Transcript The Long Decline

The Long Decline
Pages 147-151
Romans were stunned at the decline of
their empire & looked for answers.
 Marcellinus pointed to these declining
values
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◦ Libraries closed forever
◦ Moral decay of Roman classes
◦ External threats to the empire…the Huns
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The decline did not happen overnight. It
happened over centuries.
Decline
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The golden age of the Pax Romana died with
Marcus Aurelius in 180.
For the next 100 years, a disruptive political
pattern emerged…along with economic troubles
as well
Emperors were overthrown by generals or
political intriguers.
◦ One 50 year period had 26 different emperors
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High taxes supported the army & the
bureaucracy placed heavy burdens on businesses
& small farmers
Farmland lost its productivity due to
overcultivation
Crisis & Reforms
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In 284
◦ Diocletian set out to restore order by:
 Dividing the empire into 2 parts to make it easier
to govern
 Trying to increase the prestige of being an
emperor by surrounding himself with elaborate
ceremonies.
 Fixing the prices for goods & services
Diocletian
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In 312
◦ The talented general Constantine gained the throne
 Continued Diocletian’s reforms
 Granted toleration to Christians
◦ This encourage the rapid growth of Christianity within the
empire
 He built the new capital of Constantinople on the
Bosporus, the straight that connects the Black &
Mediterranean Seas.
 This made the eastern portion of the empire the center
of power
 These 2 emperors revived the economy, & held the
empire together for another century
Constantine
Constantine & Constantinople
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Rome had faced attacks from the Germanic
peoples who lived east of the Rhine & north
of the Danube rivers for centuries.
As early as 200
◦ Wars in East Asia set off a chain of events
overwhelming Rome
 Sent the Huns across Central Asia & they reached
Europe by 350
 The Visigoths, Ostrogoths, & other Germanic peoples
crossed into Roman territory seeking safety
 Roman legions had trouble holding off the invaders
 They surrendered Britain, then France & Spain
Invasions
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In 378
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In 410
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In 434
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In 476
◦ Roman army tries turning back the Visigoths, but it suffered a major defeat
◦ Visigoth general Alaric overran Italy & plundered Rome
◦ The Vandals moved through Gaul & Spain into North Africa
◦ More & more Germanic peoples occupied more & more of the western
Roman empire
◦ Attila the Hun began his savage campaign of conquest across Europe.
◦ Christians called him the “scourge of God.” They believed his attacks were
God’s punishment to mankind for their sins.
◦ He died in 453, & his empire collapsed but Germanic peoples still flocked to
the Roman empire
◦ Odoacer was a Germanic leader that ousted the emperor in Rome even
though they had already given up most of their empire.
Rome Defeated
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This fall from greatness was a major turning point in the
history of western civilization.
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Germanic invasions
Legions of late empire lacked discipline & training
Hiring of mercenaries who felt no loyalty to Rome
Authoritarian & oppressive government
Civil wars over power
Rival armies battling for power causing a divide
Heavier taxes
Reliance of slave labor prevented exploration of new technology
Climate change
Decrease of population because of plagues & wars
Decline in social values (patriotism, discipline, & devotion)
Upper class once provided leaders, but became self-interested
“Bread & Circuses” undermined self-reliance of the masses
Causes of the Fall
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The Roman Empire did not vanish off the
map in 476.
◦ An emperor still ruled the eastern Roman
empire
◦ This became known as the Byzantine empire
which lasted for another 1,000 years
◦ However Germanic customs & languages
replaced much of Roman culture
Did Rome Fall?