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FalloftheRomanEmpireFalloftheRomanEmpire

• ThefalloftheRomanEmpirehasbeenromanticizedinhistoryforthelast1500years• Inourimaginationitwasasingleevent:

– ThebarbarianssackedRome– CivilizationcollapsedbringinganendtotheClassicalEra– TheDarkAgesbeganandwouldlastfor1000years

• Inreality,Romebeganasteadydeclinedatingbacktotheendofthe2ndcenturyCE• Thedeclineincreasedrapidlybythe5thcenturybutonlyinthewesternhalfoftheEmpire• Whenthe“barbarians”finallydefeatedthe(Western)RomanEmpireitwassimplythefinalblow

toastructurerottentoitscore• ThefalloftheRomanEmpirecanbeattributedtoanumberoffactorsincluding:

1. TheSplitoftheEmpireintoWestandEast2. Governmentcorruptionandpoliticalinstability3. Economicproblemsandoverrelianceonslavery4. Overexpansionandmilitaryexpenditures5. WeakeningoftheRomanLegions6. Christianityandthelossoftraditionalvalues7. Themigrationandinvasionof“barbarian”peoples

SplittingtheEmpire

• 293CE–EmperorDiocletiansplittheEmpireintoEastandWest• Afteraseriesofcivilwarsinthe3rdcenturyinwhichDiocletianemergedvictorious,hebelieved

thisdividewasnecessarytomaintainorder• ThisdividedcreatedahugedisadvantagefortheWestasthewealthoftheRomanEmpirelayin

theeast• TradewithotherwealthycivilizationssuchasPersia,India,andChinawouldflowintotheEastern

RomanEmpirebutnottheWest• ThoughEmperorswouldlaterattemptandsometimessucceedinrulingbothhalves(i.e.

ConstantinetheGreat)theEmpirewouldeffectivelyremaindividedGovernmentCorruptionandPoliticalInstability

• Romansnevercreatedaneffectivesystemforchoosinganewemperor• Politicalfavorswouldbegivenoutbythenewemperortothosewhohadgivenhimthetitle• Civilwarswereendemicinthe3rdand4thcenturiesbetweencompetingemperorsfurther

weakeningtheEmpire• ThePraetorianGuard(Emperor’spersonalbodyguard)wouldplayamajorroleinselectingthe

emperors

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• 193CE–thePraetorianguardstrangledtheemperorandinstalledanewone• OverthenextcenturyRomehad37emperors–25ofwhomwereassassinated• ThePraetorianGuardevensoldthethronetothehighestbidderonoccasion

EconomicProblems

Inflation• OnceRomestoppedconqueringnewlands,theflowofgoldintotheRomaneconomydecreased• Goldwasbeingspentforandusedinluxurygoods–lessgoldtouseincoins• Theamountofgoldpercoindecreased–thecoinsbecamelessvaluableUnemployment• Forcenturies,thewealthyusedslavesonlargefarmingestatescalledlatifundia• RegularRomanfarmerscouldnotcompetewithpricesandlostorsoldtheirfarms• TheyfloodedRomeandpoverty,alongwithcrime,skyrocketedSlavery• Rome’seconomywasbasedonslavelabortotillthefields,buildtheinfrastructure,andmine

resourcessuchasiron,silver,andgold• WhentheEmpirestoppedexpandingtherewasnolongerafreshinfluxofconqueredpeoplesto

enslaveOverexpansionandMilitaryExpenditure

• RomeexpandedrapidlyinthefirstandsecondcenturiesCE–stretchingfromtheAtlanticOceantothePersianGulf

• Incrediblydifficulttoadministeranddefend• Romestruggledtomaintainenoughtroopsandresourcestoquelllocalrebellionsanddefend

againstoutsideattacks• The4thand5thcenturiessawnewpeoplesfromoutsidetheEmpireinvadingandmigratinginto

theRomanworld• Militaryspendingincreasedleavinglittleforpublicworkssuchasroad,bridge,andaqueduct

repairWeakeningoftheRomanArmy

• RomeoweditspowertoitsmilitaryandtheRomanlegionnairewhowastheheartandsoulofthatmilitarymachine

