Western Civilization IHIS-101

UNIT 6 - The Roman Empire

Principate (27 BCE – 284 CE) Octavian was consul for the first four years of his

rule Rome was not willing to give him complete control He realized he could not push the issue If he did, it would lead to more civil wars

Augustus knew he could not openly act like the sole ruler Needed to appease the Senate by keeping some of the

republican ideas in place But he realized that the old Republic could not be

restored In January 27 BCE, he issued his First Settlement

This began the era of the Principate

Principate (27 BCE – 284 CE) Terms of the First Settlement

He “gave up” all his powers to the Senate Senate gave him control of Egypt, Spain, Gaul,

Syria, and Cyprus Augustus would co-rule as princeps (“chief

citizen”) with the Senate Technically, the position of Princeps held no actual

power The Senate gave him two titles:

Imperator – Emperor Augustus – “The Revered One”

This marks the beginning of the Roman Empire

Principate (27 BCE – 284 CE) Senate was now the chief deliberative body of the

state Its decrees had the effect of law It also served as the high court of justice

From 27 to 23 BCE, Augustus served as consul Spent most of his time in Spain and Gaul putting down

revolts Second Settlement (23 BCE)

Augustus would give up his position of consul allowing a Senator to be able to hold the position

He would receive Maius Imperium (“Greater Imperium”) He was also given the power of a Tribune This allowed him to propose laws, call the Senate, and

veto any laws

Principate (27 BCE – 284 CE) Augustus’ power continued to grow over time

In 12 BCE, he was made Pontifex Maximus In 2BCE, he was given the title Pater Patriae

(“father of the country”) The power of the popular assemblies declined

Augustus made sure his candidates won elections Decrees of the Senate became more powerful

than theirs This loss of power did not negatively affect

Augustus Because he followed proper legal forms, he proved

to be very popular with the people

Roman Army Military Parade

The Army During the Principate The army was the source of Augustus’ power

He had to not only keep the army loyal to him but also use it to keep the peace

It was responsible for not only guarding the frontiers of the empire but also retaining control inside of it

Augustus also used the army to “Romanize” the provinces He would place colonies of veterans throughout the

empire Kept the army small

He believed it had been larger than necessary and therefore too expensive

The Army During the Principate Augustus created a standing army of 28 legions

Each legion had 5,400 soldiers at full strength They were recruited only from the citizenry, mainly

Italy, and served a term of 20 years He held the title of Imperator in the army

Praetorian Guard This was an elite group who guarded the princeps 9,000 Roman citizens in Italy who served for 16

years Enlisted Auxiliary Forces

Around 130,000 light-armed troops and cavalry Recruited only from the non-citizenry and served for

24 years Veterans and families would receive citizenship

Roman Provinces and Frontiers Expansion into Germany

By 15 BCE, Roman troops crossed the Rhine River By 9 BCE, they reached the Elbe in eastern Germany

Battle of Teutoburg Forest (9 CE) Three Roman legions (XVII, XVIII and XIX) were

massacred Approximately 15,000-20,000 men died

After the defeat, Augustus changed his policy Gave up his expansion efforts in Germany Rhine was now a frontier border

Pax Romana (27 BCE-180 CE) A period when the Empire itself was mostly

untouched by warfare (excluding various revolts)

Rome’s Expansion from 14 CE to 117 CE

The Julio-Claudians (14-68 CE) Julio-Claudians

All the rulers came from either the Julii or Claudii clans They all came to power through indirect relations or

adoption Common traits

Expanded the empire and endorsed huge construction projects

Were hated by the Senatorial Order Took over more responsibilities away from the senate Introduced effective means of governing and

protecting the empire Were able to tie together all the inhabitants of Rome Roughly 5 million people in the empire at this time

Tiberius (14–37 CE)

Tiberius (14-37 CE) Tiberius (14-37 CE)

