Ch 6 Sec 5 PPT

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Ch 6 Sec 5 ² The Long Decline

I. Crisis and Reforms

A. Struggles for Power ± (After the Pax Romana)

1. Emperors were overthrown by people who seized

power with the support of their troops

2. In one 50-year period, at least 26 emperors reigned

3. Political violence and instability became the ruleB. Economic and Social Problems

1. High taxes to support the army and the bureaucracy

placed heavy burdens on business people and small

farmers

2. Many poor farmers lost their land and sought protectionfrom wealthy landowners

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C. Emperor Diocletian

1. In 284 AD, he set out to restore order

2. He divided the empire into 2 partsa.) He ruled the wealthier eastern part himself

b.) He appointed a co-emperor to rule the

western provinces

3. He also took steps to end the empire¶s economic

decaya.) To slow inflation (rapid rise of prices), he

fixed prices for goods & services

b.) In cities, sons were required to follow their

father¶s profession

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y D. Emperor Constantine

1. He continued Diocletian¶s reforms

2. By granting toleration to Christians, he

encouraged the rapid growth of Christianity

within the empire and guaranteed its future

success

3. He built a new capital, Constantinople, onthe strait that connects the Black and

Mediterranean seas

y A.) He made the eastern portion of the empire the

center power

y E. Mixed Results

1. The reforms of Diocletian and Constantine

revived the economy but the reforms failed to

stop the long-term decline

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II. Foreign Invasions

y A. Impact of the Huns 1. The Huns, a nomadic people, migrated across

Central Asia

2. They fought fierce battles to dislodge the Germanic

peoples in their pathy A.) The Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and other peoples crossed into

Roman territory seeking safety

3. Men armed with spears moved in bands along with

women and children, carts, and herds, hoping to settle

on Roman land

4. Under pressure from the attacks they surrendered

Britain, France, and Spain

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B. Rome Defeated

1. When a Roman army tried to turn back the Visigoths, it

suffered a stunning defeat and Roman power was fading2. In 410, the Visigoth general Alaric overran Italy and

plundered Rome

3. Attila, the leader of the Huns, embarked on a savage

campaign of conquest across much of Europe

a.) Christians called him the ³scourge of God´ becausethey believed his attacks were a punishment for the sins

of humankind

4. In 476, Odoacer a Germanic leader, ousted the emperor

in Romea.) Historians referred to that event as the ³fall´ of

Rome

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III. Causes of the Fall of Rome

y A. Military Causes

1. The attacks on Rome were successful partlybecause the Roman legions lacked the discipline and

training of past Roman armies

2. Rome hired mercenaries ± foreign soldiers serving

for pay to defend its borders

y B. Political Causes

1. As the government became more oppressive and

authoritarian, it lost the support of the people

2. Growing numbers of corrupt officials undermined

loyalty

3. There were frequent civil wars over succession to

the throne

4. Dividing the empire at a time when it was under

attack may have weakened it beyond repair

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y C. Economic Causes

1. Heavier and heavier taxes were required to

support the vast government and military

2. The wealth of the empire dwindled as farmers

abandoned their lands and the middle classes

sank into poverty

y D. Social Causes

1. Worried Romans pointed to the decline in

values such as patriotism, discipline, and

devotion to duty on which the empire was built

2. The upper class devoted itself to luxury and

self interest

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y E. Did Rome Fall?

1. The Roman empire did not just disappear from

the map in 476

2. An emperor still ruled the eastern Roman

empire, which later became known as the

Byzantine empire and lasted for 1,000 years

3. The phrase ³the fall of Rome´ is shorthand for

a long, slow, change from one way of life toanother

4. Over the next centuries, German customs and

languages replaced much of Roman culture

5. Old Roman cities crumbled, and Roman roadsdisappeared

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