CAUSES OF THE ROMAN CAUSES OF THE ROMAN COLLAPSECOLLAPSE

Marcus Aurelius (180 Marcus Aurelius (180 AD) ended Pax AD) ended Pax Romana.Romana. Next wave of Next wave of

emperors….completely emperors….completely incapable of ruling incapable of ruling Rome.Rome.

ROME’S ECONOMY FAILSROME’S ECONOMY FAILS

Hostile tribes outside boundaries and pirates on Hostile tribes outside boundaries and pirates on Mediterranean Sea disrupted trade!Mediterranean Sea disrupted trade!

Reached limit of expansion, could not get new Reached limit of expansion, could not get new resources (gold and silver)resources (gold and silver)

Desperate for revenue, taxes are raised and coins Desperate for revenue, taxes are raised and coins minted not worth their face valueminted not worth their face value

INFLATION: drop of value of $ and increase in pricesINFLATION: drop of value of $ and increase in prices Agriculture: harvest suffer due to overworked land and Agriculture: harvest suffer due to overworked land and

warwar Food shortages and disease spread.Food shortages and disease spread.

MILITARY AND POLITICAL MILITARY AND POLITICAL TURMOILTURMOIL

Soldiers less disciplined and loyal, Soldiers less disciplined and loyal, fight for general not Rome.fight for general not Rome.

Mercenaries: foreign soldiers hired Mercenaries: foreign soldiers hired to fight, had less loyalty to empireto fight, had less loyalty to empire

Citizen loyalty drops, indifference Citizen loyalty drops, indifference emergesemerges

Lack of motivated, worthy Lack of motivated, worthy emperorsemperors

ATTEMPTS AT REFORMATTEMPTS AT REFORM DIOCLETIAN SPLITS THE EMPIREDIOCLETIAN SPLITS THE EMPIRE

**Splits Empire: **Splits Empire: -EAST: Greek Speaking (Greece, Anatolia, Syria, -EAST: Greek Speaking (Greece, Anatolia, Syria,

Egypt)Egypt)- WEST- Latin Speaking (Italy, Gaul, Britain, Spain)- WEST- Latin Speaking (Italy, Gaul, Britain, Spain)

DIOCLETIAN takes the east! Co-ruler takes West!DIOCLETIAN takes the east! Co-ruler takes West!

284 AD: limited citizens personal freedoms, restored the 284 AD: limited citizens personal freedoms, restored the empire, doubled army, fixed priced goods. empire, doubled army, fixed priced goods.

First Emperor worshipped as a god – act of First Emperor worshipped as a god – act of treasontreason if you didn’t if you didn’t Continued persecution of ChristiansContinued persecution of Christians

Retires 305 AD: Civil War breaks out 311 AD, 4 rulers fight Retires 305 AD: Civil War breaks out 311 AD, 4 rulers fight over Rome!!over Rome!!

CONSTANTINECONSTANTINE

312 AD: Constantine Gains control of Western half312 AD: Constantine Gains control of Western half 324 AD: Constantine Gains control of entire empire324 AD: Constantine Gains control of entire empire

Milvan BridgeMilvan Bridge - conversion to Christianity - conversion to Christianity Edict of MilanEdict of Milan – Tolerance of Christianity – Tolerance of Christianity

330 AD: Moves Capital of Roman Empire from Rome to 330 AD: Moves Capital of Roman Empire from Rome to ByzantiumByzantium: Greek City in Anatolia.: Greek City in Anatolia.

-SIGNIFICANCE: center of power shifts from west to -SIGNIFICANCE: center of power shifts from west to east!east!

-soon Byzantium becomes a wonder like Rome-soon Byzantium becomes a wonder like Rome -CONSTANTINOPLE: Byzantium is renamed to honor -CONSTANTINOPLE: Byzantium is renamed to honor

emperor. (City of Constantine)emperor. (City of Constantine) After death of Constantine: Empire splits again: West After death of Constantine: Empire splits again: West

Crumbles, and East survives!!!!Crumbles, and East survives!!!!

THE EMPIRE CRUMBLES!!!THE EMPIRE CRUMBLES!!!

GERMANIC GERMANIC INVASIONS: INVASIONS:

-370 AD: Mongol Nomads called HUNS -370 AD: Mongol Nomads called HUNS moved into regions outside empire forcing moved into regions outside empire forcing Germanic People to migrateGermanic People to migrate

ATTILA THE HUN!!!ATTILA THE HUN!!! -Huns indirectly responsible for Germanic Invasion!-Huns indirectly responsible for Germanic Invasion!

444 BC: Huns became a direct threat- United under 444 BC: Huns became a direct threat- United under Attila: 100,000 Huns terrorize both halves of empire!Attila: 100,000 Huns terrorize both halves of empire!

-attack 70 cities (not Constantinople or Rome)-attack 70 cities (not Constantinople or Rome)

Bishop of Rome Leo I begins exerting control – beginning of papacy

Attila the Hun invades Italy – persuaded by Leo I to leave Italy

Germanic Tribes Run From The Huns

GERMANIC TRIBESGERMANIC TRIBES:: -tribes of Germans who lived along Northern Frontier -tribes of Germans who lived along Northern Frontier

of Roman Empireof Roman Empire - Roman called them - Roman called them BarbariansBarbarians!!

NAMES OF BARBARIAN TRIBES:NAMES OF BARBARIAN TRIBES: Goths: ItalyGoths: Italy Vandals: Italy, Spain, & N. AfricaVandals: Italy, Spain, & N. Africa Angles, Saxons, and Jutes: BritainAngles, Saxons, and Jutes: Britain Franks: Gaul (France)Franks: Gaul (France)

Visigoths made peace with Emperor Theodosius

Theodosius makes Christianity the Official religion of the Empire

Theodosius

Saint Ambrose converts Theodosius to Christianity

Papal Power Continues to Grow –

Vandals attack Rome – convinced by Leo I to not kill anyone

Vandalism

Roman Empire continues in the East as the Christian Byzantine Empire until 1453

The Papacy and Odoacer

German Odoacer becomes Western Emperor ending Roman rule of the west

476 AD – Generally accepted as the Fall of Rome

LEGACIES OF ROMELEGACIES OF ROME GRECO-ROMAN CULTURE: mixing of GRECO-ROMAN CULTURE: mixing of

elements of Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman elements of Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman Cultures (classical civilization)Cultures (classical civilization)

Fine ArtsFine Arts Pompeii: many preservedPompeii: many preserved

Learning and LiteratureLearning and Literature Language: Latin: Romance languagesLanguage: Latin: Romance languages ArchitectureArchitecture

ColosseumColosseum PantheonPantheon AqueductsAqueducts RoadsRoads