Was known as an excellent general Took the title princeps at age 56 He did not want it but the Senate convinced him Pilny the Elder described him as "the gloomiest of

men" He was a rather dark and somber man

Characteristics of his reign Gave power to the Senate Faced troop revolts in Germany Son was poisoned Reacted with treason papers and executions Finally withdrew from Rome

Caligula (37-41 CE)

Caligula (37-41 CE) Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (37-41 CE)

Acsended to the throne at the age of 25 Known as “Caligula” from a childhood nickname Grandnephew of Tiberius and the great grandson of

Augustus At the early part of his reign, he was very popular

He gave the military bonuses Put on huge festivals, including gladitorial bouts Destroyed the treason papers and banned treason trials

In October 37, he became very ill During this time, he accused his cousin, Tiberius

Gemellus, of plotting against him and had him killed

Caligula (37-41 CE) Over the course of his reign, Caligula was

accused of: Vicious cruelty Incest with his sisters Spending great deals of money on worthless projects Dressed like various gods and wanted to be

worshiped like one Was not popular with the Senate or the

Equestrian Order Assassination (January 24, 41 CE)

Arranged by the Praetorian Guard Caligula was stabbed 30 times His wife and infant daughter were also killed

Claudius (41-54 CE)

Claudius (41-54 CE) Claudius (41-54 CE)

Was Caligula’s uncle Last surviving male in his family Took the title of princeps at the age of 50 Had not been encouraged to participate in politics Had numerous physical disabilities May have been either cerebral palsy or Tourette’s

Syndrome Was incredibly intelligent and would prove to be a

good leader Focus was to repair the damage done during

Caligula’s reign

Claudius (41-54 CE) Expanded the empire

In 43 CE, he oversaw the conquest of Britain He also made provinces out of Thrace and Judea

Attempted to make the Senate more efficient Removed numerous Senators from their positions Wanted them to debate legislation put in front of

them In the end, all his did was anger many Senators

Made widespread legal reforms He extended the terms of the court sessions He even presided over many of the cases He also issued numerous edicts throughout this reign

Claudius (41-54 CE) Claudius was big on public works projects

He had two aqueducts built He also expanded the system of roads and canals

Attempted coups Over the course of his reign, there were a number

of coups Led to investigations and the execution of a

number of Senators Claudius died on October 13, 54 CE

May have been poisoned by his wife Agrippina to secure the throne for her son Nero

Could have just died of old age

Nero (54-68 CE)

Nero (54-68 CE) Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (54-

68 CE) Last of the Julio-Claudian dynasty Was only 16 years old when he came to power His mother Agrippina was Claudius’ fourth wife Dominated by his mother

The early years of his reign were the good years Gave the Senate more autonomy Passed legislation was passed to keep public order

and reform the treasury This included the reduction of direct taxes Capital punishment was outlawed He also limited the amount of spectacles that took

place

Nero (54-68 CE) Breaking away

Nero tried to remove himself from his mother’s influence

Had numerous affairs against his mother’s wishes She worried that if he divorced Octavia (Claudius’

daughter), he would lose legitimacy as emperor Decline occurred after he discovered she was

grooming his step-brother to become emperor Killing mommy

First attempt was putting her on a collapsible ship He then hired an assassin to kill her He claimed that she was trying to overthrow him

Nero (54-68 CE) New wife

Was able to now divorce his wife, Octavia Had her executed on trumped up adultery charges Married his lover, Poppaea Sabina

Nero was known for his excesses He loved to go out drinking with his friends, create

festivals based on horseracing, participate in orgies, and act and sing

With his mother gone, the excesses got worse In 64 CE, he began performing publicly

The Roman population did not think highly of actors They thought this behavior was too scandalous for an

emperor

Nero (54-68 CE) Military problems

Roman forces were having problems holding the frontier Roman-Parthian War (58–63 CE)

Ended in a stalemate Nero made this out to be a huge military victory He was named imperator and had a huge Triumph for it

