Download Chapter 6 Section 4 Notes

Chapter 6 Section 4
Notes
CHAPTER
6
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Ancient Rome and Early
Christianity, 500 B.C. – A.D. 500
Time Line
509 B.C. Rome becomes a
republic.
218 B.C. In the Second
Punic War,
Hannibal invades
Italy.
A.D.
284 Diocletian, who will
divide the Roman
Empire, becomes
emperor.
500 B.C.
A.D.
264 B.C. The First Punic
War with
Carthage begins.
44 B.C. Conspirators
kill Julius
Caesar.
A.D.
500
476 Western Roman
Empire falls with
the ouster of the last
emperor, Romulus
Augustulus.
I. A Century of
Crises
A. Rome’s
Economy Declines
1. Gold and Silver
began to slow from
conquered areas
2. There was not
enough grain for all
peoples
3. Hostile tribes and
pirates began to
disrupt trade
4. Wars and large
amounts of soldiers
began to strain the
treasury
5. The rich began to
spend money on
luxury
6. Government
begins to raise taxes
7. Inflation began
a. Drop in value of
money and rise in
prices of goods
B. Rome Faces
Military Upheaval
1. Germanic tribes
began to attack the
borders
2. Persia became a
threat in Syria and
Anatolia
3. Discipline and
loyalty to Rome
began to fade to
commanders in
army
C. Roman Politics
Decay
1. Loyalty was a
problem
2. Patriotism faded
3. People didn’t care
about the Empires
fate
4. Local officials
had to pay more and
more out of their
own pockets
a. Fewer people
chose to serve in the
government
5. Time period
between 235 and
284 there were 25
emperors that died
violently
II. Emperors
Attempt Reform (
Two Despots )
A. 284 Diocletian
1. Restored order by
increasing size of
army
2. Limited personal
freedoms
3. Drafted prisoners
of war and hired
German
mercenaries
4. Fixed prices on
goods
5. Ordered people to
stay in their jobs for
life
6. Persecuted
Christians
7. Divided the
Empire into two
parts
a. Eastern Roman
Empire (Byzantine
Empire)
1. Wealthier
2. Capitol at
Byzantium
b. Western Roman
Empire (Holy
Roman Empire)
1. Co ruler general
Mazimian
B. Constantine
Moves the Capitol
1. Renames the
capitol in the east
from Byzantium to
Constantinople
2. Declares
Christianity the
official religion of
the Eastern Empire
in 313
III. Invaders
Overrun the Western
Empire
A. Since time of
Julius Caesar
Germanic tribes
were north of the
Danube River
B. By 376 to 476
large numbers
threatened the
borders
C. Germanic Tribes
included
1. Ostrogoths,
Visigoths, Franks,
Angles, Saxons,
Burgundians,
Vandals and others
D. Huns were fierce
Mongol nomads that
forced the Germans
into the Roman
Empire
1. Attila the Hun
was their fierce
leader
2. He was finally
defeated in 451 by a
combined army of
Romans and Germans
at the Battle of
Chalon, Gaul
E. Rome’s last Latin
ruler was 14 year
old Romulus
Augustulus
F. Romulus was
defeated by the German
King Odoacer in
476A.D. the date given
as the Fall of the Roman
Empire