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