Transcript Emperor Trajan - WordPress.com

The Break-up of the
Roman Empire
Group #3
• Nicolas
• Adrisha
• Amber
• Vanica
• Blanca
Emperor Trajan
In the 2nd century A.D.,
Emperor Trajan stretched
the kingdom’s territory to its
maximum size, it stretched
from Britain to Egypt, from
Spain to Iraq. Once the
kingdom expanded, securing
the frontier had become an
issue which future emperors
had to address.
The Imperial Crisis
The incapability of future
emperors caused
disaster in Rome.
The Imperial Crisis was
the time when there was
out-of-control inflation,
at least two-dozen
emperors ruled during
this time, accomplishing
nothing, and foreign
tribes kept attacking
Rome’s borders.
Emperor Diocletian
Just as things seemed
hopeless for Rome, in
November of 284 A.D.,
Roman General
Diocletian seized power
and ordered the Roman
Empire to be split into
two parts, the east and
the west sides.
Diocletian ruled the
east, while his colleague
Maximian ruled the
west.
Diocletian thought that the Roman Empire
had grown too big over the years to be
ruled by only one person. In 285 A.D., he
named Maximian as junior emperor while
himself being the senior emperor.
Quickly after, Diocletian promoted
Maximian to be his equal. They both held
the name of Augustus and ruled the split
Roman Empire side-by-side.
Diocletian chose the city of Nicomedia to be
his capital of his Eastern Roman Empire,
whereas Maximum picked Milan to be the
capital of his Western Roman Empire.
By 239 A. D., Diocletian decided to go a step
further and resolve the issue of succession.
Diocletian chose Galerius.
Resided at Sirmium (Serbia).
Maximian chose Constantius.
Resided at Trier (Germany).
Diocletian, Maximian, Galerius, and
Constantius ruled together. Diocletian called
this tetrarchy or “rule by four”.
• Tetrachy lasted for
almost a 100 years.
• Valentinian the second
was ruler of the
western empire.
• Theodosius was ruler
of the eastern empire.
• They were brother-inlaws.
• On May 15, 392 A.D.
Valentinian was found
dead in his palace.
Valentinian
Theodosius
• Arbogast, a powerful
Roman general was
accused of the wrongdoing.
• People got even more
suspicious when he
propped up Eugenius as
new emperor.
• Then Theodosius
declared wars against
them.
• Theodosius won and
became sole ruler of the
Roman Empire.
Arbogast
Eugenius
• A few months
later he got sick
and died.
• Then his 2 sons
took over.
• Honorius had the
east.
• Arcadius had the
west
• They never
reunited again.
Honorius
Arcadius
The Western Roman Empire
Romulus
Augustus
• Collapsed in 476 A.D.
• A Germanic group
leader named Odoacer
revolted that year. He
overthrew Emperor
Romulus Augustus
(Orestes) and ended
the Western Roman
Empire for good.
• Not The Fictional
Character From
Romulus And Remus!
Odoacer
Eastern Roman Empire
The Eastern
Roman Empire,
or
the Byzantine
Empire, lived on
for nearly another
thousand
years.
Hagia Sophia (Church of the Holy
Wisdom) was built in Constantinople
between 532 and 537 under the
auspices of Emperor Justinian I.
Hagia Sophia is renowned for its
interior dome.
When the Ottoman Turks arrived, the Eastern
Empire began counting its final hours. Its last
ruler, Constantine XI, did his best to fend off the
Ottoman Turks' advances, but failed. On May
29, 1453, the Ottoman Turks captured the
capital Constantinople, killed Constantine XI, and
that ended the Byzantine Empire.