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Descent into Anarchy: The Fall of Rome

Descent into Anarchy: The Fall of Rome. Year of the Four Emperors. Nero commits suicide in 68 AD 69 3 emperors take power…all three assassinated …one after the other The fourth emperor, Vespasian, survives and starts the Flavian Dynasty. Flavian Dynasty, AD 69-96.

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Descent into Anarchy: The Fall of Rome

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  1. Descent into Anarchy:The Fall of Rome

  2. Year of the Four Emperors • Nero commits suicide in 68 • AD 69 3 emperors take power…all three assassinated …one after the other • The fourth emperor, Vespasian, survives and starts the Flavian Dynasty

  3. Flavian Dynasty, AD 69-96 • Vespasian (69-79) builds the 70,000 seat Flavian Amphitheatre…the Coliseum of Rome • Titus (79-81) • Reigns during the destruction of Pompeii by Mount Vesuvius • Domitian (81-96) • Invaded and conquered Britain • Got himself assassinated

  4. The Five Good Emperors • Nerva (96-98) • Recognizes that there’s no system for picking successors • Establishes system of adopting his successor • The five good emperors are all capable administrators and leaders: • Trajan (98-117) • Hadrian (117-138) • Antoninus Pius (138-161) • Marcus Aurielius (161-180)

  5. Unleash Chaos • After the death of Commodus in 193, 5 emperors ruled in 193 • The last one, Severus, starts a dynasty that lasts from 193-235 • From 235 to 284, twenty-five different men claimed to be emperor • Average reign lasted 2 years • Almost all of them got assassinated

  6. Divide and Conquer • By 286 it is clear that one man cannot rule the empire alone • Diocletian divides the empire into an eastern and western half • Ruled by an Augustus and a Caesar • Constantine buildsa new capital at Byzantium, and renames it Constantinople in 306 • Several emperors try to reunite the two halves…all attempts fail

  7. East and West in 395

  8. Sack of Rome • Rome is sacked by the Visigoths in 410 under Alaric • Rome is sacked again in 455 by the Vandals • The Vandals were so destructive that they gave us the words vandalism and vandalize • The last Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustulus, is deposed (kicked out)on September 4, 476

  9. Why Rome Fell • The empire became too big for one person to rule • Violent transitions between emperors • The Roman army became weak • The Romans came to rely on Germanic tribes that were not as loyal • The economy collapsed • The currency was devalued and there was no budgetary control over the treasury

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