The Fall of the Roman Empire

1. The Fall of the Roman Empire

2. The Roman Empire at its Height • The Roman Empire became huge • It covered most of Europe, North Africa, and some of Asia • The Empire reached its height under Emperor Diocletian (284-305 CE)

3. Expansion: Good or Bad? • What are some problems that an empire or country might have by being stretched out too far?

4. The Decline Begins • 180 CE Marcus Aurelius died • His son, Commodus, took control of Rome • Commodus was a poor leader, killed by his bodyguard • Time of disarray follows Commodus from the movie Gladiator

5. Political Problems • Poor leaders weakened the government • Frequent fights for power • Many officials took bribes • Talented people chose not to serve due to dangers of government life

6. Social Problems • Taxes were too great, many rich people stopped paying • People stopped attending school • Large number of people enslaved • Plague (disease) spread throughout Rome, killing 1 in 10 • Famine: There was not enough food to feed people

7. Economic Problems • Farmers lost land, unable to grow and sell crops, out of work (and famine) • People bought fewer goods, shops closed • Inflation occurred: Rapidly rising prices. Money lost value because fewer taxes paid. • Coins lost value: Less gold put in, people found out (caused inflation) • Bartering grew: sell goods without using money • No taxes, no money

8. Military Problems • Military only in it for money (mercenaries) • No money to pay military = weak military • Constant threat of invaders on empire’s borders • Weak military, unable to stop border invasions

9. Diocletian • 284 CE, Diocletian became emperor • Tried reforms (political changes) • Set price limits (if a person went beyond limits, put to death) and ordered workers to stay in jobs to death

10. The empire was divided between Greek-speaking & Latin-speaking halves But, the empire was also divided by wealth The East was far wealthier than the West because it had most of the great cities & trade centers Diocletian’smostimportantreformwasrealizing Rome was too large & dividing the empire into the Western Eastern Roman Empires

11. Dividing the Empire • Diocletian felt that the only way to save the empire was to divide it in half • Created two empires: Western and Eastern • Western Empire: Europe/ North Africa and city of Rome • Eastern Empire: Turkey/ Asia and city of Byzantium • Two emperors, emperor in charge of Rome was senior

12. Constantine • Diocletian retired and Constantine took his place as emperor • Constantine (312 CE) united the empire again under one ruler • First Christian emperor • Edict of Milan? • Attempted reforms • Main reform: sons had to follow fathers’ trade

13. Attempts to Reform the Empire • After Diocletian, the emperor Constantine cametopower&continuedtoreformRome • To help unify Rome, he ended persecutions & converted to Christianity • He moved the official capital from Rome to a new city in the East, called Constantinople

14. Then Constantine the Great ascended the throne, he had a different view on Christianity, to show his support he built many cathedrals for the Christians. In 313 A.D. Constantine and Licinius issued the Edict Milan which allowed toleration of all religions in the Roman Empire. For the first time in ancient Rome Christians could practice their religion without fear.

15. It is said that on the night before the Battle of the Milivian Bridge, Constantine the Great had a dream. In the dream, he received directions to paint the first 2 Greek letters of the word “Christ” – Chi (X) and Rho (P) – on his soldiers’ shields. When he woke up and did just that he won the war. Since then, he became a committed Christian and continued to have his armies bear this unique symbol of Christ, known as the labarum.

16. Constantine spread Christianity to all corners of the Roman Empire, and it eventually became its sole religion in 380 A.D.

17. Constantinople was a major trade center & was easy to defend; They city was built in the Roman style but had a strong Greek & Christian influence

18. Constantinople • Rome continued to decline • Constantine moved the capital from Rome to city of Byzantium • City name changed to Constantinople (today is Istanbul)

19. Current Day

20. After Emperors Diocletian & Constantine, the Western Roman Empire continued to decline The Collapse of the Roman Empire Disease, corruption, & declining economy exposed the West to attack from outside invasions

21. The Decline of the Roman Empire • The fall of the Roman Empire happened in 3 major stages: • An era of decline due to internal problems within Rome • A brief period of revival due to reforms by Emperors Diocletian & Constantine • Continued decline, invasion by Germanic “barbarians”, & the conquest of Rome

22. Rome invaded • Western Empire unable to hold off German tribes on its borders • Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks, Vandals, Saxons • German tribes wanted warmer area, Roman riches, and to flee the Huns

23. By 370 A.D., “barbarian” groups outside Rome, led by the Huns, began to attack The Collapse of the Roman Empire The weak Roman army in the West could do little to stop the invasions; By 476, Germanic barbarians conquered Western Rome

24. Visigoths • Rome agreed to allow the Visigoths to live inside of Roman boundaries • Romans treated Visigoths badly • Visigoths rebelled and defeated the Romans • Visigoth leader, Alaric, captured Rome in 410 CE

25. Vandals • Vandals followed Visigoths and spent 12 days stripping Rome of valuables (vandalism) • Many more German invaders followed • Finally, a German general named Odoacer defeated the western emperor Romulus Augustulus (14 years old, little Augustus)

26. The Fall • Augustulus was defeated in 476 CE • For this reason, this date is given as the fall of the Western Roman Empire • Western Empire was divided into many kingdoms that adopted many of the customs of Rome

27. The decline of the Western Roman Empire led to the Middle Ages

29. Eastern Roman Empire • Although the Western Empire fell in 476 CE, the Eastern Roman Empire continued to prosper for 1,000 more years • Became known as the Byzantine Empire

30. The East became the Byzantine Empire & flourished for another thousand years After the Fall of Rome The Byzantine Empire kept alive the cultural achievements of ancient Greece & Rome

32. Answer the Following Questions 1. How did the last good emperor Marcus Aurelius help lead to the fall of the Roman Empire? 2. Give four other examples/reasons of why the Roman Empire fell apart. 3. What group forced the Germanic tribes into the boundaries of the Roman Empire? 4. What is inflation? 5. What was the end result for Europe when the Roman Empire fell?