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Chapter Six
The Roman Empire
p. 192-223
From Republic to Empire
• After the assassination of Julius Caesar, three
men competed for his power.
– Octavian (Augustus) - Caesar's adopted son
– Marc Antony
– Lepidus
• Also, Sextus, Pompey, the son of Pompey the
Great, was trying to gain power
From Republic to Empire Part II
• Octavian defeated Antony in a battle and then had
himself appointed as consul. He then formed the
Second Triumvirate with Antony and Lepidus to
aveng the murder of Caesar.
• In 40 BCE, the Triumvirate met in Brundisium to
divide the Roman world amongst themselves.
– Octavian controlled the east
– Antony controlled the west
– Lepidus controlled Africa
From Republic To Empire Part III
• Also, Antony married Octavia, Octavian's
sister, to seal the pact.
• Lepidus left the Triumvirate to become
Pontifex Maximus.
Antony and Cleopatra
• In 36 BCE, Marcus Agrippa defeated Sexutus Pompey
in a naval battle.
• In the same year, Antony met and married Cleopatra
VII, the Queen of Egypt
• Antony and Cleopatra married for love, not political
power
• By marrying Cleopatra, Antony rejected Octavia and
Octavian.
– Octavia never recognized the divorce from Antony.
Antony and Cleopatra Part II
• Cleopatra had previously
been involved with Julius
Caesar and had his son -Ptolemy Caesar
(Caesarion).
• Antony and Cleopatra had
three children together
and gave all of them their
own kingdoms to rule.
Antony and Cleopatra Part III
• Antony and Cleopatra's idyllic life together
ended on 23 September 31 BCE when
Octavian and Agrippa defeated them at the
Battle of Actium.
• In 30 BCE, Antony and Cleopatra both
committed suicide.
Antony and Cleopatra Part IV
• Because of his dynastic threat, Caesarion was
immediately killed.
– Cleopatra's three other children were sent to live
with Octavia, who also looked after Antony's
children from a previous marriage, as well as her
children from a previous marriage and her
marriage with Antony.
The Age of Augustus
• In January 27 BCE, Octavian formally returned
the state to the Senate and the People.
– For this act, he was given the name "Augustus"
(dignified or opposing)
– Augustus personally kept control of all the
territories with large armies.
– Provinces with small armies were given back to
the Senate.
– Egypt was ruled as Augustus' private kingdom.
The Age of Augustus Part II
• In 23 BCE, Augustus became
Tribune of the People and in
12 BCE, he became Pontifex
Maximus, and thus had all
the decision making power in
Rome.
• Augustus had given birth to
the Roman Empire with him
as the first Roman Emperor.
The Principate
• Augustus tried very hard through his reign not to
upset anyone.
• He was neither arrogant nor decadent, and ruled
Rome skillfully as primus inter pares (first among
equals) - Principate.
• Augustus championed the cause of peace, and the
benefits of this peace were told in the fine arts and
literature of the time.
• Augustus and his family were personally responsible
for rebuilding 82 temples and public places, including
the forum Romanum, and they built the new forum.
The Principate Part II
• August revamped the administration of the Roman
Empire
• Made the career of official in provincial government
of in the army desirable
• Created a professional civil service
• Created the vigiles, a combination police force and
fire fighting brigade
• Augustus also linked the worship with Roma with
the worship of himself, sometimes as New Zeus
The Principate Part III
• Augustus fostered the spread of "Romanity"
and really did find a city of bricks and left it
one of marble.
