The Fall of Rome

1. The Fall of Rome • Diocletian stepped down as emperor in 305 AD • For 7 years, Roman generals fought for power, and Constantine won • In 313 AD Constantine controlled the Western Empire, and Licinius controlled the Eastern Empire • They declared freedom of religion. Christians could now freely practice their religion (Constantine was a Christian and he believed God helped win important battles) • In 324, Constantine defeated Licinius and took control of the whole empire • Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire

3. The Fall of Rome • Constantine was a strong believer in Christianity • In 325 he stopped the church from splitting apart in the east and the west • He built many places of worship for Christians • He built the church in Jerusalem on the site where Jesus was crucified and buried • He built the church of St. Peter in Rome

4. The Church of Jerusalem St. Peter’s Church in Rome

5. The Fall of Rome • In 330 AD, Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Byzantium (in modern day Turkey) • The Empire was split again • The western half of the Empire was no longer powerful or important • Byzantium became a rich and powerful city. Its name was changed to Constantinople • From 370- 450 AD, the Western Empire is continually attacked

7. The Fall of Rome • After Constantine’s death, the western part of the empire was conquered. • In 410, the Visigoths captured Rome. • In 455, the Vandals captured Rome. • In 476, the last Roman emperor was defeated by the Visigoths. The Visigoths controlled the city of Rome and fought to defend it from the Huns. • The Western Empire was controlled by Germanic tribes of people • Constantinople and the eastern empire continued to exist. • Constantinople became the capital of the Byzantine Empire