The Fall of Rome

1. The Fall of Rome Or, why I learned to stop worrying and love Christianity…

2. What is going to cause the collapse of Rome? • Internal And • External Causes

3. Internal Causes • Rome suffered from Poor Leadership after the death of the last “good emperor” because his successors were unable to control the Empire • Overspending by wealthy Roman citizens and the government depleted the wealth of the Roman Empire • The government raised Taxes to deal with the poverty taking over the Empire • Disease spread throughout Roman cities • Loyalty to the Empire was lost by Roman Legions who supported their generals over their Emperor • Latfundia’s diminished work opportunities.

4. Economic Collapse • Nobles considered it unworthy to engage in business and squandered money. • Latfundia’s and slavery encouraged a lack of job growth or manual labor. • Weak employment meant that little was purchased • Gov’t kept price of grain artificially low to keep masses happy – encouraged farmers out of business. • Essentially, privileged classes benefitted, no one else

5. Social Collapse • Romans began losing faith in religion, citizenship ideals, reason. Became bored with politics. • Desire for new religions brought on obsessions with occults, alchemy, magic. • Eastern religions take hold, especially ones with conversion rituals. • Neo-Platonists emphasized attaining truth through knowledge of the one, in a reality beyond our world. • Citizenship extended to almost all in empire by 212 ACE, which killed some provincials desires.

6. External Causes • Foreign Barbarians and Mediterranean Pirates disrupted the trade routes once dominated by the Romans • Christianity comes in and rocks the empire. • 376-476 Germanic Tribes overwhelm Roman Legions along northern borders • Asian Mongol Nomads, called Huns, invaded western territories in the late 4th century A.D. • The Visigoths, led by King Alaric, invaded Rome in the early 400s A.D. • The Vandals sacked the city of Rome in 455 A.D.

7. Military Collapse • With everyone having citizenship, no need to join army to better self. • Internal fighting for control of the empire in 200’s ACE, which led to invasion as the military fought among itself for control. • With a lack of soldiers to fill the ranks, Rome was forced to get mercenaries from the provinces. • When those same provinces decided to gain patriotic freedom by the end of the 300’s, the mercenaries turned on Rome.

8. Diocletian (285-305 ACE) • Attempted to contain disunificationby centralizing society. • Ruled more like Eastern kings, eliminated much of the local control of cities. • Drafted prisoners of war, bought out mercenaries. • Forced unskilled workers to stay in jobs for life and hand them down – virtual serfdom • Huge bureaucracy paid for by hereditary tax collections (curiales) • Drove people out of cities • Split empire in half – West and East

9. Constantine (306-337) • Continued Diocletian’s ideals. • Proclaimed religious freedom in empire, because he was a Christian. • Established Constantinople on the Bosphorus as a new capital. • For a time the two emperors brought stability. • If economics had returned or they didn’t face such difficulties, Rome may have survived…but…..

10. Invasions of the 300’s and 400’s • In the late 300’s the Huns invaded from Russia and decimated the Germanic peoples and forced them back into Rome. • The Visigoths pushed into Rome and defeated them at the Battle of Adrianople – signaled that cavalry was significant in war. • Eventually under Alaric, they end up destroying Rome itself (the city) in 410 ACE.

11. The End of Rome • During the invasions, Roman economics came to a crawl – no trading, cheap food, road repair. • People sought refuge on huge plantations from violence and became indentured servants. • In 451 ACE, Attila almost made Europe a Mongol province. • By 455, after Vandal invasions, Rome crowned a Germanic chieftain Emperor, and that was the end of Rome in the West.

12. What lessons can we learn from Rome? • 1. Don’t overstretch your borders. • 2. Make sure you keep up your loyalty. • 3. Don’t overtax your people • 4. Avoid plague at all cost, cuz it leads to population and tax declines. • 5. A loyal, well trained army is worth everything. • 6. Bread and Circuses foster laziness. • 7. Make sure you produce something. • 8. There is no substitute for a good, wise leader.