• Two factors contributed to the success of the
Principate
– People's desire for peace after years of civil war
– Augustus lived a long time, and outlived many
potential heirs
The Administration of the
Provinces
• The word provincia referred to an area of
responsibility in which a magistrate had power
(imperium)
• Provincia came to applied to a geographical area
for which magistrates were responsible
• Provincial governor was usually an ex-consul or
ex-praetor and he commanded the occupying
army, led the bureaucracy of financial and other
assistants, for whom taxation was a very
important function
The Arts in the Age of Augustus
• Augustus used art as a tool for propaganda
and used art and architecture throughout the
Empire to show the power and legitimacy of
the emperor
• During the Principate, visual arts –
architecture, wall painting, mosaics, and
sculpture – all flourished
The Arts Part II
• Augustus completed the Forum Romanum of
Julius Caesar and built the Forum of Augustus
• Built the Alter of Augustan Peace on his wife
Livia’s birthday in 9 BCE
– Showed scenes that told viewers he could trace
his family back to the very beginning of Rome
The Arts Part III
• Wall painting developed
• Moved from painting on plaster to imitate
masonry to representing scenes
• Mosaics began as monochromatic
compositions, but then were made of
thousands of tiny cubes of glass, usually with
an intricate geometric border around a scene
The Arts Part IV
• Sculpture continued to favour the Greek
classical style
• Relief sculpture developed a distinct Roman
style, especially on triumphal arches, columns,
and monuments
Literature
• Virgil (70-19 BCE) gave Rome its founding epic
– The Aeneid
– Describes how the hero Aeneas escaped after the
Trojan War and arrived in Italy
– All members of the family of Julius Caesar are said
to be descended from Aeneas
– Romulus and Remus also direct descendants
Literature Part II
• Horace (65-8 BCE) applauded the benefits of
peace, Augustan rule, and Roman supremacy
– wrote the Odes
• Ovid (43 BCE-19 CE) was a poet and wrote a
well-crafted parody called The Art of Love
– Ovid was banished from Rome for unspecified
crimes (probably involving Augustus’ daughter)
– Wrote the Metamorphoses
Literature Part III
• Tacitus and Suetonius wrote about the early
emperors.
– Tacitus wrote Histories and Annals from a hostile senatorial
viewpoint.
– Suetonius was Hadrian's one-time secretary, and he wrote
Lives of the Twelve Caesars.
• Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE) wrote a 37 volume
Natural History.
– He died trying to help people fleeing from Mt. Vesuvius'
eruption.
– His adopted son, Pliny the Younger, (61-112 CE) recorded
his death.
The Successors of Augustus
• Tiberius (AD 14 - 37)
was Augustus' stepson
and his reign was
increasingly hard.
• He ended his reign on
the island of Capri.
The Successors of Augustus Part II
• Caligula (AD 37 - 41), Augustus' grandson, took his
name from the little boots he wore when in his
father's army camp as a tiny infant.
• Cruelty and debauchery marked his reign.
• Because he didn't respect the Senate, he made his
favorite horse, Incitatus, a senator.
• He had many affairs with married women and his
sisters.
• The Praetorian Guard (his bodyguards) murdered
him
The Successors of Augustus Part III
• Claudius (AD 41 - 54) was Augustus'
nephew and had long been
considered to be a complete
embarrassment to his family because
he had a stutter and a limp.
• He was, however, a very good
emperor.
• Under him, Britain became a lasting
part of the Roman Empire.
The Successors Part IV
• Claudius' nephew, Nero (AD 54 - 68) had been
groomed for the throne by his mother, whom he
eventually had murdered.
• He became very unpopular, and many people
blamed him for the great fire in Rome.
• He was also known for his cruelty towards Christians.
• He burned them alive and threw them to the lions.
• Nero was murdered.
• After Nero, there were three emperors in one year,
Galba, Otho, and Vitelius..
The Successors Part V
• Vespasian (AD 69 - 79) was a wise
ruler and was succeeded by his son,
Titus (AD 79 - 81), who was known
for his generosity.
• Titus' brother, Domitian (AD 81 - 96)
was an autocratic tyrant best known
for his persecution of Christian and
Jews.
• His wife helped plot his assassination
with his successor Nerva (AD 96 98).