• TheRomansoldierwasacitizenwhohadastakeindefendingandexpandingtheEmpire• AstheEmpirebecameincreasinglycorruptwiththerichgettingrichertherewerenotenough

regularRomancitizenstofillthearmy• ForeignmercenarieswereneededtohelpdefendtheEmpire–unprofessional,unreliable,and

veryexpensive• Bythe5thcenturytheRomanarmywasashadowofitsformergloryandincapableofdefending

againsttheinvadingandmigrating“barbarians”Christianity

• 313CE–theEdictofMilanlegalizedChristianity• 380CE–Christianitybecamethestatereligion• ChristianitydisplacedthepolytheisticRomanreligionwhichviewedtheemperorashavingdivine

status• Shiftedfocusawayfromthegloryofthestateandontoasoledeity

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• Bishopsandotherchurchleaderstookanincreasedroleinpoliticalaffairs,furthercomplicatinggovernance

• ChristianityasacontributingfactortothefallofRomeremainscontroversial• SomehistoriansseethenewreligionasfundamentallychangingtheculturalfabricofRome

– War,strength,conquest(Mars) replacedwith

– Love,forgiveness,charity(Christ)• OthersargueChristianity'sinfluencepalesincomparisontootherfactorssuchasmilitary,

economic,andadministrative“Barbarian”Invasions

• Barbarian–atermusedtodescribeanyoneoranygroupthatwasnotGreco-Roman• Beginninginthe4thcenturyandincreasinginthe5thcentury,manyGermanicgroupsbegan

migratingintoRomanterritories• Thereareanumberofpossibilitiesforthismigrationincludingclimatechange,population

increases,andmigrations/invasionsofothergroupsfurthereastsuchastheHuns• TheRomanmilitarywasincapableofstoppingthismovementofpeople• Attimes,Romewouldhiresomeofthesegroupstodefendagainstothergroups• RomecouldhavestrengtheneditselfbyincorporatingthesepeoplesintotheEmpire• Instead,Romanxenophobiaandcrueltykeptthesenewpeoplesoppressedforcingthemtofight• ThreebarbariangeneralswouldplaymajorrolesinthefalloftheWesternRomanEmpire

• AlarictheGoth• AttilatheHun• OdoacerI

TheGoths

• TheGothswereaGermanictribewhoseoriginsareunclear– SomeaccountshavethemmigratingfromScandinavia,othersfromnorthoftheBlackSea

• ItisbelievedtheywerethefirstGermanictribetoconverttoChristianity• TheRomanhistorianPlinytheElderwroteofthemin75CE• TheywerelaterdefinedbytheRomansasVisigoths(WesternGoths)andOstrogoths(Eastern

Goths)• 378CE-TheBattleofAdrianople–TheRomansweredefeatedandEmperorValenswaskilledby

theVisigoths–theRomanArmywouldneverrecoverAlaricI

• AlaricwasageneralandthenkingoftheVisigothsfrom395-410CE• TheGothshadmovedintoRomanlandsfromtheeast,pushedbyothertribes• TheyhadfoughtforandagainsttheRomansastheytriedtofindanewhomewithinthebordersof

theEmpire• ManyGothswouldfightassoldiersintheRomanArmyandsomewouldsettleinRomantowns

andcities• ThemajorityoftheGothsremainedwithAlaricinmakeshiftvillagesandcampsconstantlyonthe

movebutfeelingsafeamongsttheirownpeople• Growinghatredandracismtowards“barbarians’amongstRomancitizensledtotwoeventsthat

wouldprovoketheGothsintoaction:• ThearrestandexecutionoftheRomanGeneralStilichowhohadpromisedlandtoAlaricin

exchangeforhelpingdefendtheEmpire

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• ThemassacreoftensofthousandsofwivesandchildrenoftheGothsservingintheRomanmilitarybytheRomanpopulation

• 30,000GothicsoldiersdefectedfromtheRomanmilitaryandjoinedAlaric• AlaricwouldlaysiegetoRome

• DidnotintendtotakeitbutinsteadwantedtoforcetheRomanstokeeptheirpromise• RomewasnolongerthecapitaloftheWesternRomanEmpireasitwasovercrowdedanddirty–

thenewcapitalwasRavenna• ThecitywasstillanimportantsymboltotheRomanpeople• TheRomansdelayedandmademorepromisesonlytobreakthem• August24,410CE–AlaricenteredRomeandtheGothswouldsackthecityoverthreedays• Romewouldneverrecoverfromthepsychologicaldamage