Boudicca’s Revolt (60-61 CE) Revolt of the Britons led by Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni

tribe Had100,000 people to fight against the Romans The revolt was eventually put down, with one battle

resulting in the death of almost 80,000 Britons

Nero (54-68 CE) Great Fire (July 64 CE)

Ravaged Rome for six days Nero supposed dressed up in costume and sang “The

Sack of Ilium” during the fire He accused Christians of starting the fire Ordered them to either be thrown to the dogs or

crucified Golden Palace

Built this palace on the site where the fire took place Rumor spread that Nero started the fire so he could

use the land more easily Nero also built the Colossus Neronis

A 120 ft. bronze statue of Nero which overlooked the city

Nero (54-68 CE) Rome’s economy was declining rapidly

There were major food shortages By this point, Nero was avoiding his public duties

Was spending his time and wealth in pursuit of the arts

Also became paranoid and vicious Executed numerous associates, including capable

generals In 67 CE, Nero left for Greece

He planned on participating in the Olympics to illustrate Roman greatness

He also spent time singing and acting there

Nero (54-68 CE) Returned to Rome in 68 CE with a Triumph

Was an athletic Triumph to celebrate his successes in Greece

Annoyed the upper-classes as it broke with tradition The masses thought he had gone insane

Losing loyalty of the military Many generals and provincial governors withdrew

their oaths of allegiance to Nero The Senate declared Nero to be a “public enemy”

They ordered him to be flogged to death Nero committed suicide by stabbing himself in the

throat His last words were “Qualis artifex pereo" ("What an

artist the world loses in me")

Rome c. 69 CE

Year of the Four Emperors (68-69 CE) With Nero’s death, Rome was plunged into

civil war From June 68 to December 69, there were four

different emperors Four strongest generals fought for control of the

empire Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian

Characteristics Generals used army to seize power Executed opposition Undid positive reforms of Nero’s reign

Vespasian (69-79 CE)

Vespasian (69-79 CE) Titus Flavius Vespasianus (69-79 CE)

He was from the Equestrian Order He had been a brilliant military general Senate named him Emperor on December 22, 69 CE His reign began the short lived Flavian dynasty

Characteristics Wanted to restore authority back to the position of

emperor Got rid of the republican legitimacy Solidified the administrative system Troops were returned to permanent posts Also, they stopped using the title of princeps and

replaced it with the common use of the title of imperator

Vespasian (69-79 CE) Vespasian had a lot to fix when he took the throne

Restored loyalty and stability of the military Expanded Roman presence in Britain and Judea Ended the lavish spending that occurred since Nero’s

reign He needed to restock the treasury so he raised taxes

Vespasian also wanted to emulate Augustus’ reign He reworked the Senatorial and Equestrian Orders so that

it was filled with those worthy of the positions In Iberia, he granted “Latin Rights” to many communities He also paid state salaries to Greek and Roman rhetoric

tutors Even entertainers received salaries during his rule

Vespasian (69-79 CE) Flavian Amphitheatre

It was more commonly known as the Colosseum because is was so close to the Colossus of Nero

Vespasian designed it as a gift to the people It was large enough to seat 45,000 spectators with

standing room for an additional 5,000 It was not completed until the reign of Titus and

supposedly cost 40 trillion sesterces He died on June 24, 79 of a fever

His last words were jokingly “Vae, puto deus fio” (“Oh dear, I think I’m turning into a god”)

Flavian Amphitheatre (aka the Colosseum)

Titus (79-81 CE)

Titus (79-81 CE) Titus Flavius Vespasianus (79-81 CE)

He was Vespasian’s son and made a clean move into the position of emperor

Major disasters during his reign Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE which destroyed a

number of Italian cities, including Pompeii Large fire that destroyed important sections of Rome

over three days in 80 CE Then a massive epidemic plagued Rome in 80 BCE Titus spent a great deal of time on the relief efforts

He died on September 1, 81 CE Last words: “I have only done one thing wrong” Could not stop his brother Domitian from becoming

emperor

Domitian (81-96 CE)

