Decline of the Roman Empire

Some historians believe in the theory of transformation in the classical Roman era; that instead of the empire being destroyed, it merely changed and evolved into a different empire. Historians argue that the barbaric Germanic invaders contributed to the Roman culture in a positive way. Although it is true that central rule continued in Italy with the Germanic kingdoms, i do not agree with this statement that the Roman empire continued on. It does not make sense especially since the capital city of Rome itself was sacked and replaced by Germans. If Roman leaders continued to rule after the Germanic migrations and the culture changed with the addition of new cultures, I would agree that the empire has transformed while still remaining Roman. However, since German rulers took over it is most reasonable to say that Rome was not Rome anymore, although Germanic kingdoms did adopt some of its culture.