The Fall of Rome

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The Fall of Rome

• Diocletian stepped down as emperor in 305 AD
• For 7 years, Roman generals fought for power, and
  Constantine won
• In 313 AD Constantine controlled the Western
  Empire, and Licinius controlled the Eastern
  Empire
• They declared freedom of religion. Christians
  could now freely practice their religion
  (Constantine was a Christian and he believed God
  helped win important battles)
• In 324, Constantine defeated Licinius and took
  control of the whole empire
• Christianity became the official religion of the
  Roman Empire

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The Fall of Rome

• Constantine was a strong believer in Christianity
• In 325 he stopped the church from splitting apart
  in the east and the west
• He built many places of worship for Christians
• He built the church in Jerusalem on the site
  where Jesus was crucified and buried
• He built the church of St. Peter in Rome

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The Church of Jerusalem
St. Peters Church in Rome
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The Fall of Rome

• In 330 AD, Constantine moved the capital of the
  Roman Empire from Rome to Byzantium (in modern
  day Turkey)
• The Empire was split again
• The western half of the Empire was no longer
  powerful or important
• Byzantium became a rich and powerful city. Its
  name was changed to Constantinople
• From 370- 450 AD, the Western Empire is
  continually attacked

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The Fall of Rome

• After Constantines death, the western part of
  the empire was conquered.
• In 410, the Visigoths captured Rome.
• In 455, the Vandals captured Rome.
• In 476, the last Roman emperor was defeated by
  the Visigoths. The Visigoths controlled the city
  of Rome and fought to defend it from the Huns.
• The Western Empire was controlled by Germanic
  tribes of people
• Constantinople and the eastern empire continued
  to exist.
• Constantinople became the capital of the
  Byzantine Empire

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