13. And Finally…Christianity • Basic Background of Judaism in First Century BC…. • Four Principle Religious Groups in that time • Sadducees – Strict interpretation of Torah, temple ceremonies important, rejection of afterlife. • Pharisees – more liberal interpretation of Torah, believed in afterlife, the most important at the time and influenced later Judaism, Messianic teachings • Essenes – Monastic, rejected temple priests as corrupt, tied the afterlife to God’s kingdom coming (some argue that Jesus was an Essenic because of teachings) • Zealots – anti-Roman patriots

14. Important Information about Jesus • He was a Jew, living in a Jewish province, teaching Jewish law and scripture. • We have no direct writing from him, nor do we have contemporary writings / artifacts • Golden Rule becomes more central • Considered a prophet by followers – 12 Disciples • It was the resurrection that helped create a new faith – otherwise just Jewish sect.

15. St. Paul • Taught about Christ not to Palestinians, but to the Jewish Diaspora around Rome. • Free movement because citizenship. • Good roads and transporation. • Spoke Greek • First taught salvation over sin through Christ. • It was here that Jesus becomes recognized as the Messiah • Preaches universalism of the faith – all invited.

16. So Why Does Rome Buy In… • They are morally bankrupt in later stages of empire. • Instantly creates community that was lacking when people stopped believing in Rome. • Religion stressed intellect and individual reliance – things no longer preached. • Poor and suffering were the keys to a better life in future – Rome had lots of those people. • Adopted Greek philosophy into teachings.

17. How do the Emperors React… • Early in first century, largely ignored. • By end of century however, Christians were considered disloyal citizens (nonviolent, didn’t go to gladiatorial games, anti public baths, did not worship Emperors) • Christians fed to lions, killed in Coliseum, starved, etc. • Many Christians embraced this as a way to emulate Christ’s death

18. As the religion continued to spread • In 313 AD Constantine issued Edict of Milan which granted religious toleration. • By 392 AD, Theodosius I made Christianity the official state religion. • Christianity stops being persecuted and suddenly begins persecuting. • Anyone following old faiths or different ones persecuted.

19. Christianity Struggles to Form Identity • Conservative church leaders oppose philosophy at all. • Eventually, more liberal ideas win out as Christ is equated with divine “logos” or reason. • Stoics bring universalism to Christianity. • Plato’s forms and anti-sense perception fall in line with religion.

20. Organization • Bishops establish themselves in large towns. • By late in the empire, the bishop of Rome becomes primary leader. (St. Peter, the Rock of Church, martyred in Rome) • Monasticism developed by St. Basil and St. Benedict.

21. The Christian Bible • Developed after Christ’s death by at least 100 years (although pieces of it began to be written 40 years after death) • Contained certain accounts of Christ and not others: Paul’s Epistles, Four Gospels (M,M,L,J), acts of Apostles, Revelations. • Many other things, including Gnostic Gopsels not included. • Council of Nicaea settles dispute about divinity of Christ in 325 AD.

22. Great Christian Thinkers • St. Jerome – Translated Old and New Testaments in Latin • St. Ambrose – urged an end to wealth desire by priests, separation of Church from state. • St. Augustine – really important • Wrote City of God in reaction to Visigoth invasions and concern of Roman Chritians. • Said ideal state can only be realized in heaven. • Argued that new cities must conform to Christian ideals. • Said not all getting into heaven; city on earth (sinful) vs. heavenly city (perfection) constant fight. • Said you can not gain wisdom with reason alone, must include faith. • Knowledge was used to understand Christ, not secular world.

23. Impact on a Post Roman World • Christianity creates a fundamental shift in ideology – no longer is humanism and life about achieving excellence in this world, it is about salvation in a heavenly city. • People could withdraw from society because salvation was individual. • When Rome falls, people willing to go to feudalism to protect secular self because religious life is individually determined. • Classicism – dies for a long time as reason, a nonlinear view of history, and philosophy die.