3:13- Fall of Rome intro video
Jul 11, 2015
3:13- Fall of Rome intro video
If you were there…. You were a former Roman soldier who has settled
on lands in Gaul. In the last few months, groups of foreigners have been raiding local towns and burning farms. The commander of the local army post is an old friend, but he says he is short of loyal soldiers. Many troops have been called back to Rome. You don’t know when the next raid will come.
How will you defend your lands?
Falling at the speed of a turtle
Rome’s decline was gradual and took several centuries to fall.
Factor #1: Economic Costs
Maintaining a military presence / protection of
land and trade
Resulted in continuously higher taxes
Taxes resulted in dissatisfied population
People lost their lands & moved to cities
Increased economic burden on city
government to take care of them
Resulted in more taxes increases to cover the
burden
Factor #2: Division of the Empire The Empire grew too big to control under one ruler.
Emperor Diocletian divided the Empire, ruling the eastern half and allowing a co-ruler to rule the western half.
Civil wars resulted in both sides of the empire
Division of the Empire
When Diocletian left power, Emperor Constantine reunited the empire for a short time.
He moved the capital to the east to modern day Turkey(remember Catal Hyuk), naming it Constantinople
Even with the city moved from Rome, it was still called the Roman Empire
Factor #3: Wealth Led to Decline in Traditional Values
As Rome grew richer and larger, the people’s morals decayed and their was corruption among the citizens that cause the empire to weaken from within.
Factor #4: External Threats
Continuous attacks from various groups such as the Vandals, Angles, Saxons, Huns, and Visigoths weakened the empire and led to the invasion of portions of the empire.
Read Textbook Page 341
Video 2:23- Factors -Fall of Rome
Note Quick Check1. How did the Romans deal with Goth
invaders?
2. What sequences of events led to the sack of Rome in 410 AD?
3. What factors weakened the Roman government?
After the Western Invasion Only the Western side of the Roman Empire fell to
the German invaders
The Eastern side continued on for another 1,000 years
The center of of the Byzantine Empire was the city of Constantinople (Eastern Roman Empire), originally called Byzantium by the Greeks
Known today as Istanbul
The Byzantine Empire
Became the greatest city in the western world after the fall of Rome.
Constantinople straddled the Bosporus Strait and was situated on two continents, Europe & Asia.
Its location was chosen because it was easy to defend there & served as the crossroads of international trade
Constantinople became the cultural center-preserving and spreading the accomplishments of both Greece & Rome throughout the world
Byzantine Empire Improvements
They supported the education of scholars (teachers) & government officials to better serve the people
Artists enhanced the Roman style of using marble for mosaics with brightly colored glass
Byzantine Emperor Justinian Justinian improved these
traditions in government & law
He simplified the complex Roman legal system to make it easier for common people to understand He order the removal of all
non-Christian or out-of-date laws
This codification is known as the Justinian Code
Christianity in the Byzantine Empire Justinian supported the Christian religion
Not only did he change the laws (Justinian Code) He removed pagan temples and statues as well
Christian churches were built and decorated throughout the empire, including the Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia- Church of the Beautiful Wisdom
The End of the Byzantines
After Justinian's death, the eastern empire continued to decline
Invaders first took over all the land Justinian had gained and the rest of the empire continued to shrink
By 1453 the Ottoman-Turks captured Constantinople, bringing an end to the Eastern Roan Empire