Domitian (81-96 CE) Titus Flavius Domitianus (81-96 CE)

Youth was focused on his military career Praetorian Guard named him emperor

Ruled as a ruthless dictator Ancient historians compare him to Caligula and Nero

Ended all semblance of republican authority in the empire Told the Senate that they no longer held any power Used Freemen and Equestrians in high government

positions Saw himself as the benevolent despot and was ruling

with divine authority Believed that he was in charge of every aspect of the

Roman empire

Domitian (81-96 CE) Focused on securing the borders of the empire

Secured the Danube River in Germany Took the title of Germanicus and wore the clothing of a

victorious general to all the Senate meetings Built the Limes Germanicus, a series of forts and roads

along the Rhine River as a defensive line Named himself Censor in 85 CE

Gave him the power to control public morality Outlawed public prostitution Ended bribery in the courts and corruption in the

provinces Tried and executed Vestal Virgins who were not

actually virgins Domitian was known for his sexual affairs and sex

addiction

Domitian (81-96 CE) Was very cruel to Christians and Jews Revolt in Germany (January 89 CE)

Started by the governor of Germany The rebellion was put down in less than a month

and all supporters were executed Led to treason trials where many members of the

Senatorial class were killed This atmosphere of fear continued on for a

number of years Assassination (September 18, 96 CE)

Included leading officials of the military, his own wife and court chamberlain

“Five Good Emperors” (96-180 CE) Rome entered a period of peace and

prosperity with the “Five Good Emperors” During this time period, the emperors:

Cooperated with the Senate (in the beginning) Treated the ruling class with respect Ended arbitrary executions Maintained peace throughout the empire Pushed through beneficial domestic policies Were known for their tolerance and diplomacy Increased their power at the expense of the

Senate

“Five Good Emperors” (96-180 CE) There is the creation of an imperial civil service

The emperor would appoint officials who would take over the actual running of the government

Most of these people came from the Equestrian This civil service was able to expand into areas that

previous emperors had not had the power to control The Alimenta was also set up during this period

It was a state program to provide funds to assist poor parents in raising and educating their children

They saw this a creating a large pool of young men in Italy who would be useful in the military

Nerva (96-98 CE)

Nerva (96-98 CE) Marcus Cocceius Nerva – (96-98 CE)

Appointed by the Senate the same day Domitian was killed

Unsure why he was chosen; he was a skilled administrator but was not well known

May be because he was old and had no children Placed damnatio memoriae on Domitian

Nerva gained support of the Senate Ended treason trials and granted amnesty to those in

exile Also gained support of the masses

Gave money away to the Roman populace Gave land grants to the poor Modified the taxes to ease the burden on the hardest

hit

Nerva (96-98 CE) Had problems gaining support of the military

They still held loyalty to Domitian In 97 CE, the Praetorian Guard lay siege to the

imperial palace Took Nerva hostage and forced him to hand over

those involved in the murder of Domitian Was also forced to chose Marcus Ulpius Traianus

(aka Trajan) as his heir Trajan was given the title of Caesar and a

consulship The adoption of Trajan became a precedent for

the Five Good Emperors Nerva died of a stroke in January 98 CE

Trajan (98-117 CE)

Trajan (98-117 CE) Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus (98-117 CE)

Had been a distinguished solider and general Had been consul in 91 and had a strong political career

as well First emperor born outside of Italy (Spain)

Set up the first Roman military secret service Done not only for the protection of the empire but

himself as well Used frumentarii (couriers involved with the grain

supply) to act as agents for him Created a new bodyguard of equites singulares

(cavalry) They first numbered 500 but were increased to 1,000 Included foreigners and auxiliaries as a sign of trust in

them

Trajan (98-117 CE) Trajan did believe heavily in expansion of the

empire He extended Roman rule into modern day Romania, the

Sinai Peninsula, and Mesopotamia His conquests that mark the peak of Roman expansion