The Successors Part VI
• Trajan (AD 98 - 117) was born in
Spain and had spent many years as
a soldier and administrator.
• Trajan was responsible for making
Rome more beautiful.
• He also expanded the borders of the
empire in every direction.
• He is generally thought of as an able
administrator.
The Successors Part VII
• Hadrian (AD 117 - 138) was Trajan's adopted son and
is generally considered a truly great Roman emperor.
• He too was born in Spain and had been a soldier
and administrator.
• He consolidated Roman rule through his travels
around the Empire.
• He is probably best known for building Hadrian's
Wall in northern England to prevent the Picts from
invading England.
• Hadrian was also responsible for rebuilding the
Pantheon.
Hadrian’s Masterpiece: The
Pantheon
Hadrian’s Masterpiece: The
Pantheon
• The Pantheon is a circular temple, built in 25 33 BC by Agrippa, and totally rebuilt in about
AD 126 - 128.
• It is one of the most architecturally influential
buildings in the western world.
• Its impressive dome was the inspiration for
the Capitol building in Washington, DC.
The Pantheon Part II
• A person passes though huge antique bronze
doors to enter into a space 43.2 m wide and
tall.
• The ceiling has sunken panels.
• A circular opening 8.3 m across illuminates the
Pantheon.
• The Pantheon has survived because it was
converted into a church in the seventh
century.
Buildings and Public Works in the
Empire
• To be classified as a civilization, the majority of
the society must speak the same language, be
subject to the same laws and principles of
government, and worship the same gods.
• Also, a society should be centred in a city or
urban development
Thermae (Baths)
• During Roman times,
bathing was a social
activity.
• Large public bathhouses
were built for relaxation
by the rich and the
poor.
Thermae Part II
• Bathhouses were generally divided into men's and women's
sections.
• For a small fee, a patron could enter a change room and strip
naked.
• After that, the person could enter the frigidarium to take a cold
plunge.
• Then the person would proceed to the tepidarium before entering
the caldarium (hot room).
• A patron could also go the laconicum (sweat room) or the palestra
(exercise room).
• Some baths also had shops.
• Patrons could also mingle with the opposite sex in the piscina
(swimming pool) or exercise in the gymnasium.
• The baths were heated from below by a fire called a hypocaust
Aqueducts and Water Supply
Aqueducts and Water Supply
• The Romans were the greatest inventors of
technology until the Industrial Revolution.
• Aqueducts provided clean water to Roman
settlements all over the Roman Empire from
Rome to Britain.
• A water source was located on a hillside
where the flow was fairly constant and its
height was such that the water could be fed
some distance by gravity alone.
Aqueducts Part II
• First, a source was normally pooled into a settling
tank, where the flow of water could be regulated
at the intake.
• Second, a channel lined with water proof mortar
and covered to prevent contamination or a
sudden increase due to a rain storm was directed
from the source to the outlet around the
contours of a hill.
• Romans had running water in their homes.
Theatres
• The first stone theatre in Rome was built in 55
BCE by Pompey the Great
• A typical theatre was semicircular with an
orchestra in the front and a backdrop.
• Behind the backdrop would be changing
rooms and property storage.
Amphitheatres
• The first amphitheatre was built in 29
BCE, and it was devoted to public
entertainment.
• The Colosseum in Rome had 80
entrances, four seating areas, and
could hold 50 000 spectators.
• Gladiator fighting and convicted
criminals were killed in the arena.
Gladiators
• Pairs of gladiators
fought each other for
public amusement.
• There were formal rules
for this fight to the
death.
• The crowd of spectators
decided if the gladiators
lived or died.
Circus
• A circus was a long race-track with starting
gates at one end, a central wall around which
chariots raced, and turning-posts at either end
of the wall.
• Chariot racing was popular because people of
either sex could sit together.
– Chariot racers were divided into four teams Greens, Whites, Blues, and Reds.
– Charioteers also had to perform tricks while
racing.
