Transcript 6.4: The Fall of the Roman Empire

The Fall of the Roman Empire
A Century of Crisis
• ________________last emperor to
rule during the
Pax Romana
• Inept rulers followed
ROME’S ECONOMY
WEAKENS
• Hostile tribes on the boarders
• Pirates in the Mediterranean
• No new sources of gold and
silver
– Needed money, so they raised
taxes
– Minted coins with less silver
– Result was inflation
• Drop in the value of money couple
with rise in prices for goods
• Crops failed
–
–
–
Military and Political Turmoil
• Generals and soldiers became less loyal
– Gave allegiance to commanders
•
– Foreign soldiers who fought for money
• Citizens were losing loyalty
Emperors attempt Reform
• Diocletian
–
–
– Iron fist- limited personal
freedoms
– Doubled size of the army
– Worked to control inflation
– Presented himself as a god
– Divided the empire into
Greek-speaking East and
Latin-speaking West
• He ruled the East and
appointed a co-ruler for
the West
• He was in charge
–
– Civil war followed
• Constantine took power
Constantine Moves the Capital
• Took control of the Western portion
• Continued Diocletian’s reforms
• 324 A.D. took control of the Eastern
portion
• Moved capital from Rome to Byzantium
• Rename Byzantium---CONSTANTINOPLE
• After his death, the East remained but the
West was lost.
The Western Empire Crumbles
• 3 main causes for the fall of the West
1.
2.
3.
Germanic Invasions
• The Huns
– Central Asians who invaded Germanic areas on the
borders of the Roman empire
– Destroying everything in their path
•
• Romans called all invaders “barbarians”
• Western Rome could not fight them off
– Overrun in three days
Attila the Hun
• Soon the Huns
themselves were a
direct threat
•
– 100,000 soldiers
– Terrorized both halves of
the empire
– Famine and disease
stopped them
• But Germanic invasions
continued
An Empire No More
• Last Emperor of Rome:
Romulus Augustulus
– 14 years old
– Ousted by German forces
in 476
• Power gone in the Western
half
• Eastern portion took a new
name: The Byzantine Empire
– Survived and flourished
– Preserved Greek and
Roman culture for another
1000 years
– Ruled Constantinople
– Lasted until 1453- fell to
the Ottoman Turks