TheGoths

Itshouldhavebeendifferent• TheGothscouldhavehelpedsaveRome• AlarichadnotwantedtofightRome,hehadwantedhispeopletosettleinandbecomepartofthe

Empire• Racismtowards“barbarians”ledtohorriblesufferingfortheGoths• AlaricforcedRometoitskneesbecausehehadnootheroption• HistoricalaccountssaythatAlaricmadesuretheGothstreatedtheinhabitantsofRomehumanely

astheyplunderedRome’streasuresTheHuns

• TheHunswereanomadictribewhoseoriginsandevenappearanceremainamystery• Theywereexperthorsemen,seemingtobeonewiththeirsteeds,rarelyseendismounted• Theyarethoughttoberesponsiblefor“TheGreatMigration”asvariousgroupsmovedwestinto

Romanterritorytoescapetheirbrutality:IncludedGoths,Alans,VandalsAttilatheHun

• RuledtheHunsfrom434untilhisdeathin453CE• BeforeAttila’stimetheHunshadmovedwestfromcentralAsiaandenteredRomanterritory• TheRomansandtheGermanictribeswerecompletelyunpreparedfortheHunstyleofwarfare–

themountedarcher• TheEmpirewasforcedtopayhundredsofpoundsofgoldayeartotheHunstostopthemfrom

destroyingRomantownsandvillages• 451CE-AcombinedRomanandVisigotharmywouldbarelydefeatAttilaatOrleansinmodern-

dayFrance• 452CE-AttilamarchedonRome,devastatingmanyItaliantownsontheway• AccordingtolegendPopeLeowentouttoconfrontAttilaandconvincedtheHuntoturnbackwith

thefearofgod• Inreality,ItalywassufferingthroughafamineandtherewaslittlefoodtosupplytheHunnicarmy• Attiladiedathisweddingcelebrationthefollowingyear

Odoacer

• Germanicgeneralwholivedfrom433-493CE• OdoacerandhisarmywasthehiredmilitarymightbehindthelasttwoWesternRomanemperors

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• 476CE–Deposedthelastemperor,RomulusAugustulus(stillaboy)andmadehimselfkingoftheItalianPeninsula

• RomanpowerintheWestwasofficiallyoverand476isthetraditionaldategivenforthefalloftheWesternRomanEmpire

TheDarkAges

• TheWesternEmpirewouldnowberuledandfoughtoverbyGermanicwarlords• Roadsandbridgeswereleftindisrepair,fieldsleftuntilled• Citiescouldnotbemaintainedwithoutproducefromfarms,tradeandbusinessceased• Peopleleftthecitiesandreturnedtoanagrarianlifestyleinthecountry• TheDarkAgesinWesternEuropehadbegun

TheByzantiumEmpire

• TheEasternRomanEmpirewouldremainforanotherthousandyears• ThisEasternEmpirewasnotaworldthatJuliusorAugustusCaesarwouldhaverecognized• ItwasaChristianEmpirealmostfromitsbeginningwhenConstantineImovedtheRomancapital

toConstantinople• HeavyculturalinfluencesfromtheMiddleEastalongwithGreekbecomingthemainlanguage

wouldmaketheByzantiumEmpireaveryun-RomanworldJustinianTheGreat

• EasternRomanEmperor–527-564CE• SomehistoriansconsiderhimthelasttrueRomanemperor• LastemperorwhospokeLatinasafirstlanguage• AttemptedtoresurrecttheimperialpoweroftheRomanEmpire• WouldreconquerandbrieflyholdpartsoftheoldWesternEmpireincludingRomeandItaly• 541-542CE–thePlagueofJustinianwouldcrippletheByzantiumEmpire,devastatethearmy,

andcutshortJustinian’sreconquestoftheWest• AllofthegainsintheWestwouldbelostafterthedeathofJustinian• JustinianTheGreatwouldbemostfamousforhislawcode–theCodeofJustinian–whichwould

laytheframeworkforlawsthatwouldinfluencetheworldforcenturies