Transcript The Western Roman Empire

Chapter 1: Roman
Civilization
Life in Ancient Rome
The Fall of Rome
The Byzantine Empire
A Prosperous Empire
 Rome’s first emperor, Augustus, ruled from 27
B.C. to A.D. 14
 Augustus paved the way for 200 years of
peace and prosperity in Rome
 A long era of peace began with Augustus and
lasted until A.D 180; this time period was called
the Pax Romana or “Roman Peace”
 By expanding the empire and reorganizing the
military and government, Augustus created a
new era of prosperity
Roman Culture
 The Romans admired and studied Greek statues,
buildings, and ideas
 Roman architects developed arches and domes and
they were the first people to use concrete
 The Romans used advanced engineering to supply
their cities with freshwater; they built aqueducts to
bring water from the hills into cities
 The ancient Romans worshiped many gods and
goddesses
 Greek gods were popular in Rome, but they were given
Roman names
Roman Colosseum
Reasons for the Decline of
Rome
 Dishonest government officials provide poor
leadership
 Famine and disease spread throughout the
empire
 Income and wages fell
 Wealthy fail to pay taxes
 Government fails to keep order
 Violence and tension increase
 Diocletian divides the empire
A Divided Empire A.D. 395
The Eastern Roman
Empire
Constantinople becomes
the new capital
The empire survives
attacks and prospers
The Byzantine Empire is
created from the Eastern
Roman Empire and lasts
nearly 1,000 years
The Western Roman
Empire
Numerous attacks threaten
the empire
Territory is slowly lost to
invaders
The city of Rome falls in
A.D. 476
The Western Roman
Empire is divided into
Germanic kingdoms by
A.D. 550
Map of Eastern and
Western Roman Empire
The Byzantine Empire
 The Eastern Roman Empire survived and
prospered; it became known as the Byzantine
Empire
 The Byzantines developed a new civilization
based on Greek, Roman, and Christian ideas
 The Byzantine Empire grew rich and powerful
as the Western Roman Empire fell
 Church and government worked closely
together in the Byzantine Empire