Download The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire

Rise and Fall of
Roman
Civilization
Emblem of Roman
Republic

senatus populusque Romanus
The Senate and Roman People
Rome built great stuff




Rome built great roads to travel on
and aqueducts to bring water into the
city.
Rome also built great stadiums
(Colosseum) and amphitheaters for
the entertainment of the people.
Romans also developed the use of the
arch. Allowing to build to great
heights
Aqueducts provided fresh water for
100s of miles
“All Roads lead to Rome”
55,000 Miles of them
Roman Citizenship

Romans had a strong sense of
citizenship.

Roman citizens were protected by
Rome, but had a duty to
participate in society and to make
it better.
Rome was a Republic
The Senate

A republic is a form of
government where people
elect representatives.

Equal Justice for all,
Innocent until proven
Guilty: All Roman concepts

The United States has a
representative
government. We learned
about this form of
government from the
Romans.
Roman Law and Rights

Roman laws stressed fairness and
common sense.

There was equal treatment under
the law in Rome and people were
considered innocent until proved
guilty when accused of a crime.

We took much of our system of
government from the Romans.
Roman Art More on art
later or we did this already

.
Rome’s first emperor

Octavian is
Rome’s first
emperor.

He took the name
Augustus Caesar.

Under his rule, Rome
expanded and enjoyed
Pax Romana a 200
year period of peace
The decline of Rome

"The decline of Rome was the natural
and inevitable effect
of immoderate greatness...... The
story of its ruin (downfall) is simple
and obvious; and instead
of inquiring why the Roman empire
was destroyed, we should rather be
surprised that it had subsisted so
long." -Gibbon, History of the Decline and
Fall of the Roman Empire
The slow decline……Rome wasn’t
Sacked In A Day
•The Huns push
groups such as the
Goths and Visigoths,
as they took
over territory moving
westward into Roman
territory.
•These groups would be
hired and fight for Rome.
They wanted land But Rome
would not give them any.
Decline of Rome
Empire Grew too large.
 Troops loyal to Generals not Rome









Slavery put many out of work
Tax problems could not support the roads, bridges
and aqueducts from crumbling.
Welfare bread and gladiator fights were given to stop
rioting
Bad Leadership: Insane emperors, corrupt generals,
civil wars, and economic problems.
Loss Morality and hard work - people became
comfortable did not work hard
Not dealing with the Germanic tribes (Goths,
Vithogoths) who fought for Rome, but Rome would not
give them land they wanted
Constantine moving East. Divides Empire Brain
Drain anyone who was anyone followed him
Arrogance Once Great Still Great always Great
Rome Gets Sacked
and sacked….

Battle of the Allia (the Hun) (390 ),
by the Gauls under Brennus

Sack of Rome (410), by the Visigoths under Alaric

Sack of Rome (455), by the Vandals under
Geiseric

The Roman Empire officially fell in 476 AD.
The last Emperor Romulus Augustulus‘

Odoacer captured the city of Ravenna and
forced Romulus to abdicate on 4 September AD
476. Beginning of the Middle Ages
What happened when
Rome Collapsed???
Let’s
watch a
movie to find out!
Barbarians at the gates

Romans called the people who
destroyed Rome Barbarians.

Romans called anyone who didn’t speak
Greek, even though the word barbarian
actually means uncivilized, lacking in
culture and violent. Very Ethnocentric!!!!

The Roman Empire officially fell in 476 AD.

The eastern part of the empire would
survive for 1000 more years.
Constantine Rises to
Power
Constantine become emperor
after defeating his enemy at the
Battle of the Milvian Bridge
 “A cross appeared in the sky and
he heard in Latin, "in this sign, you
will conquer.“
 This is why religiously he converted
to Christianity.
 What might be a political reason

Byzantium

The eastern part of the Roman Empire
became known as the Byzantine Empire
or Byzantium.
Constantine and
Constantinople





Constantinople was named for emperor
Constantine.
Constantine was important because he
legalized Christianity in the empire. (see
your notes)
Under Constantine’s rule, Christianity
spread greatly. Using Roman roads and
trade routes
He moved the capital of the empire from
Rome to Constantinople.
Major Migration of top people followed
Constantine to Constantinople creating
a brain drain in Rome
By by 320 Rome was old and in disrepair,
 Constantine moves capital to more vibrant trade and
political location in the east.

Constantinople grows

Constantinople
became a leading
center of trade.

Trade helped the
Byzantine Empire
grow rich.
Justinian




Justinian was the
greatest of the
Byzantine emperors.
Justinian made
many changes in
the laws.
His laws were called
The Code of
Justinian.
Justinian also built
many churches
throughout the
empire.
Disagreements between
east and west
Most of the people in the Byzantine
Empire were Christian, but the
people in the west and the people
in the east disagreed about how to
worship God.
 This led to a split in the Catholic
Church. It was called a schism.
 A schism is a split. The Roman
Catholic Church had a schism,
splitting in half.

Two churches

The church in the east was called Eastern
Orthodox.

The church in the west was called Roman
Catholic.
Patriarch

The leader of the
church in
Constantinople
was called the
Patriarch.
Pope

The leader of the
church in Rome
was called the
Pope.
Constantinople is
captured

The split in the church weakened the Byzantine
Empire.

In 1453, the Ottoman Turks captured
Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire came
to an end.
The Byzantine Empire
preserves great stuff

The Byzantine Empire preserved the art and
literature of the Greeks and Romans.

Without the Byzantine, the world may have lost
great treasures of the past.