3:13- Fall of Rome intro video

If you were there…. You were a former Roman soldier who has settled

on lands in Gaul. In the last few months, groups of foreigners have been raiding local towns and burning farms. The commander of the local army post is an old friend, but he says he is short of loyal soldiers. Many troops have been called back to Rome. You don’t know when the next raid will come.

How will you defend your lands?

Falling at the speed of a turtle

Rome’s decline was gradual and took several centuries to fall.

Factor #1: Economic Costs

Maintaining a military presence / protection of

land and trade

Resulted in continuously higher taxes

Taxes resulted in dissatisfied population

People lost their lands & moved to cities

Increased economic burden on city

government to take care of them

Resulted in more taxes increases to cover the

burden

Factor #2: Division of the Empire The Empire grew too big to control under one ruler.

Emperor Diocletian divided the Empire, ruling the eastern half and allowing a co-ruler to rule the western half.

Civil wars resulted in both sides of the empire

Division of the Empire

When Diocletian left power, Emperor Constantine reunited the empire for a short time.

He moved the capital to the east to modern day Turkey(remember Catal Hyuk), naming it Constantinople

Even with the city moved from Rome, it was still called the Roman Empire

Factor #3: Wealth Led to Decline in Traditional Values

As Rome grew richer and larger, the people’s morals decayed and their was corruption among the citizens that cause the empire to weaken from within.

Factor #4: External Threats

Continuous attacks from various groups such as the Vandals, Angles, Saxons, Huns, and Visigoths weakened the empire and led to the invasion of portions of the empire.

Read Textbook Page 341

Video 2:23- Factors -Fall of Rome

Note Quick Check1. How did the Romans deal with Goth

invaders?

2. What sequences of events led to the sack of Rome in 410 AD?

3. What factors weakened the Roman government?

After the Western Invasion Only the Western side of the Roman Empire fell to

the German invaders

The Eastern side continued on for another 1,000 years

The center of of the Byzantine Empire was the city of Constantinople (Eastern Roman Empire), originally called Byzantium by the Greeks

Known today as Istanbul

The Byzantine Empire

Became the greatest city in the western world after the fall of Rome.

Constantinople straddled the Bosporus Strait and was situated on two continents, Europe & Asia.

Its location was chosen because it was easy to defend there & served as the crossroads of international trade

Constantinople became the cultural center-preserving and spreading the accomplishments of both Greece & Rome throughout the world

Byzantine Empire Improvements

They supported the education of scholars (teachers) & government officials to better serve the people

Artists enhanced the Roman style of using marble for mosaics with brightly colored glass

Byzantine Emperor Justinian Justinian improved these

traditions in government & law

He simplified the complex Roman legal system to make it easier for common people to understand He order the removal of all

non-Christian or out-of-date laws

This codification is known as the Justinian Code

Christianity in the Byzantine Empire Justinian supported the Christian religion

Not only did he change the laws (Justinian Code) He removed pagan temples and statues as well

Christian churches were built and decorated throughout the empire, including the Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia- Church of the Beautiful Wisdom

The End of the Byzantines

After Justinian's death, the eastern empire continued to decline

Invaders first took over all the land Justinian had gained and the rest of the empire continued to shrink

By 1453 the Ottoman-Turks captured Constantinople, bringing an end to the Eastern Roan Empire