Transcript Decline of Rome

The Decline of the
Roman Empire
I.
By 300 A.D., the Roman
Empire faced many problems
that would eventually result
in its downfall. These
problems can be
summarized in 3 main
categories:
II.
The Roman Empire Splits: Eastern
and Western Roman Empire
A. Diocletian—284 A.D. restored
order to the empire and the
emperor, slowing down its
decline
1. Diocletian believed the empire
had grown to large for one
ruler
2. He divided the empire into the
Greek speaking East and the
Latin speaking West
DIOCLETIAN
GENERAL
MAXIMAN
EASTERN ROMAN
EMPIRE
WESTERN ROMAN
EMPIRE
B. After Diocletian’s death, civil
war broke out
III. Constantine—emerges as emperor
312 A.D.
A. By 324 A.D.,
Constantine had
gained control of both
east and west and
restored the empire
to a single ruler
b. Constantine moved the capital
of empire from Rome to Greek
city of Byzantium
c. Constantinople—strategically
located for trade and defense
between the East and West
d. After Constantine dies, the
empire splits again.
Page
161
VI. Germanic Invaders—
Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks,
Angles, Saxons, Burgundians,
Alemanni and Vandal poured
into the Roman
Empire to
escape the Huns
1. Huns--fierce nomadic Mongol
tribe from Central Asia
2. Attila the
Hun(444
A.D.)—Attila
and his army
invaded the
Eastern and
Western
Empire,
plundering
70 cities
3. The Huns and other tribes
invaded and destroyed the
Western Empire
V. Byzantine Empire=Eastern Empire
a. Survives and flourishes
b. Preserves Greek and Roman
culture for 1,000 years
Fall of the
Roman Empire
___?????___
Fall of the
Roman Empire
476 A.D.
Germanic invader,
Odoacer
kicked out last
Western Roman Emperor
Romulus Augustulus
Causes for the Decline of the Roman Empire
Military Causes
Economic Causes
Political Causes
Evaluate the data in the chart above. In your opinion, what do you think was the greatest cause of the
decline and fall of the Roman Empire? Why? Defend your answer with facts from your notes. [10 pts.]
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Bureaucracy – government workers
Mercenary – Soldiers for hire
Roman Empire Timeline
1.
2.
3.
4.
Create a timeline labeling all of the key dates we have discussed so far in class.
Start with the assassination of Julius Caesar and end with the official fall of the R. Empire.
You must have 13 events with the appropriate date. [1 pt. each]
Choose 7 dates and draw a picture that accurately represents the event. [1 pt. each]
0
100
200
300
400
●Corruption in government
●People no longer supported
corrupt government
●Division of the Empire into
East and West
●Increase in
taxes to
support army
and bureaucracy
●______________
______________
●No longer
receiving war
booty from
conquered
territories
●Romans no longer cared
about maintaining Empire
●Population decline caused by
war and disease
●_______________________
●____________
____________
●Little loyalty
from mercenary
soldiers
●Attila the Huns
invade
●Germanic tribes
sweep in-to
Empire to
escape ______
●Corruption in government
●People no longer supported
corrupt government
●Division of the Empire into
East and West
●Increase in
taxes to
support army
and bureaucracy
●______________
______________
●No longer
receiving war
booty from
conquered
territories
●Romans no longer cared
about maintaining Empire
●Population decline caused by
war and disease
●_______________________
●Poorly
trained armies
●Little loyalty
from mercenary
soldiers
●Attila the Huns
invade
●Germanic tribes
sweep in-to
Empire to
escape Huns
●Corruption in government
●People no longer supported
corrupt government
●Division of the Empire into
East and West
●Increase in
taxes to
support army
and bureaucracy
●______________
______________
●No longer
receiving war
booty from
conquered
territories
●Romans no longer cared
about maintaining Empire
●Population decline caused by
war and disease
●Upper class corruption
●Poorly
trained armies
●Little loyalty
from mercenary
soldiers
●Attila the Huns
invade
●Germanic tribes
sweep in-to
Empire to
escape Huns
●Corruption in government
●People no longer supported
corrupt government
●Division of the Empire into
East and West
●Increase in
taxes to
support army
and bureaucracy
●Reliance on slave
labor
●No longer
receiving war
booty from
conquered
territories
●Romans no longer cared
about maintaining Empire
●Population decline caused by
war and disease
●Upper class corruption
●Poorly
trained armies
●Little loyalty
from mercenary
soldiers
●Attila the Huns
invade
●Germanic tribes
sweep into
Empire to
escape Huns