Circus Part II
• The Circus Maximus
at Rome was 6 by 2
football fields and
could hold 200 000
spectators.
The Private House: Pompeii and
Herculaneum
• The best preserved private Roman houses are
in Pompeii
• On 24 August 79 CE, Vesuvius erupted
• Herculaneum was covered by mud, but
Vesuvius was covered by volcanic ash
• Pompeii was rediscovered in 1748 but
excavations began in 1861
The Private House Part II
• Vestibulum – long, deep entrance
• Atrium – a rectangular area surrounded by a sloping
roof along the sides and open to the sky in the centre
• Usually small rooms on the sides of the atrium –
bedrooms (cubicula)
• End of the atrium was a reception area (tablinum)
• Garden was open to the elements
The Private House Part III
• The poor and ordinary people lived in
apartments called insula
• Could be up to 5 storeys high
• No private bathroom and very little light at
night
• Constant danger of fire because structure
made of wood
• Running water only on the first floor
Beliefs
• By the middle of the second century CE, the
Roman Empire had reached its greatest
expanse
• There were many different religions and
beliefs in the empire
The Cult of Isis
• This religion based on the worshipping of the
Egyptian goddess, Isis was very popular,
especially in Pompeii and Rome.
• Her worship was widespread, but it was
overwhelmed after the official introduction of
Christianity as the official religion of the
Empire.
Mithraism
• The worship of the Iranian deity, Mithras, was
especially popular with soldiers and
merchants in the fourth century.
• There was a belief in personal immortality,
and while many ceremonies were similar with
Christianity, they did believe in ritual sacrifice
Christianity
• Christianity has its basis in Judaism.
• Judaism's holy book - the Torah - was written
under supervision of Yahweh - God.
• The basic law - Ten Commandments - are
believed to be have been written on two stone
tablets by God and given to Moses.
Christianity Part II
• Around 30 CE, Jesus Christ began to teach that
the prophecies of the Torah were to be fulfilled
now.
• Jesus' followers believed him to be the Son of
God - the Messiah - and that the Kingdom of God
was happening then.
• Jesus performed many miracles and also forgave
sins.
• Jesus would forgive your sins if you accepted him
as God's sole agent.
Christianity Part III
• The leaders of the formal Jewish religion were
not so accepting of Jesus because they
believed only God could forgive sins.
• They also refused to believe that Jesus was
the Messiah.
Christianity Part IV
• When Jesus and his 12 followers (apostles) arrived in
Jerusalem, Jesus was arrested and tried by Pontius
Pilate, the Roman financial officer.
• Jesus was crucified because he refused to deny that
he was "King of the Jews," a direct challenge to
Roman imperial power.
• Christians believe that Christ became alive again,
three days after his death.
• After his resurrection, he ascended to heaven.
Christianity Part V
• The unexpected conversion of the main
opponent of the dissidents, Paul, led
eventually to the demise of the old pagan
gods and the growth of the new faith. Paul
converted in CE 36.
Christianity Part VI
• In the twenty years after Jesus' death, his
teaching became a separate religion from
Judaism.
• Former worshippers of pagan gods were
allowed admission into the faith without the
accompanying rituals.
• Everyone had an equal opportunity for
salvation and a better life in heaven.
Christianity Part VII
• Most emperors had a tolerance for this new
Christian religion, however, Nero was a huge
exception.
• He burned Christians alive because he blamed
them for the great fire in Rome
The Spread of Christianity
• Christianity was popular for a number of reasons,
including the promise of life after death, the sense of
equality all followers had, and the morality of
converts.
– Christian converts were intent on behaving morally
towards all people.
– Christians also organized their religion into a defined
bureaucratic structure.
– Thirdly, the Christian religion had all its religious writing
written down.
– All other religions did not have all three of these
characteristics.
