Decline and Fall of the Western Roman Empire

1. Citizens lost confidence

2. Army deteriorated

3. Invasion

4. Population declined

5. Roman cities declined

6. Political corruption

7. Economy weakened

• famine

• unemployment

• inflation

• inferior technology

8. Public Health

9. Decay of Leadership and values

The Dynastic Cycle

New DynastyDefeat of old ruling familyBrings peace and prosperityPopulation increasesMandate of Heaven creates loyalty(Re)builds public worksGives land to the peasants

Protects the people

Generations go by, New Dynasty becomes the Old Dynasty

Old DynastyLess able rulers come to powerOfficials and bureaucrats become corruptTaxes people too muchNot enough taxes to defend kingdom and repair/build public worksPublic works neglected and decayStop protecting peopleTreat people unfairly

Old Dynasty loses the Mandate of Heaven

Old Dynasty Problems:Natural events: floods, famine, earthquakes, etc.Bandits raid the countrysideInvaders attack the empireTax collections grow smallerNobles begin to seize powerPeasants revolt as dynasty loses the Mandate of Heaven

New Dynasty claims the Mandate of Heaven

Citizens lost confidence in Imperial Government

1. Upper class left cities for the security of their own latifundia-- large landed self-sufficient rural estates

2. Roman nobility made little effort to help solve the problems of the Empire—couldn’t solve problem so they ignored it and protected what they had

3. Government spending on military to stop threat of invasion took spending away from largest group of citizens

Citizens lost confidence in Imperial Government

4. Source of government monies—heavy taxes and seizure of food and property

5. Government forced citizens to repair public works– Combination of 4 and 5 ruined the townspeople and

farmers

6. Citizens became indifferent to the needs and fate of the Empire

Deterioration of the Legions

1. Land owning citizens found ways not to serve in the legions

– Typical soldier was from the lower classes or less civilized parts of the Empire

– These soldiers did not understand the original goals of the legions in maintaining peace and order

2. Avoidance of military service forced government to recruit men from Germanic tribes

– In time, much of the army was not Roman, but Germanic

Deterioration of the Legions

3. Loyalty of legions continued to be with their commanders and not the Empire

– Possibility of border area legions to declare their commander emperor

4. Constant threat of invasion along the empire’s borders

Roman Legion Border Positions

Border Invasions

1. Barbarian Invasions– 410 AD Visigoths attack and loot the city of Rome– 451 AD Huns attack northern Italy– 455 AD Vandals attack and loot the city of Rome

2. Border legions recalled to the Italian Peninsula to defend Rome

– Borders left undefended– Large sections of the Empire given up to invaders

Border Invasions

Invader Imperial Homeland

• Visigoths Spain, S. France• Ostrogoths Italian Peninsula• Vandals North Africa• Franks Northern France• Angles Britain• Saxons Britain• Jutes Britain• Huns Hungary• Lombards Northern Italy• Suevi Northern Spain• Burgundians SE France

Population Declined

1. Pax Romana to the late 4th century-- population declined from 70 million to 50 million

– Warfare, famine, declining birthrate, and plagues2. Results of population decline

– Smaller number of taxpayers– Fewer people to farm the land– Finding soldiers for the army

Advantages of Roman City Life Declined

1. Fighting in the provinces drained money from the cities

2. Wealthy left the cities because the cities no longer took care of their needs

– Unemployed and landless fled to the cities

Advantages of Roman City Life Declined

3. New social and political order developed on the latifundia which favored the wealthy—beginnings of feudalism

– Farm workers tied to the land and no longer independent

– Landowning nobility became political power unto themselves

4. City crime increased sharply

Political Corruption

1. End of the law of succession produced conflict between the old emperor, the Senate, the Praetorian Guard, and the army over who the new emperor would be

– Praetorian Guard gained complete authority to choose the new emperor

– Sale of the emperorship by the Praetorian Guard create a cycle of corruption

2. Provincial government positions were sold to the highest bidders

3. Provincial officials, particularly, the governors became wealthy by stealing from the Empire

Weak Economy

1. Famine reduced the amount of food produced– result: food shortages and – result: higher prices for food that was available

2. Unemployment– Large number of available, inexpensive slaves

increased the number of unemployed people in cities

Weak Economy

3. Inflation– Reduction of amount of gold and silver in coins

(devaluation) caused an increase in prices as merchants tried to make up the loss in value by raising prices

– people moved to bartering, salaries paid in food and clothing, and taxes were collected in food or property

4. Inferior technology– Inexpensive slaves eliminated the motive for higher

productivity and efficiency—why work yourself to death?

– No longer conquering other civilizations and adapting their technology

Public Health

1. Roman cities were centers of disease

2. Unsanitary conditions

3. Policy of feeding and entertaining the poor and unemployed

4. Lead pipes into the homes of the wealthy

Decay of Leadership and Values

1. Traditional Roman values of the early Republic were lost

– Land owning military service to the Republic– Republic before self and family– Horatio at the Bridge and Cinncinatus

2. Lack of leadership models by the emperor and the wealthy

– Outstanding emperors became the exception– Extended periods of time when all emperors were

not worthy of the public’s trust

Decay of Leadership and Values

3. Christianity– Values and goals of Christianity often conflicted with

those of the Empire