Download Agenda for Jan. 7th and 8th

Roman Empire
Reasons for the Decline of Rome
Objectives
•
The student will
• Essential Question:
demonstrate
– Why did the Western
Roman Empire
knowledge of ancient
decline?
Rome from about 700
B.C.E. to 500 C.E. in
terms of its impact on
Western civilization by
–
Citing the reasons for
the decline and fall of
the Western Roman
Empire
Reasons for the decline of the
Roman Empire
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Geographical
Political
Military
Economic
Social
Geographical
• The geographical size of
the Roman empire led to
difficulty in its defense
and administration
– Led to multiple invasions
and attacks at its borders
Political
• Political office was seen as a burden, not as a
reward
• Incompetent Emperors
– Weak administration
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The military interfered with politics
Civil war and unrest broke out
The empire was divided into East and West
The capital was moved from Rome to
Byzantium
Military
• There was a threat of invasion from
northern Germanic tribes
• Funds for defense were low
• Problems with recruiting Roman citizens
occurred, so they had to recruit non-Romans
– Called mercenaries
• Patriotism and loyalty among soldiers
declined
• Problem with Discipline
Economic
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Cost of maintaining huge army
Poor harvests
Disruption of trade
Lack of gold and silver
Inflation
– Devaluation of Roman currency
• The tax burden was crushing
• A widening gap between rich and poor,
with an increasing poverty in the West
Social
• There was a decline in interest of public
affairs
• Confidence in the empire was dropping
• Loyalty and patriotism was falling,
corruption was wide-spread
• A contrast between rich and poor
• Moral decay
– People’s loss of faith in Rome and the family
Roman Empire
Efforts at Reform
Diocletian’s Reforms
• Became emperor in 284 C.E.
• Doubled the size of the armies
• Hired German mercenaries
(foreign soldiers who fought
for money)
Diocletian’s Reforms
• Tried to control inflation by setting prices
for goods
• Froze jobs, no one could switch professions
• Passed laws to persecute the Christians
• Divided the empire into the Greek-speaking
East and the Latin-speaking West
Results of Diocletian’s Attempts
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Slowed the decline of the empire
Borders became safe again
The emperor’s prestige was restored
After he retired, civil war broke out and
four rivals competed for power
Constantine
• Took over in the
West in 312 C.E.
• Took over the
East in 324 C.E.
Constantine’s Reforms
• Moved the capital from Rome to the Greek
city of Byzantium
• Protected the city with massive walls and
filled it with imperial buildings like Rome
• Gave the city a new name, Constantinople
Results of Constantine’s Attempts
• Capital was now located on major East-West trade
routes
• The center of power in the empire shifted East
• After his death, the empire was divided again and
the East survived while the West fell
Roman Empire
Foreign Invasions
Foreign Invasions
• Wars in East Asia caused the Huns to
migrate across Central Asia. By 350 C.E.,
the Huns reached Eastern Europe.
• Germanic Tribes sought safety (escape from
the Huns) by crossing into Roman territory.
• Roman armies were unable to defend
themselves against the Germanic tribes.
Foreign Invasions
• In 434 C.E., Attila the Hun’s invasion of
Europe sent more Germanic tribes into Rome.
• In 476 C.E., Odoacer, a Germanic leader,
ousted the emperor in Rome.
How Roman Empire was divided
Capital
New capital became Byzantium
Split
Western Rome: capital Rome
Eastern Rome: capital Byzantium
Western Roman Empire
Destroyed and attacked by Barbarians
from Germanic tribes in 476 C.E.
Eastern Roman Empire
becomes the Byzantine Empire and
continues to thrive and flourish for
another 1000 years
Revisit Objectives
•
The student will
• Essential Question:
demonstrate
– Why did the Western
Roman Empire
knowledge of ancient
decline?
Rome from about 700
B.C.E. to 500 C.E. in
terms of its impact on
Western civilization by
–
Citing the reasons for
the decline and fall of
the Western Roman
Empire