Allowed for toleration of Christians This was as long as they did not practice in public

Trajan was also heavily involved in building projects Trajan’s Forum and Trajan’s Marketplace He improved the harbor of the Tiber River He also expanded Appia Way to go right through the city

He died on August 9, 117 CE of edema

Extent of Trajan’s conquests (117 CE)

Hadrian (117-138 CE)

Hadrian (117-138 CE) Publius Aelius Hadrianus (117-138 CE)

There is some doubt as to whether or not Trajan actually adopted him

Was a skilled politician and military commander Secured the throne due to the support of the army

He believed that the empire was overextended Withdrew from indefensible regions like

Mesopotamia Focused on a defensive frontier policy

He reinforced the fortifications along the Rhine and Danube

He also built “Hadrian’s Wall,” an 80 mile long defensive wall in northern Britain

Hadrian (117-138 CE) Traveled throughout the empire

Strength of the empire was based on the strength of its infrastructure

Inspected the troops and helped oversee public works projects

Gave him a chance to see what was really going on Hadrian was considered to be a humanist in his

beliefs Made the legal code more humane, including the

abolition of torture He issued edicts to help the poor

He was also known for his building projects Rebuilt the Pantheon which burned down in 80 CE

He died in 138 after a long illness

Antonius Pius (138-161 CE)

Antonius Pius (138-161 CE) Antoninus Pius (138-161 CE)

Skilled politician but had no real military experience Most peaceful period of the Pax Romana

Still some uneasiness around the frontiers Built the Antonine Wall in Britain to deal with

disturbances Spent most of his reign in Rome

Spent money on public works projects but not in excess He had his daughter, Faustina, marry Marcus

Aurelius He then adopted Marcus as his heir to the throne

He died on March 12, 161 of natural causes Last word: "aequanimitas" (“equanimity”)

Hadrian’s and Antonine Wall

Marcus Aurelius (161-180 CE)

Marcus Aurelius (161-180 CE) Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (161-180

CE) “Marcus Aurelius the Wise” He was well educated in both rhetoric and stoic

philosophy Was the type of philosopher-king envisioned by Plato

Meditations 12-volume work which expressed his stoic philosophy Collection of quotes illustrating his belief in stoicism

and ways to improve his life “Men exist for each other; then either improve them

or put up with them”

Marcus Aurelius (161-180 CE) His reign dealt with some major problems War with Parthia

Went from 161-166 CE Antonine Plague (165-180 CE)

Brought back with troops returning home from Parthia

Historians believe it was either smallpox or measles At one point was killing over 2,000 people a day

Germanic attacks (166-178 CE) Germanic tribes attacked Roman forces across the

Danube River No large military presence there Could only hold off the attacks

Marcus Aurelius (161-180 CE) Revolt of Cassius Avidius (175 CE)

He was the governor of Syria and a distinguished military general

Named himself emperor due to rumors of Aurelius’ death

Aurelius went to Syria with troops By the time he got there, the revolt was put down

and Cassius was dead Unlike his predecessors, Aurelius did not punish

Cassius’ family or supporters With the east settled, Aurelius had to turn his

attention back to the north He returned to fight the Germans

Marcus Aurelius (161-180 CE) Natural disasters during Aurelius’ reign

There was constant flooding of the Tiber River There was also a famine taking place All of this, along with the epidemic, gave the

citizens of Rome a nervous feeling about their future Aurelius died on March 17, 180 CE

It is believed he died of the smallpox Unlike his predecessors, he did not adopt a son

Instead, he had chosen his son Commodus as his successor

He named Commodus “Caesar” in 166 and co-emperor in 177

Marcus Aurelius coinage

The Peak of the Empire During the 2nd century, the Roman Empire was at its

peak It was larger than both the Persian or Alexander’s empire It was approximately 3.5 million square miles Had a population estimated at 50 million More and more of the population was also given

citizenship Not until 212 when emperor Caracalla gave citizenship to

all free members of the empire During this time, the Roman army grew in size

It was responsible for the defense of the empire’s borders

In 14 CE, the army consisted of only 25 legions By Trajan’s reign, it was increased to 30 Larger percentage of the army came from non-Italians

