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The Decline and Fall of Rome C.E. 177-450

The Decline and Fall of Rome C.E. 177-450. University High School Western Civilization. The Last of the 5 Good Emperors. Beginning with Marcus Aurelius (161-180 CE) & his son Commodus (180-192 CE) we begin to see trouble on the frontiers with barbarian tribes.

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The Decline and Fall of Rome C.E. 177-450

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  1. The Decline and Fall of RomeC.E. 177-450 University High School Western Civilization

  2. The Last of the 5 Good Emperors • Beginning with Marcus Aurelius (161-180 CE) & his son Commodus (180-192 CE) we begin to see trouble on the frontiers with barbarian tribes. • Rome suffers from poor rule after the death of Marcus Aurelius (the last of the five good emperors)

  3. The "Barracks Emperors" • 20 different emperors in a 49 year span (235-284 CE). • Widespread unrest and uprisings • Civil War – Mutinous Generals • Barbarian invasions • Economic decline • Praetorian Guard out of control

  4. The "Barracks Emperors" • Severus Alexander - lynched by soldiers (235) • Maximinus the Thracian – lynched by soldiers (238) • Gordian I – suicide (238) • Gordian II – killed in action (238) • Balbinus – lynched by soliders (238) • Pupienus – lynched by soliders (238) • Gordian III – killed in action (238) • Phillipus the Arab – killed in action (249) • Decius – killed in action (251) • Hostilianus – death from plague • Trebonian the Gaul – lynched by soliders (253)

  5. Conan and the Barbarians • Goths in the Balkans and down into Greece & Asia Minor • Germanic tribes (Franks & Alamanni) throughout Europe • Saxons from Scandinavia • Sasanids in the East

  6. Don't Call it a Comeback… • Diocletian (r. 248-305) stabalizes Rome and the Empire • Emperor now absolute autocrat… “the elect of god,” and no longer Augustus’s “first among equals” • Diocletian realized the Empire had grown too large to manage as a whole • Divided the Empire into Western and Eastern halves. • Assumed control of the Eastern half and gave the title of augustus to Maximian for the Western half. • Each half also had a second in command, a caesar • Thus, this period of rule called the Tetrarchy

  7. Growing Apart • The Eastern and Western Empires slowly drifted apart • The Western half suffered from a lack of resources and trade networks like the Eastern half • Western Empire proved more difficult to defend

  8. No Money, Mo' Problems • Widespread lawlessness & government corruption • Widespread inflation • High taxes • Widespread slavery • Rural farmers taxed heavily and many flea. • Agricultural production collapses • Urban: Wars and invasions disrupted commerce/trade in cities • Response: Rigid and strict measures • Fixed maximum prices • Fixed wages • Some cases of fixed occupations

  9. Constantine • Reigns from 306-337 • Issues Edict of Milan – Ends Christian persecution and makes Christian worship legal • Participates in Council of Nicaea – Catholic Church defines doctrine and beliefs concerning Holy Trinity • Most likely baptized on his death bed = 1st Christian Emperor • Built residence in place of Byzantium • Called Constantinople in his honor • Becomes capital of prosperous Eastern Roman Empire • Theodosius I in 380 makes Christianity official religion of Roman Empire

  10. What Does it All Mean!? • Other theories for the decline of the Roman Empire • Loss of civic virtue • Increased reliance on mercenary soldiers • Civil Wars • Various financial issues (slavery, taxation, inflation, etc) • Diseases (plagues) • Environmental degradation • Split between Paganism and Christianity …Why Eastern propsered • Others argue that it was just a transformation and not a fall at all… • How would you re-title this lecture? Did the Roman Empire truly fall?

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