1. Student Notes: The Fall of Rome

2. EQ – Why did the Roman Empire decline and fall?

3. Marcus Aurelius “The Last Good Emperor” (AD 161-180)
He was a philosopher, a writer, and very well liked.
He protected the empire from invaders.
Waste no more time talking about what a good man should be. Be one!

4. Emperor Commodus (AD 180-192)
Commodus (son of Marcus Aurelius) was a terrible ruler
He was very cruel and hated - in 192 AD, the Praetorian Guard (his own body guards) killed him.

5. The Beginning of the End
Between 192 and 284 AD, Rome had 37 different Emperors. Most were murdered by the army.

6. One Reason for Rome’s Decline
Political Corruption
Weak and ineffective Emperors
Emperors gained power by killing their opponents and bribing the army

7. Second Reason for Rome’s Decline
Economic Problems
Inflation – Prices increased and the value of Roman coins decreased
People stopped using money and began to barter
High taxes could not support the high wages of senators and the soldiers who were defending far away borders.

8. Two Major Reformers Diocletian 284-305 AD
Fortified the frontier (far from Rome) to stop invasions

9. Two Major Reformers Diocletian 284-305 AD
Divided the empire in two parts to improve organization—he ruled the Eastern half
The last great persecution of Christians

10. Diocletian Splits the Empire in Two
294 AD

11. Two Major Reformers Constantine 312-337 AD
Moved the capital to Constantinople (in modern Turkey) abandoning Rome
Adopted Christianity as the official Religion in This ended the brutal executions of Christians

12. After Constantine
Despite moving the capital from Rome, the Empire in the West continues to crumble.
Continuing problems worsened the situation in Rome
Political Corruption—Killing their leaders, Bribing leaders, etc.
Economic Instability—inflation, high taxes to pay soldiers, etc.
Foreign Invaders—attacks by Germanic tribes, Visigoths, the Huns, etc.

13. Third Reason for Rome’s Decline
Foreign Invasions
Germanic Tribes (Barbarians) were pushed out of their homelands by the Huns
These tribes crossed the borders of the Roman Empire and attacked

14. Alaric Leader of the Visigoths (German Barbarians)
Once was a loyal soldier for Rome
United the Visigoths and invaded and sacked Rome in the year 410 AD

15. Hun Migration pressures Germanic Tribes to move

16. Final Notes on Foreign Invasions
Attila the Hun and his people’s migrations pushed German Goths out of their homeland east of the Danube River.

18. Final Notes on Foreign Invasions
Goths began to defeat weakened Roman Legions using blitzing cavalry raids and metal stirrups.

19. Final Notes on Foreign Invasions
The Visigoths attacked and sacked Rome in AD 410 under the Chieftain Alaric.