) swept over central Europe.
By the time of the West's demise? There were simply too many enemies to go around and not enough friends to go around. When you look at the campaigns of Belisarius and later Narses, you'll notice that they never had a numerical advantage. They were always battling with a significant numerical deficit and had to rely on great tactical, operational, and strategic competence to obtain good outcomes.
Even the splendor of the Justinian reconquest was not immune to the writing on the wall. It was never going to last. Neither the numbers nor the treasury could sustain the situation for long. The astonishment, if anything, was that it was even conceivable and lasted as long as it did.
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