The Peak of the Empire The army also acted as a mechanism for social

mobility Non-citizens would be recruited into auxiliary units At retirement, would be granted citizenship There was movement inside the ranks as well Rank of Centurion was considered high-rank They got important government jobs after they retired

The army also acted as an agent of Romanization Military camps helped to spread the Roman language

and culture Brought their wives and slaves who would encourage

trade and local production to meet the needs of the army

Towns and villages would spring up near army bases or nearby colonies

The Peak of the Empire This period was also very prosperous

Peace and a single currency helped the economy Trade expanded not only within the Empire but outside Goods from as far away as China were traded

Manufacturing went through a boom as well This was due to the increase in trade and a growing

demand Areas became known for their specific industries such

as bronze in Capua and pottery in Etruria Agriculture remained the primary occupation

Latifundias still dominated agriculture, especially in Italy

They used slave labor or sharecroppers Peasant farms did persist and formed the backbone of

the economy

The Peak of the Empire Roman law and culture also changed with the times

Jurists spent a great deal of time collecting and compiling basic legal principles

Many laws were codified Growth of a concept of natural rights During this time standards are set such as “innocent

until proven guilty” and allowing the guilty to defend himself

The Paterfamilias was no longer the absolute authority over his family He no longer was allowed to sell his children into slavery

or put them to death He also lost full authority over his wife

The Peak of the Empire Women also gained more rights

They were allowed to inherit and own property and also run their own businesses

They were also no longer required to have a guardian in legal matters (e.g., she could draft her own will)

Still low birthrates in upper-classes Even with laws promoting childbearing, they

continued to use contraception or abortion to prevent pregnancies

Men could purchase a goat’s bladder as a primitive condom, but it was very expensive

Women would use oils, ointments, and soft wool as contraception

Abortion was done with either through surgery or drugs

The Peak of the Empire Slaves were numerous during the early empire

years As the empire expanded, this led to an increase in

available slaves They were used in many different situations from

footmen to servants to artisans to such high-status jobs as business managers or held positions in the government

Once the empire began focusing on a more defensive policy, the number of available slaves declined

The city of Rome was the heart and soul of the empire The city was crowded and very diverse A police force was created to keep order inside the city

The Peak of the Empire Government took responsibility of feeding the

population of Rome Needed approximately 6 million sacks of grain each year

The city also provided entertainment to its citizens More than 1/3 of the year was spent in celebrating

religious festivals Gladiatorial shows took place Helped keep the people’s mind off of the harsh lives they

led The living conditions between the rich and the poor

were drastically different The wealthy lived in grand villas made of stone The poor lived in insulae, apartment buildings made of

wood and were poorly constructed with no heat or indoor plumbing

Commodus (180-192)

Commodus (180-192) Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus (180-192)

Was Marcus Aurelius’ biological son In 177, Commodus was given the title of Augustus

and began co-ruling with Marcus Aurelius When Aurelius died in 180, Commodus became sole

ruler of Rome at the age of 19 Commodus was a cruel man and an incompetent

ruler He had no interest in ruling the Empire Instead placed that power into the hands of his

favorites More interested in athletics and watching sports such

as horse racing and gladiatorial combat

Commodus (180-192) Beginning in 182, there were numerous

conspiracies against him One assassination was even orchestrated by his own

sister It sparked him to play a greater role in governing the

Empire However, he had no knack for ruling

As his reign progressed, Commodus became more infatuated with himself as being almost god-like He would participate in gladiatorial combat dressed as

Hercules to declare his physical prowess He even considered himself as the new Romulus of

Rome Many were appalled by the Emperor’s behavior

Commodus (180-192) In 191, Rome was damaged by an extensive fire

This gave Commodus the opportunity to redesign Rome In 192, he renamed Rome Colonia Lucia Annia