Biography: Tacitus: Roman
Historian
• Was born around 55 CE and his father was the financial
administrator for the province of Gallia Belgica
• Was elected Praetor for 88 CE and governed a province
from 89-93 CE
• Was consul in 97 CE
• Was governor of Asia 113 CE
• Died 117 CE
• Wrote the Histories and the Annals
• Believed that a historian’s job was to get as close to
objective truth as possible
The Jewish Diaspora
• Began in 586 BCE when Nebuchadnezzar
captured the inhabitants of Jerusalem and
sent them into exile
• Most important city became Alexandria,
though there were Jewish communities in
most European and Mediterranean cities
• Rome had 11 synagogues
• Spoke Greek but maintained the religious
practices of the Jews in Jerusalem
The Jewish Diaspora Part II
• Spoke Greek but maintained the religious
practices of the Jews in Jerusalem
– Observance of the Sabbath
– Male circumcision
– Avoidance of all non-kosher foods
The Jewish Diaspora Part III
• Until 70 CE all Jewish men also paid a tax to
the Temple in Jerusalem
– After the destruction of the Temple, the tax was
extended to all Jews, including women and
children, and paid to the new resident of the
Temple, Jupiter Capitolinus
– Was just 2 drachmas  implicit recognition of the
Jewish community by the Roman state
The Jewish Diaspora Part IV
• After the Roman conquest of Alexandria, the
Jewish population was excluded
• When a grandson of Herod the Great visited
Alexandria, synagogues were set on fire, shops
were looted, and Jews were confined to a
ghetto
The Empire at Its Height
Pax Romana
• In the ancient world there was no system of
nation states
• A sense of community came from belonging to
a certain culture
• The provinces were secure and interconnected
by a network of well-maintained roads and
trade routes
• Everywhere had a remarkably uniform air of
Romanity
Daily Life: Education and Status
• For the elite citizen, the laws did not change
much during the Empire
• Education of children remained firmly based
on rhetoric and the study of earlier Greek and
Latin scholars
• Had a distain for manual labour  reason why
architects and artists would remain
anonymous
• The use of public bathing facilities increased
The Role of Women
• Women’s major function was to produce
legitimate male heirs who could inherit the
family estate
• Wealthy women built major buildings
• A few became empresses like Julia Domna
who was the wife of Septimius Severus and
supported her son Geta in his bid to become
emperor
– Was given the title “Mother of the Senate and of
the Fatherland”
The Role of Women Part II
• Roman society was never egalitarian
• Poor people had no access to formal education
• The honestiores (senators, magistrates, soldiers, and
veterans) were legally protected
– If they suffered some crime or injustice, the degree of
outrage varied according to a person’s status
– If was found guilty of a crime, punishment was more
lenient and designed not to humiliate
– The ordinary people (humiliores) were subject to torture,
death, or enslavement
Roman and Native Law
• Mixture of Roman and native law and
traditions
• Jews were still recognized as a discrete people
with their own laws and traditions
• Greek justice system still continued
• Spanish traditions still were upheld
• Were still expected to know the basic
producers of Roman law
Citizenship
• Emperors used citizenship for:
– Reward for loyalty in time of crisis
– Services rendered
– Demonstration of imperial favour
– Claudius gave Roman citizenship to the non-Roman
soldiers in the auxiliary cohorts and to their wives and
children
– Caracalla extended citizenship to all free Roman men
– The emperor need not be of Roman birth
Slavery
• Slaves were used in the Roman Empire in almost
every aspect of human activity.
• Slaves were trained as gladiators, and were also used
in construction projects.
• Educated slaves were used in business, for teaching,
or grooming.
• Public slaves were used as executioners or to clear
out the dead from the Colosseum.
• Torture of slaves was a common method to find out
information about their masters.
•
Slavery Part II
• Private slaves had a social order.
• The lowest slave worked outside on estates
not in Rome.
• The highest were inside slaves in Roman
homes.
