Download The Long Decline of the Roman Empire

What goes UP, must come DOWN?
27 B.C.
180 A.D.
44 B.C.
Punic Wars
509 B.C.
476 A.D.
5
The Long Decline of the Roman Empire
• How did Roman emperors try to end
the crisis in the empire?
• How did Hun invasions contribute
to the decline of Rome?
• How did economic and social
problems lead to the fall of Rome?
5
Two Reformers – Emperors try to
save the Roman Empire
Diocletian
Divided the empire into
two parts to make it easier to
govern
Tried to increase the prestige
(reputation/credibility)of the emperor
Fixed prices to slow inflation, or the
rapid rise of prices
(Consider: What is our gov’t trying to
do for our economy?
Established laws to ensure steady
production of food and goods…Did
someone say “bailout” plan???
Constantine
Continued Diocletian’s reforms
Granted toleration to
Christians, which led to the
rapid growth of Christianity
Built a new capital at
Constantinople, making the
eastern part of the empire the
center of power
Rome in DECLINE - The reforms of
Diocletian and Constantine
• Diocletian and Constantine
attempted to revive the Empire
by undertaking a variety of
reforms:
Diocletian DIVIDES
empire into 2 parts
(Eastern and Western) with co-Emperors.
Constantine moves the
CAPITAL from Rome to
Constantinople
Results: Their
reforms revived
the economy and
held the empire
together for about
a century, BUT
failed to stop the
long-term decline
HOMEWORK
DBQ 2:
“Fall of the Western Roman Empire”
•Complete the documents only
•This will be the basis for an inclass essay TOMORROW
Fall of the Western Roman Empire
Doc. 1
Doc. 2
Doc. 3
Doc. 4
Doc. 5
Doc. 6
Fall of the Western Roman Empire
Doc. 1
•“apathetic” = did not care
Majority excluded from gov’t & army
•Farming declined
Doc. 2
Empire was too large – unable to keep
control
CHRISTIANITY had weakened empire
(peaceful)
Doc. 3
Doc. 4
Markets and economic progress stopped •Gov’t needed money for the army,
bureaucracy (agencies) and welfare for the
people
Slavery took jobs away & free peasants
•High taxes crushed private businesses &
became tenant farmers or unemployed
gov’t had to take over (“bail out”)
•People on welfare lost initiative and “fiber”
of citizens weakened
Doc. 5
Doc. 6 (MAP)
Military decayed internally because
BARBARIAN invasions from the east
foreign German barbarians (mercenaries) and took control over various parts of the
had replaced the proud old aristocracy
empire
Essay: Fall of the Western Roman Empire
Paragraph 1 = Introduction:
• Consider the historical context and
make a GENERAL statement that needs
no specific evidence or support.
Example = Throughout history geographic features
have played an important role in the development of
civiliations
• Finish the introduction with the main point
you are going to make (thesis statement).
This is guided by the TASK = REASONS
for the fall of the Western Roman
Empire.
5
The Empire in Crisis
With the end of the Pax Romana, political and economic
turmoil rocked the Roman empire.
Political Problems
•Emperors were repeatedly
overthrown or assassinated.
•The military gave their allegiance
(loyalty) to Generals who paid them
instead of the Empire
*Example = In one 50-year period,
26 emperors ruled, and only one
died of natural causes.
Economic & Social Problems
•High taxes to support the army
burdened business people and
farmers.
•Poor farmers were forced to work
and live on wealthy estates
(latifundia).
•Over-cultivated farmland lost its
productivity.
•Christianity was the official religion
of Rome as of 313
– Many people became more
devoted to the Church than the
empire
•“Avarice (greed) destroyed
honor” (Bonus READING)
Roman Empire
Barbarians at the gate …
5
“Barbarians at the Gate” –
“nibble” away at the Empire
A weakened Rome could
not withstand the forces
of Germanic invasions.
The Huns
frightened &
dislodged other
Germanic peoples
and, little by little,
conquered the
Roman empire.
Mercenaries had to be hired in order to meet the demands of the failing
military. They were paid soldiers, many from Germania, so they had little
loyalty to Rome
Barbarians at the gate …
• As the Visigoths approached Italy in the early fifth
century, the Western Empire responded by shifting
troops from Britain and from the Rhine and Danube
frontiers to the defense of Italy.
• This set the stage for political disaster because the move
weakened the frontier defenses. Not only did Britain fall
to the Angles, Saxons and Jutes in 407, but the way was
cleared for Germanic tribes to break through the poorly
defended frontiers and overrun most of the Roman
Empire's western provinces.
• Overwhelmed, the Roman armies were unable to expel
the invaders and the Western Roman Empire, built up
over the course of eight centuries, collapsed.
Barbarians at the gate …
Decline of the Western Roman Empire
Military
Political
Social
Economic
The Decline and Fall of Rome
The final phase (f.y.i.)
There were more periods of revolt and chaos. Barbarian invasions kept occurring.
Much of the time no single emperor controlled both East and West. Increasingly the
army was German (hired mercenaries loyal only to $).
Theodosius (379-395) was last to control both East and West. Later his son
Honorius (395-423) governed the west, (western capital in Ravenna), his son Arcadius
(395-408) the east; east-west split was permanent.
In 406 another vast wave of barbarian invaders came, fleeing the Huns. In 410
Alaric the Visagoth invaded and sacked Rome itself.
The Huns entered in 450. [War & Civilization - horse warriors]
German/barbarian warlords were the real power, the Western emperor was only
a figurehead.
In 476 A.D. Odoacer (who was actually a Roman General, “foederati“ deposed
the last western emperor.
**************************************************************************************************
P.S. - The Byzantine empire, its capital at Constantinople, continued until it fell to the Turks in 1453.
What goes UP, must come DOWN?
27 B.C.
180 A.D.
44 B.C.
Punic Wars
509 B.C.
The-fall-of-Rome
476 A.D.
Ancient Rome – Review Game
1.
No complaining or whining…that will be penalized!
2. BLACK word = Pictionary: draw pictures to get
someone to correctly guess the word. [If guessed
correctly = +1 pt. for “guesser” and +1 pt. for drawer IF you
explain SIGNIFICANCE of the term to Ancient Rome.]
3. RED “Wild” Card = “Taboo”…You need to have
someone guess the word with clues you give. You
can say anything EXCEPT the word itself. [+2 pts. For
correct guess and +2 pts. for explanation of historical
significance.]
4. PURPLE “Really Wild” Card = Pictionary: draw
pictures to get someone to correctly guess the word.
[+5 for correct guess]
Near East in 480 AD, showing Odoacer's Kingdom and its neighbors.