Decline and Fall of Rome

Critically Think: What political factors led to the decline of the Roman Empire? Think besides Christianity.

Problems and Upheavals• 3rd Century – Roman Empire nearly collapses. • Several civil wars take place.• Military governments under Septimius Severus restores order. • New dynasty tone – “Enrich the soldiers, ignore everyone else.”

• What does this mean?

-For about 50 years, the Roman throne was occupied by whomever had the military strength to seize it. -In these 50 years, there were 22 emperors.

• the empire was troubled many different invasions• With the constant change over of the Roman throne, outsiders saw it as easy to

enter and take over the throne. • the Sassanid (suh • SAH • nuhd) Persians made inroads into Roman territory

from the east.• Germanic tribes poured into the Balkans, Gaul, and Spain.

• (Remember – this is all part of the Roman Empire during this time period!)

• Invasions• civil wars• plague (epidemic disease) • Economic struggle• A labor shortage created by plague • Military shortage – couldn’t pay them• decline in trade and industry. • Farm production declined as crops were ravaged by invaders or the

defending Roman army.

• Interestingly - By the mid-third century, the empire had to hire Germans to fight. • soldiers did not understand Roman traditions• had little loyalty to either the empire or the emperors.

Let’s recap – What again were some of the reasons that the Roman Empire was falling?

Reforms by Diocletian and Constantine• End of 3rd beginning of 4th centuries, the Roman Empire gained

one last chance two emperors, Diocletian and Constantine. • Changes that they made to the Late Roman Empire: 1. new governmental structure2. rigid economic and social system3. new state religion—Christianity.

What does this mean for the struggle that we saw in the last lesson between the Roman Empire and Christianity?

• Diocletian (Rules 1st this new Roman Empire) believed that the empire had grown too large for a single ruler

• divided it into four units known as prefectures. • The entire Roman Empire was divided into two parts, east and west. • Each part contained two prefectures, ruled by two leaders. • This new system was called the tetrarchy (rule by four).

• Diocletian’s military power enabled him to hold ultimate authority.

• Constantine (rules second this new Roman Empire) continued and even expanded the policies of Diocletian.

• biggest project was the construction of a new capital city in the east, on the site of the Greek city of Byzantium on the shores of the Bosporus. (eventually renamed Constantinople (now İstanbul, Turkey)

• developed for defensive reasons. Its strategic location provided protection of the eastern frontier.

• Constantinople, the "New Rome," became the center of the Eastern Roman Empire and one of the great cities of the world.

How would establishing four different capitals help to protect Rome?

The End of the Western Roman Empire

Constantine had reunited the Roman Empire and restored order.

After his death, the empire continued to divide into western and eastern parts as fighting erupted on a regular basis By 395, the western and eastern parts of the empire became 2 independent states. • In the fifth century, the empire in the east remained intact

under the Roman emperor in Constantinople. • At the same time, the empire in the west collapsed and

was replaced by an assortment of Germanic kingdoms.

Decline and Fall of Rome • Increasing numbers of Germans crossed into the Roman Empire due to loss

of their own lands by foreign peoples. • By the middle of the fifth century, the western provinces of the Roman

Empire had been taken over by Germanic peoples who were in the process of creating independent kingdoms.

• Rome was able to withstand for some time.• power behind the throne tended to rest in the hands of important

military officials known as Masters of the Soldiers. • These military commanders controlled the government and dominated

the court.

• In 476 Odoacer, a new Master of the Soldiers with German origin, killed the Roman emperor (Romulus Augustulus).

• End of the Western Roman Empire.

Again, factors that played a role in the decline of the Roman Empire?

• Christianity weakened Roman military virtues.• Traditional Roman values declined as foreigners moved into the empire.• Lead poisoning through leaden water pipes and cups caused a mental decline in the

population.• Plague wiped out one-tenth of the population.• Rome failed to advance technologically due to slavery.• Rome could not create a workable political system. (Too many divisions, military

power, change in emperors, etc.)

• No single explanation can sufficiently explain the fall of a great empire.

• Eastern Empire able to withstand another thousand years against these factors? Why?

Home Learning

1. How did plague help lead to an economic collapse in the 3rd century?2. Use our class discussion, powerpoints, notes etc. to identify the causes of

the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.3. What political factors led to the decline of the Roman Empire?4. What effects did Diocletian and Constantine have on the Roman Empire?5. How did the migration of immigrants (primarily German tribes) affect the

Roman Empire?

Complete sentences!

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