The Fall of Rome
Lead Pipes
• The aqueducts used lead pipes
• Many people died of lead poisoning
• The loss of population added to the fall
Bread and Games
• Giving bread and entertainment to keep the poor from revolting
• This got expensive for the roman empire
Visigoths
• The Germanic tribe that threatened the roman Empire
• They ended up taking over parts of the empire particularly Spain
On the Dole
• Rome’s version of welfare• This got expensive for the
Roman empire
Latifundia
• Large estates owned by the roman aristocracy
• Grew olives and grapes (luxury crops)
• Slaves or peasants ran these estates
Christianity
• Not the direct cause of the Roman Decline
• Changed roman lifestyles to be “more holy”
• Changed their beliefs in their gods—changed ceremonies
• Their “pagan” ceremonies and rituals were the “glue” that held the empire together
The Army
• The army became weak• The army made or broke
the emperors—they had too much power
• They eventually started to fight with themselves
Western Roman Empire
• The roman empire split• Each empire had a
different • The split divided the
power and weakened the empire
Eastern Roman Empire
• The are also known as the Byzantine Empire
• Once they split the Byzantine Empire came to power
• Eventually the Byzantines took over Europe
Justinian Code
• Did not actually lead to the fall of Rome
• Actually from the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Rome)
• So well written they were the used during the middle ages
• Bases for many modern laws
Disease
• Since trade was so big, many foreign diseases were passed
• Many diseases came from China and the Middle East
• Foreign diseases killed over ¼ of the population
The Han Chinese
• The Han wanted Rome to pay for them in gold
• Hans refused to buy roman exports
• No money from the exports added to the financial problems
Slavery
• The slaves often revolted• 1 out of every 3 people was
a slave• So many slaves meant
normal people didn’t work—bad for economy
• Created mobs of unemployed citizen upset the empire
