Transcript The Giant Came Tumbling Down

The Giant Came
Tumbling Down
The Decline and Fall of Rome
World History
Foreign invasions
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Germanic people
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Huns
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for centuries attacked the Romans
some learned Roman way and became allies
nomadic people
fought fierce battles
Visigoths
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In 410 overran Italy and plundered Rome
Corrupt government
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Became more oppressive and authoritarian
Lost support of the people
Undermined loyalty
Frequent civil wars
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Political violence and instability
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Emperors were overthrown by ambitious generals
Division of the Empire
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Eastern part
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controlled by Diocletian
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Fixed prices for goods and services
Laws required sons to follow their father’s
occupations
Made center of power by Constantine
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Economy was revived
Division of Empire
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Western provinces
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Ruled by co-emperor
Diocletian had absolute power
In 312 was in decline
Poverty and unemployment
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Farmers abandoned their land
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High taxes
Farmland over cultivated
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Lost its productivity
War and epidemic diseases swept the empire
Middle class sank to poverty
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High taxes to support the army and the bureaucracy
Declining moral values
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Erosion of traditional values
upper class
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Devoted itself to luxury and self-interest
A. D. 476 – Roman Empire falls
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Odoacer (oh doh AY suhr)
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A Germanic leader
Ousted the emperor in Rome
Historians referred to that event as the “fall” of
Rome