Commodiana He also renamed all the legions to Commodianae The months of the calendar were changed to reflect his new

full name: Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus Augustus Herculeus Romanus Exsuperatorius Amazonius Invictus Felix Pius

He also decided that he wanted to be addressed not only by the title of emperor but of gladiator as well

On December 31, 192 he was poisoned by his mistress She and a couple of politicians had been proscribed by

Commodus after telling him to not take the title of gladiator

Year of Five Emperors With the death of Commodus, the Senate

issued a de facto damnatio memoriae (public enemy) against Commodus All of the changes he had made were undone

During 193, there were a total of five emperors Resembled a civil war as various factions fought

for control This instability affected the entire empire

This was the first time in the history of the empire that it had such problems as collecting taxes, protecting its frontiers, and feeding its people

Septimius Severus (193-211)

Terrible Third Century Stability was finally restored when Septimius

Severus used his legions to seize power in 193 He in turn created a military monarchy Began the period of the Severan Rulers (193-235)

Military was treated very well Emperors knew the value of the army and

mistrusted politicians The size of the army was increased along with the

pay Military officers were appointed to high government

positions However, this meant that the emperors had to keep

the army appeased to keep their power

Terrible Third Century Negative side effects

Troops became much too spoiled and lost their military readiness

Also, the army gained power at the cost of the emperor

All five of Severus’ successors were murdered This included his own two sons

In 235, Rome fell into military anarchy It was a period of civil war that lasted for 50 years It was characterized by people bribing the military

to secure political power During this time there were 22 emperors

Only two of them died of natural causes

Terrible Third Century There were a series of invasions into the

Empire In the east, the Persians made major headway into

the Empire The barbaric tribes to the north invaded as well The Goths took the Balkans, Greece and Anatolia The Franks invaded into Gaul and Spain

During the reign of Aurelian (270-275), Rome was able to restore most of its boundaries The only territory the Romans gave up was the

province of Dancia along the Danube The Romans called him the “restorer of the world”

Terrible Third Century Near economic disaster

All of the invasions, civil wars, and the plague almost brought about an economic collapse of the Empire

During this time, both trade and the development of industry went into a decline

Serious drop in population Roughly 1/3 died due to plague or warfare This led to a massive shortage of manpower which

hurt both the economy and the military The hardest sector hit was farm production

Terrible Third Century The monetary system was also plagued with problems

The coinage was losing value and there was serious inflation People stopped circulating gold and silver coins Denarius was debased to ½ of its value during the 1st century Bartering system began to replace the coinage system in

trade and sales Military also suffered during the economic downturn

More difficult not only to enlist soldiers but to pay them Began hiring members from the barbarian tribes as

mercenaries Mercenaries had no loyalty nor did they understand the

system under which the Empire ran

Probus (276-282)

Rome’s Collapse There have been numerous theories as to why

Rome collapsed Christianity’s spiritual kingdom undermined

Roman military virtues and patriotism Traditional Roman values declined with the

emergence of more and more non-Italians Lead poisoning through the use of lead pipes and

cups Plague killing 1/10th of the population Rome failed to technologically advance due to

their dependence on slavery Unable to achieve a workable political system

Rome’s Collapse Other factors:

The western empire could not defend itself Armies were difficult to move in an emergency Tax levels were already high so support of the

army was made more difficult Low civilian morale Bureaucratic regime inspired little loyalty

Economic consequences Western empire had been characterized by mass

produced, low cost, high quality consumer goods By 500, the economy was shattered Standards of craftsmanship declined

Rome’s Collapse Survival of Roman life

Tax, legal and administrative systems survived Aristocrats continued to dominate civic life The survival of Roman culture

The survival of the eastern empire Greater wealth to maintain military forces Cities remained powerful centers of industry and

trade Smaller borders and its armies were better

supplied Would survive for another 1,000 years, largely

free of invasion