Transcript Slide 1
U2LG2.5 – The Fall of Rome Learning Obj. 2.5: Describe the major political, religious/philosophical and cultural influences of classical Greece and Rome. (3A, 19B, 21B,22B, 25B) • The collapse of Roman rule left a large political and economic vacuum in western Europe and decentralized rule followed • Populations fell vulnerable to invading groups without the protection of the Roman army • Trade stagnated, cultural backwardness and lack of scientific growth • A new era for the Christian Church emerged as church leaders filled the political void • Power shifted to the East-especially Constantinople and the Byzantine empire grew • Decline of Rome caused by political upheaval, civil wars, plague, empire too large to manage, bloated bureaucracy, inflation, failure to advance technologically, barbarian (Germanic tribes) invasions • Franks emerged as the dominate Germanic tribe and for a time worked to reconstitute the Roman Empire under the rule of Charlemagne • Christianity was the only institution to survive the fall of Rome and served to unite Germanic tribes after Clovis’ conversion • With no Roman army for protection system of feudalism developed and trade was disrupted • Christianity culturally united Europe Why did Rome fall? Disruption of trade Raids from hostile tribes / pirates on the Mediterranean. Rome’s over-dependence on foreign grain was no secret – even to Rome’s enemies. From what foreign territories “Choking off” that supply was Rome getting it’s grain Disrupting that trade… from? …had devastating consequences. CONDITION CAUSE Gold & Silver Frequent wars cost millions. drain Lavish spending by the rich on foreign-made luxury items meant silver & gold was being spent outside of Rome…not in Rome. What costly wars has the United States engaged in recently? What types of items do Americans purchase that are produced mainly in foreign countries? “Panem et circenses” - the Roman poet Juvenal As things grew worse in the Empire, the Roman citizens were fed their regula “bread and circuses” Diocletian Doubled the size of the army, fixed prices, ordered farmers to stay on their lands, claimed he descended from the gods (to restore respect to his office), And he divided the Empire into two parts: In the West the capital would remain Rome. In the East the capital would be Byzantium. Diocletian 284-305 A.D. CONSIDER: How well do you think this solution of Diocletian’s worked? Two capitals? Two emperors? PP Design of T. Loessin; Akins H.S. Who was Constantine? Extended the reforms of Diocletian but restored the concept of One ruler and moves the capital to Byzantium – renaming the city Constantinople. The Arch of Constantine in Rome Italy today. Constantine “First Christian Emperor of Rome” 284-337 A.D. What caused the final collapse of the western Roman Empire? •The Germanic tribes (Visigoths) and the Huns invaded. As things grew worse in the West •the wealthier Eastern half broke away and became the new Byzantine Empire. •476 Romulus Augstulus was deposed by the Germanic tribal leader The FALL of the Western Roman Empire – 476 A.D. PP Design of T. Loessin; Akins H.S. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ifur2iTDKA • • • • • • • • • • • Identify What were the contributions of the following scientist? Archimedes Established the value of pi (π) Explained the workings of levers Invented the screw pump Eratosthenes Calculated the circumference of the earth Pythagoras Responsible for proving that in a right triangle, the sum of the squares of the two right-angle sides will always be the same as the square of the hypotenuse (the long side). A2 + B2 = C2.