1. The Long Decline
Pages

2. Romans were stunned at the decline of their empire & looked for answers.
Marcellinus pointed to these declining values
Libraries closed forever
Moral decay of Roman classes
External threats to the empire…the Huns
The decline did not happen overnight. It happened over centuries.
Decline

3. The golden age of the Pax Romana died with Marcus Aurelius in 180.
For the next 100 years, a disruptive political pattern emerged…along with economic troubles as well
Emperors were overthrown by generals or political intriguers.
One 50 year period had 26 different emperors
High taxes supported the army & the bureaucracy placed heavy burdens on businesses & small farmers
Farmland lost its productivity due to overcultivation
Crisis & Reforms

4. Diocletian In 284 Diocletian set out to restore order by:
Dividing the empire into 2 parts to make it easier to govern
Trying to increase the prestige of being an emperor by surrounding himself with elaborate ceremonies.
Fixing the prices for goods & services
Diocletian

5. Constantine In 312 The talented general Constantine gained the throne
Continued Diocletian’s reforms
Granted toleration to Christians
This encourage the rapid growth of Christianity within the empire
He built the new capital of Constantinople on the Bosporus, the straight that connects the Black & Mediterranean Seas.
This made the eastern portion of the empire the center of power
These 2 emperors revived the economy, & held the empire together for another century
Constantine

6. Constantine & Constantinople

7. Rome had faced attacks from the Germanic peoples who lived east of the Rhine & north of the Danube rivers for centuries.
As early as 200
Wars in East Asia set off a chain of events overwhelming Rome
Sent the Huns across Central Asia & they reached Europe by 350
The Visigoths, Ostrogoths, & other Germanic peoples crossed into Roman territory seeking safety
Roman legions had trouble holding off the invaders
They surrendered Britain, then France & Spain
Invasions

8. Rome Defeated In 378 In 410 In 434 In 476
Roman army tries turning back the Visigoths, but it suffered a major defeat
In 410
Visigoth general Alaric overran Italy & plundered Rome
The Vandals moved through Gaul & Spain into North Africa
More & more Germanic peoples occupied more & more of the western Roman empire
In 434
Attila the Hun began his savage campaign of conquest across Europe.
Christians called him the “scourge of God.” They believed his attacks were God’s punishment to mankind for their sins.
He died in 453, & his empire collapsed but Germanic peoples still flocked to the Roman empire
In 476
Odoacer was a Germanic leader that ousted the emperor in Rome even though they had already given up most of their empire.
Rome Defeated

9. This fall from greatness was a major turning point in the history of western civilization.
Germanic invasions
Legions of late empire lacked discipline & training
Hiring of mercenaries who felt no loyalty to Rome
Authoritarian & oppressive government
Civil wars over power
Rival armies battling for power causing a divide
Heavier taxes
Reliance of slave labor prevented exploration of new technology
Climate change
Decrease of population because of plagues & wars
Decline in social values (patriotism, discipline, & devotion)
Upper class once provided leaders, but became self-interested
“Bread & Circuses” undermined self-reliance of the masses
Causes of the Fall

10. Did Rome Fall? The Roman Empire did not vanish off the map in 476.
An emperor still ruled the eastern Roman empire
This became known as the Byzantine empire which lasted for another 1,000 years
However Germanic customs & languages replaced much of Roman culture
Did Rome Fall?