1. The Fall of Rome
9.2

2. I. The Decline of Rome
After Aurelius’ death, Commodus and the Severans ruled Rome.
After the Severans ended, Rome’s leadership grew weak, and the government grew corrupt.
With a weak government, the economy worsened.
A plague broke out and killed many people.
Inflation occurred because money became less valuable.

3. Invaders began pushing into the empire’s territory, and the Roman gov’t could not pay Roman soldiers.
Emperor Diocletian tried to est. reforms that would improve the political situation.
Emperor Constantine tried to stop the empire’s decline. He moved the capital city to Byzantium, and the city later became known as Constantinople.
Diocletian
Constantine

4. II. Rome Falls Theodosius became emperor after Constantine’s death.
Split the empire into two separate empires: Western Roman and the Eastern Roman
The Visigoths feared the Huns and asked Rome for protection. In exchange, Rome required the Visigoths to be loyal to them.
The Visigoths rebelled against the Romans and beat the Romans at the Battle of Adrianople.

6. The Visigoths leader Alaric and his soldiers captured the city of Rome and burned it.
The Vandals overpowered Rome’s territories in Spain and northern Africa. Then they entered Rome and destroyed buildings
Odoacer was a Germanic leader who took control of Rome’s gov’t from emperor Romulus Augustulus. This event marked the end of the Western Roman Empire.
A band of Visigoths killed Odoacer and set up a kingdom in Italy.

7. The Eastern Roman Empire continued to prosper after the fall of the Western Empire. It became known as the Byzantine Empire.

8. III. The Legacy of Rome
The law and gov’t of the U.S. is influenced by the laws and gov’t of the ancient Romans.
The alphabet of the Latin language is used through the Western world today. Many European languages stemmed from Latin. Many English words come from Latin.

9. Western architecture uses styles of the Romans, such as domes and arches.
Christianity began in Jerusalem during the Roman Empire.