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The Fall of the Roman Empire

The Fall of the Roman Empire. The end of the “good times” Death of Marcus Aurelius ends the Pax Romana (c. 180 AD) Order restored briefly, but from 235-285 there were 26 emperors (only 1 died of natural causes) Constant revolts Bad leadership More “ Bread and Circuses ”. A Brief Pause.

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The Fall of the Roman Empire

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  1. The Fall of the Roman Empire • The end of the “good times” • Death of Marcus Aurelius ends the Pax Romana (c. 180 AD) • Order restored briefly, but from 235-285 there were 26 emperors (only 1 died of natural causes) • Constant revolts • Bad leadership • More “Bread and Circuses”

  2. A Brief Pause • Diocletian (284-305) • Divided the Empire into 2 parts • Inflation • Violence over succession • New economic constraints • Constantine (305-337) • Seized property, high taxes • Built Constantinople (trade) • Legalized Christianity 313 AD (Edict of Milan)

  3. Internal causes for Rome’s fall • Smaller pop (Less soldiers, taxes etc) • Weakened army • Barbarization, more troops for border defense, Civil War • Political Turmoil • Corruption, oppressive rule, civil war, east west split, high taxes • Declining farms and cities • Stagnant economy • Lack of spoils, infrastructure broke down, competition from East, slaves

  4. More Internal Causes • Social Decay • Was Rome still worth defending? • Christianity (Enfeebling?) • St. Augustine (The City of God) • Constantine The Edict of Milan • Theodosius 380 official religion of the Roman Empire

  5. External causes • Barbarians on the frontier • What is a barbarian? • Why did they want in? • The Goths (1st appear in 258) • The effect of the Huns • 376 Visigoths settled and agree to help defend Eastern border • Bad result: wind up fighting and defeating the ROMAN army at the Battle of Adrianople (378) • Sack Rome in 410

  6. The Huns • Arrived in Europe around 370 AD • Eventually took tribute from Rome in return for peace • Attila comes on the scene in 434 • Attacked Rome when they did not pay all of their tribute (called the “Scourge of God”) • By 444 he unites the Huns • By 453 Attila had died (nosebleed)

  7. The Fall of the Roman Empire in the West • The Vandals • Sacked Rome in 455 • By mid 5th Century German Chiefs not Roman Emperors held all real power • 476 AD Odoacer became the first Germanic King of Italy (replaced Romulus Augustulus the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire)

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