Fall of Rome

FALL OF ROMAN EMPIRE

Third century AD, Rome faced many problems Came from within and from the outsideMarcus Aurelius – He marked the end of Pax Romana (180 AD)

ECONOMYTrade became disrupted – tribes invadedRome reached their limit of expansion so could not depend on more gold and silver Economy suffered from inflation – prices rose, value of money droppedSoil lost its fertility – led to food shortagesDisease

MILITARY AND POLITICALMilitary in disarray Roman soldiers gave allegiance to their commanders, not RomeRoman Empire hired mercenaries – foreign soldiers who fought for money. Paid less than Roman soldiersCitizens also lost loyaltyWith 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 ADRestored back to one ruler againMoved the capital city from Rome to Byzantium

CONSTANTINE

City took on a new name of ConstantinopleAfter 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