• With the spread of the Roman peace, there
were fewer new slaves, which lead to slaves
becoming more expensive, and thus treated
better.
Slavery Part III
• Slaves could never own property and were not
legally considered people.
• A slave couple could form a legally recognized
contubernium (shacking up) which their
owner could not dissolve by selling one of the
partners independently of the other.
Slavery Part IV
• Manumission occurred when a slave bought
his/her freedom or was released by the terms
of a deceased owner's will.
• Once freed, the slaves were tied to his or her
former owner for the rest of that person's life
as a libertus (freedman).
Trade and Commerce
• Trading and commerce came into its own
during the peace of the Empire.
• Trading took place as far as China, India, and
Britain.
• The most widely traded items were wine and
olive oil.
• Amphorae, or clay containers, have been
found in the Thames River in London, England.
Coinage
• Before 290 BC, bronze coins began to replace
bartering.
• The stereotypical Republican coin had the head of
Janus on one side and the prow of a ship on the
other side.
• The worth of the coins was their face value.
• At the time of the Punic Wars, the silver denarius
was introduced, valued at 10 asses (1 as being
the worth of the previous bronze coins).
Coinage Part II
• Aurei were gold coins worth 20 - 60 asses.
• Money was produced under the authority of
the Senate.
• Augustus devalued coins -- a silver denarius
was not really worth a denarius of silver.
• This practice was carried on until the end of
the Western Empire.
• The Barbarian kings imitated this practice
The Beginning of the End
The Empire from Antoninus Pius to
Diocletian
• From the later half of the second century CE
and much of the early third century, the
Roman world was secure and free from threat
• Antoninus Pius (138-161 CE) was a respected
successor to Hadrian
• Marcus Aurelius (161-180 CE) was much
admired
• Commodus (180-193 CE) saw himself as a new
Hercules
The Empire from Antoninus Pius to
Diocletian Part II
• Septimius Severus (193-211 CE) was the first
emperor from Africa
• Caracalla (188-217 CE) gave citizenship to all
free Roman males in 212 CE
• There were eleven more emperors before
Diocletian who was promoted to Emperor by
the Praetorian Guard in 284 CE
Diocletian’s Reforms of the Army
and the Senate
• In 293 CE, Diocletian divided the empire in
two.
• There would now be two senior emperors Augusti - and two junior assistants - Caesares.
• Eventually, the Western Empire would die, but
the Eastern Empire lasted until 1204 CE in the
form of the Byzantium Empire.
Diocletian’s Reforms Part II
• Diocletian reformed the military
– Standing armies would be spread along the
borders
– Mobile armies would be distributed throughout
the provinces
– Calvary (horse) units were important as infantry
(foot) units
– An increase in the recruitment of Germanic
immigrants
Diocletian’s Reforms Part III
• Diocletian could not overcome inflation, even
with his Edict in 301 CE establishing maximum
prices and wages.
• Shortly after he first arrived in Rome in 303 CE,
he had a stroke.
• He, along with his partner, Maximian, abdicated
on 1 May 305 CE and lived out his days in Split,
Yugoslavia.
• Diocletian remained loyal to the Roman gods
and treated Christians harshly.
Diocletian’s Reforms Part IV
• The emperor Decius (249 – 251 CE) blamed all
the bad things that were happening in Rome
on the spread of Christianity and the rejection
of old pagan gods.
• He demanded that all citizens make sacrifices
to the Roman gods, and those who refused
were executed.
Diocletian’s Reforms Part V
• During the reign of Diocletian, he had the holy
writings (scriptures) burned and churches
destroyed.
• If a person didn't sacrifice to Diocletian,
he/she was executed.
• Many people preferred death to rejection
their faith.
• These people were known as martyrs
Constantine the Great
• Constantine (306 – 337 CE) succeeded Diocletian.
• After he beat his opponent Maxentius at the Battle
of the Milvian Bridge outside Rome in 312 CE, he
attributed his victory to the Christian God, which
paved the way for his conversion to Christianity.
