Roman Empire

The Fall of Rome

EQ #1 What began the weakening of the Roman Empire?

• Dishonest govt officials results in poor leadership• Social problems • Declining economy with falling

wages and tax revenues

Dishonest govt. officials results in poor leadership

• There were a series of rulers who grew weaker and weaker– i.e. Commodus was cruel, wasted money, and spent

much of his time fighting as a gladiator– A series of rulers called Severans spent much of their

time putting down revolts and protecting Rome’s borders. They stayed in power by paying the army well, but ignored the growing problems of poverty and crime

– Then a series of army leaders fought each other for the throne (does history repeat itself?)

Social Problems• Fewer Romans honored the old ideals of duty

courage, honesty (our moral values declining?)• Govt officials took bribes (us, too?)• Talented people refused to serve in govt (reduced

executive pay)• Fewer people attended school• Large number of the empire’s people are slaves and

wealthy Roman’s supported slavery (cheap labor; see p. 319 The Way it Was)

VALUES MATTER

Social problems cont.

• Famine and disease spread throughout the empire– Plague ¼

Declining economy with falling wages and tax revenues

• Income and wages fall– People buy fewer goods – businesses lose money –

businesses close and workers lose jobs – workers enter army

• Wealthy fail to pay taxes• Result? Inflation and govt can’t pay army so they

put less gold in coins – coins lose value – prices go so high people stop using money and barter (and p. 320 Distrust of Money – connect to trust of today)

Dang, that’s a lot to handle, when do the bad guys start coming?

• In the west Germanic tribes raid Roman farms and towns

• East – Persians push into Roman territory• Rome doesn’t have enough soldiers so they

began using Germanic warriors in their army (wonder if they are loyal to Rome?)

OK, so review what just happened (and answers EQ #1)

• 1. Dishonest government officials result in poor government

• THEN• 2. There are a bunch of social problems

THEN• 3. The economy declines with falling wages

and declining tax revenues

EQ #2 What caused Rome to fall?

• Different leaders try different things, but eventually the empire gets divided into 2 parts (Western and Eastern Empires)

• Increasing violence within the empire• Attacks by invaders• Fall of last emperor in AD 476

The Walls Start Crumblin Down

• AD 284 Diocletian’s reforms– Divides it into 4 parts– Works to boost economy (sets prices and wages –

Jimmy Carter), orders workers to stay at same job until they die (to make sure goods are produced)

– How you think it’s gonna work out? Would you follow rules like this?

Uh, things don’t look good – now what?

• AD 305 Constantine (general who becomes emperor)– Orders a bunch of economic changes, but this

doesn’t change the economy so he moves the capital to a new city in the east • Then named Byzantium, changed to Constantinople,

now called Istanbul (Turkey)• Builds Hippodrome (google)• Constantine the Great p. 321 (read all + Teacher notes)

Here come the bad guys…

• We had 4 parts, then Constantine moves the capital, now Theodosius divides the empire into 2 parts. This is THE big move– Western empire (capital Rome), falls AD 476– Eastern empire (capital Constantinople), lasts

1,000 more years

See map p. 323

Rome is invaded

• Germanic tribes (Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks, Vandals, Angles, and Saxons) – goths, vandalism, WASP

• Why?– Searching for warmer climate to graze their cattle– Drawn by Rome’s wealth and culture– Fleeing the Huns

See Rome is Attacked p. 322

What’s Rome gonna do?

• Huns are on the march, so Visigoths ask Rome for protection.

• Emperor lets them settle just inside the border in return for a promise to be loyal to Rome

• The Romans treat them badly (make them pay higher prices for food, kidnap and enslave many)

Yeah, that’s gonna work out

• Visigoths defeat Rome in a battle and Rome has to surrender land to them (AD 378)

• Tribes now know Rome cannot defend herself• They gradually march toward Rome• AD 410 Visigoth leader (Alaric) captures Rome,

burns records, loots treasury. • 1st time Rome has been conquered in 800 years

I remember something about Vandals – why did they get the bum rap? (or did they earn the

“title”)• AD 455 Vandals enter Rome and spend 12

days stripping buildings of everything, valuable and burning them. Vandalism has come to mean “the willful destruction of property”

What is the final event that most historians call the “Fall of Rome”? • 1st of all, it’s only the fall of the Western

Roman Empire – cuz, remember the Eastern Empire goes for 1,000 more years, but most people don’t really think about that

• Well, a series of Germans hold positions in Rome’s army and govt for a long time

• Finally, AD 476 Odoacer overthrows the Roman emperor and no emperor ever ruled from Rome.

OK, but you’ve been saying the Eastern Empire lasts for 1,000

years

• It’s known as the Byzantine Empire and Christianity really takes off from there (remember Constantine?), but we aren’t going to study that part of history

OK, you lost me long time ago. What was EQ #2 and what is the

answer?

• EQ #2 What caused Rome to fall?

• Different leaders try different things, but eventually the empire gets divided into 2 parts

• Increasing violence within the empire• Attacks by invaders• Fall of last emperor in AD 476

Can’t you just draw me a picture?

• You asked for it, you get it – see page 318

Here’s the big question: so what? (EQ #3 What is Rome’s legacy?)

• Our language/words/their writers and literature

• Government/laws• Knowledge of engineering • Religion (Christianity)• Oh, yeah, you also got stuff like roads, water

supply (aqueducts), and Julian calendar

language

• Used their alphabet, but expanded it from 22 – 26 letters

• Latin shaped Italian, French, Spanish, Portugese, Romanian, and English

• Many English words come from Latin• Scientists, doctors, and lawyers still use Latin phrases• Every species of plant and animal has a Latin name• We still admire the works of writers like Virgil, Horace,

Livy and Tacitus (the last 2 are historians I didn’t tell you about)

Government/laws

• Republic (which both believe is the best system of government)

• Government works best if people do their duty, participate in government and work to make their society better

• People are equal under the law• Judges are to decide cases fairly• You are considered innocent until proven guilty

You said, engineering? We don’t use aqueducts…

• Concrete• Architectural style in public buildings– State and federal capitals have many domes and

arches