1. Fall of the Roman Empire
Decline of the Roman Empire
End of the Pax Romana, two centuries of peace and prosperity for the Roman Empire

2. Rome’s Economy Weakens
Hostile tribes were on the boundaries of the empire, and Mediterranean pirates disrupted trade
Rome lacked the financial resources to stop the attacks
Rome raised taxes and coined more money
As a result of these activities, Rome suffered from inflation, a drastic drop in the value of its money
Agricultural production within the empire declined, and food shortages and disease spread

3. Military and Political
The military was in disarray - soldiers had lost loyalty to Rome
Roman government began the use of mercenaries, or foreign soldiers who for fought for money and had little sense of loyalty to the empire
Roman citizens became indifferent about the empire’s fate
More slaves and none-citizens in Rome than citizens

4. Empire Divided In 284 AD Diocletia became the emperor
Restored order and increased the military’s strength
Split the empire into East and West

5. Constantine Moves the Capitol
Constantine gained control of the western part of the empire in 312 AD
Moved the capitol from Rome to Byzantium (later Constantinople, present day Istanbul, Turkey )
The center of power shifted from Rome to The East
The divide of the Eastern and Western Empires led to the decline of the West

6. Attila the Hun
Huns united under leader Attila and attacked Roman cities throughout The East but did not capture Constantinople
452 AD Attila’s forces moved towards Rome but failed to take it
the Germanic invasion continued
last Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustulus, ousted by Germanic forces in 476 AD
the western half of the Roman Empire disappeared
the Eastern half of the Roman Empire, which came to be called the Byzantine Empire, flourished another 1,000 years until it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453

7. Germanic Tribes
Germanic peoples were overrun by Mongol nomads from Central Asia – the Huns
Germanic people flooded into Roman areas fleeing the Huns
The Roman army was unable to stop the march of the Germanic peoples or “barbarians”
In 410 AD hordes of Germanic tribes over-run, sack, and plunder Rome for days
Sack of Rome