Transcript The Fall of Rome

The Fall of Rome
World History
I. Problems in the Empire
A. Political Instability
1. Death of Marcus Aurelius – end of Pax
Romana
2. Commodus bankrupted treasury
3. From 235-284, the Empire had 22
emperors
4. Political instability and civil wars
weakened defenses
I. Problems in the Empire
B. Economic Decline
1. Caused by political instability
2. Government minted more
coins=inflation
3. Taxes increased – businesses & farms
closed
I. Problems in the Empire
C. Reforms
1. Diocletian and Constantine held off fall
2. Diocletian (284-305)
a. Increased army and reinforced borders
b. Split in 2 districts, east and west
c. Edict of Prices – froze wages, set prices
d. Required people to keep their jobs
I. Problems in the Empire
3. Constantine
a. Reinforced Diocletian’s reforms
b. Declared most jobs hereditary
c. Moved capital to Byzantium; renamed
Constantinople
4. Theodosius I
a. Willed the Empire to be split into 2
empires
b. Eastern empire=Byzantine Empire
I. Problems in the Empire
D. Invasions
1. Germans
a. Why invade?
1.) Warmer climate
2.) Grazing land
3.) Rome’s wealth
4.) Revenge
b. Other Germanic groups
1.) Visigoths, Vandals, Franks, Anglos,
Saxons
2.) In 410, Visigoth chief invaded Rome
I. Problems in the Empire
2. The Huns
a. Attila raided Eastern Empire, moved
west to Gaul
b. Stopped by Roman and Visigoth army
c. Turned on Rome until stopped by
plague and famine
d. Weakened Rome greatly
I. Problems in the Empire
E. The End
1. Rome too weak to defend from
Germanic groups
2. In 476, Emperor Romulus Augustulus
overthrown
3. German soldier Odoacer named himself
king of Italy
4. Marks official end of Western Roman
Empire