1. Chapter 6.5

2.  180 AD: Death of Marcus Aurelius marks end of Pax Romana  Commodus (his son) marks reign of series of poor emperors  50 year period: 26 different emperors; only 1 died of natural causes!  High taxes caused great wave of business & farm failures

3.  Diocletian  284 AD  #1 goal: restore order to Rome  Divided empire into 2 halves: east & west  Co-emperor ran Western Roman Empire  Diocletian ran East  Provided temporary fixes for Rome’s problems  Price fixing: prices of good could not increase

4.  Constantine  Became emperor in 312 AD  Continued reforms started by Diocletian  Granted religious tolerance  Constantinople: new capital  Allowed Western Roman Empire to crumble  Focused all attention on his own empire  His empire had more resources, more people, and greater wealth

5.  Mixed Results  Economy improved in East  Power of emperor increased  Failed to stop long-term decline  Temporary fix  Internal problems + External invasions = Fall of Rome

6.  Asian Wars: A global chain reaction  Wars in Asia  Sends Huns towards Europe  350 AD: Huns attack Germanic peoples  Germanic peoples in turn attack Roman lands  Wanted Roman lands in order to avoid mixing with Huns  Germanic tribes that sought Roman lands  Visigoths  Vandals  Lombards

7.  Retreat at Adrianople  378 AD: Defeated by Visigoths  Proved that Roman power was fading fast  410 AD: Alaric the Visigoth conquered Italy & plundered Rome  The “Scourge of God”  434 AD: Atilla the Hun attacks Europe  Destruction  Nicknamed “Scourge of God” by Christians  Believed God sent Atilla to punish sins of Romans

8.  Military causes  Invaded by Germanic tribes  Roman legions disobedient  Made of mercenaries, foreign soldiers paid to fight  Political causes  Government oppressive, authoritarian  People lost faith in govt  Corrupt officials

9.  Economic causes  Heavy taxes  Farmers abandoned farms  Traders/merchants sank into poverty  Social causes  Decline in quality of life  Upper class: cared about themselves & wealth  “Bread & circuses” only fix, and it failed

10.  Roman Empire changes identity to Byzantine Empire  Byzantine Empire lasts for another 1,000 years  What does term “fall of Rome” mean?  Long, gradual process  Transition from one identity (Roman) to another (Byzantine)  Roman strength replaced by strength of Christian Church