Transcript The Fall of Rome

Review
Do Now: 9/30/2014

Brainstorm with a partner: What
problems could cause a powerful country
or empire to collapse?
From Good to Bad:
Commodus’ Rule

 Decline begins when Marcus Aurelius dies in 180 AD.
 His 18 year old son Commodus became emperor.
 He allowed himself to be controlled by others.
 Enabled the destruction of the senate!
 Relied on the strength of the army not the people.
 Assassinated 192 AD.
Issue 1: Weak, Corrupt Rulers

 After Commodus, rulers tended to be generals not
politicians.
 Generals established military dictatorships.
 From 180 to 284 AD. Rome had 29 emperors, most
were assassinated.
 The government and economy became weak.
 The throne was gained by violence not politics.
Issue 2: Mercenary Army

 Rome’s army used to be made of citizen soldiers.
 Had a stake in the war.
 Defending their homes from invasion.
 Rulers began to pay foreign soldiers for protection.
 Mercenary soldiers kept the ruler in power.
 Rome’s military strength to decline.
 Soldiers were no longer loyal to the
state of Rome.
Issue 3: Overextended Empire

 The Empire had grown too large for a single army to protect.
Animated Map of Rome

Issue 3: Overextended Empire

 The armies were too busy fighting over power in Rome to
defend the territories.
 The Empire of Rome began to shrink…
 Rome lost territories to invading enemies.
 Many territories declared their independence
from Rome.
Think-Pair-Share

 Why was losing territories bad for Rome?
Without the territories, Rome no longer
had an income. The territories gave
Rome $ from taxes & trade.
Issue 4: Economic Problems

 Loosing territories was bad for the Roman
economy:
 Rome relied on its territories for trade.
 Less trade = less money.
Conquering territories brought wealth into
the empire.
 This had boosted Rome’s economy.
 Now the economy began to decline.
Issue 4: Economic Problems

 Emperors struggled to pay their armies.
 They raised taxes to pay the armies.
 The citizens suffered from
unemployment and famine.
 Famine made food scarce and more
expensive.
 They struggled to pay the new
army taxes.
 To make food more affordable, the
government create more coins.
 This led to inflation; Roman money
was worthless.
Issue 4: Economic Problems

 To make food more affordable,
the government create more
coins.
 This led to inflation; Roman
money was worthless.
Attempts to Stop Decline

 Some emperors attempted to stop Rome’s decline.
 Diocletian Strengthened Rome’s army, built new forts,
and improved the tax system.
Split Rome in east & west More manageable.
 Diocletian ruled eastern half and appointed a coemperor to rule the western half.
Attempts to Stop Decline

 Diocletian retires in 305AD Rome falls into civil war.
 Constantine emerges as the sole victor in 312 AD.
Issue 5: Invasions

 Constantine attempted to keep
the empire united.
 After his death Germanic
tribes (barbarians) from the
north took over large
sections of the empire.
 Vandals & Visgoths
sacked Rome in 410 and
455 AD.
 Roman Emperor could
not stop them.
Collapse of the Western
Roman Empire

 While the western half was invaded and taken over by the
German tribes, the eastern half continued on strongly in
Constantinople.