Fall of Rome
FALL OF ROMAN EMPIRE
Third century AD,
Rome faced many
problems
Came from within
and from the outside
Marcus Aurelius – He
marked the end of Pax
Romana (180 AD)
ECONOMYTrade became disrupted – tribes
invaded
Rome reached their limit of expansion
so could not depend on more gold and
silver
Economy suffered from inflation –
prices rose, value of money dropped
Soil lost its fertility – led to food
shortages
Disease
MILITARY AND POLITICAL
Military in disarray
Roman soldiers gave allegiance to
their commanders, not Rome
Roman Empire hired mercenaries –
foreign soldiers who fought for money.
Paid less than Roman soldiers
Citizens also lost loyalty
With everything happening, they just
didn’t care
Diocletian• Became emperor 284 AD• Strict ruler/reforms – limited freedoms• Restored order • Doubled the army• Believed the empire had grown too big
• Divided empire into East (Greek) and West (Latin)
• He keeps overall control, but shares power in West• He rules the East • Became ill – civil war broke out
CONSTANTINE
Takes over in 312 AD
Restored back to one
ruler again
Moved the capital city
from Rome to Byzantium
CONSTANTINE
City took on a new name of
Constantinople
After his death, empire divided again!• East survived• West fell
W E S T E R N E M P I R E C R U M B L E S
370 AD – invaded by Mongol nomads from N Asia – HunsGermans attacked from the North
WESTERN EMPIRE CRUMBLES
Attila the Hun• United the Huns• 100,000 soldiers• Terrorizes both East/West Empires• 70 cities plundered in East -- Constantinople survives• Advanced on Rome in 452 AD
• Didn’t conquer – Famine - Disease
EASTERN EMPIRE REMAINSFinal emperor – Romulus Augustulus (14)
West is completely gone, East is renamed -Byzantine Lasted 1000 yearsPreserved Greek and Roman Culture