Download Decline of the Roman Empire - EDSS Ancient Civilizations

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Under Emperor Trajan (ruled 98-117)
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Financial system raised significant taxes
 Supported a large regular army
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Well-organized and disciplined army
 The cursus honorum ensured that powerful noblemen
were familiar with military command
 Many centurions were well-rewarded, literate, and
responsible for training, discipline, administration,
and leadership in battle
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City governments functioned effectively
 Own revenues and properties
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Emperors adopted capable successors
 Civil wars were not required to regulate the
succession
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Religious strife was rare
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Plague brings high mortality rates
Three crushing defeats at hands of
Sassanid Empire (Persian)
Repeated civil wars
Barbarian invasions
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4.
Economic
Social
Political
Military
Remember…gradual decline over
900 years
No expansion = no more plunder or slaves
Crushing tax increase to support army and
bureaucracy
 Dependence on slave labour discourages
innovation
 Failure to industrialize economy
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 Education emphasized rhetoric to produce politicians
 Any occupation associated with technology not
considered respectable work
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Widening gap between rich and poor
 Rich senatorial families immune from taxation
 Indenture of farmers to wealthy land owners
 Masses too poor to buy goods to stimulate industry
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400-600 CE:
population decline all
over Europe
Perhaps due to plague
and taxation
 Couldn’t afford large
families
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Results
 Not enough farmers =
unsecure food supply
 Hire barbarian
mercenaries for defense
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165-180 CE: Antonine
Plague in Rome
 Up to 40% of
population dies
 Likely smallpox or
measles
 Brought back with
soldiers from east
Mass grave in Britain
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Tax revenues sucked up by
army
Minted more coins to pay
army
 Results in inflation
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Farmers can’t make enough to
support themselves
 Become indentured to wealthy
farmers
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Bread and Circuses
accomplishes NOTHING in
sustaining/improving the
economy
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Population decline from war and disease
Decline in patriotism, devotion,
discipline
Spread of Christianity
 Identify with faith, not nationality
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Devotion of upper classes to luxury and
self-interest
Moral decline
 Mad craze for pleasure – increasingly brutal
and immoral
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Political office viewed as a burden, not a
reward
Military interference in politics
Civil war and unrest
 Cruelty, corruption, extortion become
common
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Division of empire
 Capital moved to Byzantium
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Promoted by Praetorian Guard in 284 CE
293: Divided Empire into East & West
 2 senior emperors (Augusti) assisted by
junior emperors (Caesares)
Reformed bureaucracy, military,
reorganized provinces
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Standing armies on frontiers
Mobile units in provinces to squash rebellions
Cavalry becomes as important as infantry
Recruit Germanics and other non-Romans
Serious attempt to eradicate Christianity
 Churches dismantled, scriptures burned,
persecution, sacrifice to emperor or die (martyrs)
Son of a Roman general in
Britain, proclaimed
Emperor by his troops
 312: During a civil war to
unite West & East, won a
great victory at Milvian
Bridge
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 Apparently had a vision of a
cross “in this sign you will
conquer”
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First Emperor to convert
to Christianity
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313: Edict of Milan (or Edict of Toleration)
 Frees Christians from persecution
330: Established Constantinople as new
capital of Rome (Byzantium)
 360: Built Hagia Sophia
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 Centre for vision of a new Christian Roman
Empire
Last emperor to rule over West
& East halves of Roman
Empire
 Christianity: official state
religion
 Advocate of the Nicene Creed
(325)
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 Statement of Christian Faith by
bishops in Nicaea
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Banned pagan worship
Closed pagan temples
Abolished Olympic games (393)
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Failure of gov’t to control army
 Blatantly corrupt – used for political power
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Poorly trained, undisciplined army
Decline of patriotism and loyalty
 Roman citizens unwilling to fight
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Little loyalty among hired soldiers
(mercenaries)
Threat of barbarian invasion
 northern European tribes and the Huns
 Visigoths sack (410) & topple (476) Rome
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Germanic tribes from northern Europe crossed
Roman frontier and invaded Greece, Italy, Spain,
and coast of Asia Minor beginning in 3rd century
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Alaric
 King of the Visigoths – sacks Rome in 410 after
Stilicho doesn’t come through on payment to
help feed Italian peninsula
▪ Stilicho: Gothic general in Roman army ruling while
Emperor Honorius is a boy
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Odoacer
 Visigoth general deposes last emperor, Romulus
Augustulus (a boy) in 476
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Theodoric the Great
 Gothic king, takes power from Odoacer after
killing him at a dinner party
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Eastern Empire continues as Byzantium
(Byzantine Empire) until 1453
Preserves Greco-Roman knowledge
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Architecture and Technology
Law and Government
Language
Art, Literature, Philosophy
Christianity