• His Edict of 313 CE promoted toleration of
Christianity.
• Constantine was confused about the nature of the
Christian religion because prior to his conversion, he
had worshipped the Unconquered Sun, which he
blended with Judaism.
Constantinople
• Constantine favoured Christian communities
everywhere.
• Constantine established Constantinople as the
major seat of government.
• The idea of Rome was transformed subtly into
a concept of nationhood under God.
Constantinople was officially known as "New
Rome" and was given equal constitutional
authority as Rome in 359 CE.
The End of the West
• The Roman Empire came to an end when
Barbarians from the north began to invade
Rome.
• After Constantine died in 337 CE, the Empires
were riddled with internal intrigue and plots.
• Beyond the borders of the Empire, there were
great movements of peoples and a great
disturbance among the nomadic and more
settled tribes.
The End of the West Part II
• The Visigoths and Ostrogoths took over land that
had previously been taken by the Romans - Dacia.
• Then the Huns from the Hungarian steppes swooped
down on their horses and displaced the Alans and
the Goths.
• Rome tried to defend the empire, but the military
actions were grossly mismanaged.
• In 378 CE, the eastern Augustus Valens was killed at
the Battle of Adrianople.
• Theodosius (379 – 395 CE) replaced him.
Theodosius the Great
• Theodosius ruled with restrain and wisdom,
and was able to deal effectively with the
Barbarian menace, even employing Visigoths
as mercenary soldiers.
• Theodosius was a devout Christian and in 391
CE put a ban on all pagan worship and ordered
the temples closed.
• In 393 CE, he abolished the Olympic Games as
they were a pagan festival.
The Visigoths
• When Theodosius died in AD 395, his sons took over
the empire
– Arcadius (AD 395 - 408) in the east
– Honorius (AD 395 - 423) in the west
• At the same time, Alaric was elected the new
Visigoth leader.
• Alaric was persuaded to attack the western empire
because Honorius was too young to rule on his own
and was being advised by Stilicho, a Vandal by birth,
but thoroughly Romanized
The Visigoths Part II
• With the help of the Alans, whom he let settle to the
north of Italy, Stilicho defeated the Visigoths.
• However, he was forced to ask for help from the
Visigoths when Rome was experiencing famine.
• Because of this, Stilicho was declared an enemy and
was beheaded.
• Alaric agreed to help Rome for a huge sum of money.
• When Alaric realized the money was not coming, he
attacked Rome and captured it in August 410 CE.
The Visigoths Part III
• After the sacking of Rome and the death of Alaric,
the Visigoths settled in Spain, Portugal, and France.
• They shared power over the land with the Romans
and used their own law system.
• Rome continued using it own justice system.
The Huns
• The Alans, defeated by the Visigoths, joined forced
with the Vandals and settled around Carthage.
• At the same time, the Saxons and Franks had
invaded the British provinces and the Alamanni had
taken land south of the Rhine River.
• In 451 CE, the Huns, made their first advance into
Roman territory at France.
– In 452 CE, the Huns, under Attila, invaded Italy, and while
they did not capture Rome, they did leave great
destruction.
The Final Years
• The Western Roman empire continued to
survive for a while
• Ended in 476 CE when the general Odoacer
deposed the ineffective Romulus Augustulus
– Odoacer’s reign was only 17 years when he was
replaced at Ravenna in 493 BC by Theoderic the
Great
• Theoderic ruled as the first Gothic king of Italy until 526
CE
History Continues to Unfold
• Why did the Western Roman Empire collapse?
– Overwhelming pressures placed on the frontiers
by the Germanic people
– Crippling inflation (600%)
– Diocletian’s edict on prices caused the economy to
go underground
– Slavery led to technological stagnation
– Abolition of the old Roman gods eroded the
people’s belief in the supremacy of Rome