Title: The Decline of the Roman Empire
1The Decline of the Roman Empire
2By 300 A.D., the Roman Empire faced many problems
that would eventually result in its downfall.
These problems can be summarized in 4 main
categories
3The Roman Empire Splits Eastern and Western
Roman Empire
4A. Diocletian284 A.D. restored order to the
empire and the emperor, slowing down its decline
51. Diocletian believed the empire had grown to
large for one ruler
2. He divided the empire into the Greek speaking
East and the Latin speaking West
6- DIOCLETIAN GENERAL
MAXIMAN -
- EASTERN ROMAN WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE
EMPIRE
7(No Transcript)
8B. After Diocletians death, civil war broke out
9Constantineemerges as emperor 312 A.D. A.
By 324 A.D., Constantine had
gained control of both east and west and
restored the empire to a single ruler
10b. Constantine moved the capital of empire from
Rome to Greek city of Byzantium
11c. Constantinoplestrategically located for
trade and defense between the East and West
12d. After Constantine dies, the empire splits
again.
13Germanic InvadersOstrogoths, Visigoths, Franks,
Angles, Saxons, Burgundians, Alemanni and Vandal
poured into the Roman Empire to escape the Huns
141. Huns--fierce nomadic Mongol tribe from
Central Asia
152. Attila the Hun(444 A.D.)Attila and his army
invaded the Eastern and Western Empire,
plundering 70 cities
163. The Huns and other tribes invaded and
destroyed the Western Empire
17V. Byzantine EmpireEastern Empirea. Survives
and flourishesb. Preserves Greek and Roman
culture for 1,000 years
18Fall of the Roman Empire476 A.D.
19Political Causes
?Corruption in government?People no longer
supported corrupt government?Division of the
Empire into East and West
Military Causes
Economic Causes
?Increase in taxes to support army
and bureaucracy?______________
______________?No longer receiving war
booty from conquered territories
?____________ ____________?Little loyalty
from mercenary soldiers?Attila the Huns
invade?Germanic tribes sweep in-to Empire
to escape ______
Decline of Rome
Social Causes
?Romans no longer cared about maintaining
Empire?Population decline caused by war and
disease?_______________________
20Political Causes
?Corruption in government?People no longer
supported corrupt government?Division of the
Empire into East and West
Military Causes
Economic Causes
?Increase in taxes to support army
and bureaucracy?______________
______________?No longer receiving war
booty from conquered territories
?Poorly trained armies?Little loyalty
from mercenary soldiers?Attila the Huns
invade?Germanic tribes sweep in-to Empire
to escape Huns
Decline of Rome
Social Causes
?Romans no longer cared about maintaining
Empire?Population decline caused by war and
disease?_______________________
21Political Causes
?Corruption in government?People no longer
supported corrupt government?Division of the
Empire into East and West
Military Causes
Economic Causes
?Increase in taxes to support army
and bureaucracy?______________
______________?No longer receiving war
booty from conquered territories
?Poorly trained armies?Little loyalty
from mercenary soldiers?Attila the Huns
invade?Germanic tribes sweep in-to Empire
to escape Huns
Decline of Rome
Social Causes
?Romans no longer cared about maintaining
Empire?Population decline caused by war and
disease?Upper class corruption
22Political Causes
?Corruption in government?People no longer
supported corrupt government?Division of the
Empire into East and West
Military Causes
Economic Causes
?Increase in taxes to support army
and bureaucracy?Reliance on slave labor?No
longer receiving war booty from
conquered territories
?Poorly trained armies?Little loyalty
from mercenary soldiers?Attila the Huns
invade?Germanic tribes sweep into Empire
to escape Huns
Decline of Rome
Social Causes
?Romans no longer cared about maintaining
Empire?Population decline caused by war and
disease?Upper class corruption