2. What Is our Focus? Essential Questions It Matters Because…
How can religion impact a culture?
What factors lead to the rise and fall of empires?
We’ve already talked about the importance of maintenance and wise decisions.
It Matters Because…
In 410AD, the Visigoths (barbarians) sacked Rome. After ruling the Mediterranean for hundreds of years, the Roman Empire in the west declined and then fell. The Germanic peoples were only one factor in Rome’s collapse.

3. Problems and Upheavals
During the reign of Marcus Aurelius, the last of the five “good emperors,” a number of catastrophes struck Rome.
After his death in 180AD, more conflict, confusion, and civil war followed.

4. Problems and Upheavals
After the civil wars a new military government took over Rome.
The leaders were told, “Enrich the soldiers, and ignore everyone else.”
From the Roman throne was held by whomever had the military strength to seize it.
There were 22 emperors, most of whom died violently.

5. Problems and Upheavals
Invasions and plague almost caused an economic collapse in the 3rd century.
There was a decline in trade and small industry.
Farm production struggled as crops were ravaged by invaders.
Financial strains made it hard to maintain the army and pay soldiers.
Tried hiring Germans to fight in the army, but they had no loyalty to the Roman Empire.

6. Reforms of Emperors
Diocletian ( ) thought the empire had grown too large for a single ruler.
Divided it into 2 parts (east and west).
Then those parts were halved again (tetrarchy, “rule by four”)
Constantine ( ) hoped to slow Rome’s decline.
Built a new capital city in the east on the site of the old Greek city of Byzantium.
(I told you to save that name in the back of your brain – remember? Greek notes!)
The city was renamed Constantinople (now it’s Istanbul, Turkey)

7. Reforms of Emperors Moving to Constantinople
Strategically placed both militarily and economically.
Closer to the important trading centers.
Literally on the “crossroads of the people” between Europe and the Middle East.
It was a very well built city with almost perfect defenses.
Double fortification (walls)
Navy can protect the sides on water.
Became the center of “New Rome” for the Eastern Roman Empire.

8. Economic Crisis
The expansion of the government and the army created a demand for more revenues ($).
But the population was not growing, so there weren’t enough taxes to pay for the demands.
Roman money began to lose its value  Inflation!
The emperors created policies that forced people to stay in their vocations (job specialties), which meant jobs were going to be hereditary.

9. End of the Western Roman Empire
After Constantine’s death the empire remained divided between east and west.
By 395 AD the two parts were working independently from each other.
In the 5th century (400s) the eastern half was still intact under the Roman emperor in Constantinople.
The western half had an administrative collapse and suffered invasions by Germans.

10. End of the Western Roman Empire
Invasions
378AD: Displaced Visigoths (Germans) defeated the Roman army in battle.
Increasing numbers of Germans crossed into Rome.
410AD: Visigoths sacked Rome, then moved to Spain and Gaul (France).

11. End of the Western Roman Empire
Invasions
455AD: Vandals (Germans) ravaged Rome.
Now all the western provinces of the Roman Empire had been taken over by Germanic peoples.
476AD: The boy emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed in Rome.
The official end of the Roman Empire in the west!
Roughly age 14 when he became emperor
Scene from “The Last Legion”

12. End of the Western Roman Empire
Significance
Lost all unity in transportation, education, and trade.
Weak rulers lead to peasant revolts and chaos.
More foreign invaders caused further division of the region.

13. Theories
Many theories have been proposed by historians to explain the decline and fall of the Roman Empire
Christianity’s emphasis on a spiritual kingdom weakened Roman military values.
Traditional Roman values declined as non-Italians gained prominence in the empire.
Lead poisoning through leaden water pipes and cups caused a mental decline in the population.
Plague wiped out 1/10 of the population.
Rome failed to advance technologically due to slavery.
Rome could not create a workable political system.