 Rome wasn't built in a day. It's often used to caution people to be patient. But how long did it take to destroy the Roman Empire? The answer? A little over 250 years. In Rome, it started with internal strife with the military and leadership. We have a crisis in leadership now in the United States. And lots of infighting. Paraphrasing Mark Twain, history may not repeat, but it rhymes. Internal struggles and power struggles tore the Roman Empire apart. Sound familiar?