3. Problems  Civil wars created instability - 22 emperors over 50 years  Only pay the soldiers, and ignore everyone else.  Militaristic society

4.  Plague! - Weakened the workforce and economy  Invasians - Barbarian invasions destroyed trade and farm production

5.  Hiring Mercenaries - The army began hiring barbarian Germans to fight for them. - The barbarians had no loyalty to Rome or the Emperor

6. Reforms  Diocletian and Constantine  RELIGION = Christianity (a huge change)  Divided the empire into 2 parts (East and West)  Constantine  Formed the new capital city: He built it on Byzantium and renamed Constantinople  Enlarged the army and civil services  Refused to pay/raise taxes

8. Decline.  They refused to raise money  Left the empire in debt  Became very weak, despite having a large army.

9. The fall  The Germanic tribes were like vultures…  Waiting to strike  Something worked in their favor  THE HUNS Invaded  So Germans left their homes and moved into Roman Territories  Germans eventually revolted.

11. The WEST has fallen.  476: Romulus Augustulus the western emperor was defeated. - This is the official end of the Western Roman Empire.  The Eastern Empire continued to rule as the Byzantine Empire

12. A few ideas…  Christianity's emphasis on a spiritual kingdom weakened Roman military virtues  Traditional Roman values declined as non-Italians gained prominence in the empire  Lead poisoning though their lead pipes and cups caused a mental decline

13.  Plague wiped out 10% of the population  Rome failed to advance technologically due to slavery  The political system in Rome failed