The Long Decline

1
The Long Decline

• Pages 147-151

2
Decline

• Romans were stunned at the decline of their
  empire looked for answers.
• Marcellinus pointed to these declining values
• Libraries closed forever
• Moral decay of Roman classes
• External threats to the empirethe Huns
• The decline did not happen overnight. It happened
  over centuries.

3
Crisis Reforms

• The golden age of the Pax Romana died with Marcus
  Aurelius in 180.
• For the next 100 years, a disruptive political
  pattern emergedalong with economic troubles as
  well
• Emperors were overthrown by generals or political
  intriguers.
• One 50 year period had 26 different emperors
• High taxes supported the army the bureaucracy
  placed heavy burdens on businesses small
  farmers
• Farmland lost its productivity due to
  overcultivation

4
Diocletian

• In 284
• Diocletian set out to restore order by
• Dividing the empire into 2 parts to make it
  easier to govern
• Trying to increase the prestige of being an
  emperor by surrounding himself with elaborate
  ceremonies.
• Fixing the prices for goods services

5
Constantine

• In 312
• The talented general Constantine gained the
  throne
• Continued Diocletians reforms
• Granted toleration to Christians
• This encourage the rapid growth of Christianity
  within the empire
• He built the new capital of Constantinople on the
  Bosporus, the straight that connects the Black
  Mediterranean Seas.
• This made the eastern portion of the empire the
  center of power
• These 2 emperors revived the economy, held the
  empire together for another century

6
Constantine Constantinople
7
Invasions

• Rome had faced attacks from the Germanic peoples
  who lived east of the Rhine north of the Danube
  rivers for centuries.
• As early as 200
• Wars in East Asia set off a chain of events
  overwhelming Rome
• Sent the Huns across Central Asia they reached
  Europe by 350
• The Visigoths, Ostrogoths, other Germanic
  peoples crossed into Roman territory seeking
  safety
• Roman legions had trouble holding off the
  invaders
• They surrendered Britain, then France Spain

8
Rome Defeated

• In 378
• Roman army tries turning back the Visigoths, but
  it suffered a major defeat
• In 410
• Visigoth general Alaric overran Italy plundered
  Rome
• The Vandals moved through Gaul Spain into North
  Africa
• More more Germanic peoples occupied more more
  of the western Roman empire
• In 434
• Attila the Hun began his savage campaign of
  conquest across Europe.
• Christians called him the scourge of God. They
  believed his attacks were Gods punishment to
  mankind for their sins.
• He died in 453, his empire collapsed but
  Germanic peoples still flocked to the Roman
  empire
• In 476
• Odoacer was a Germanic leader that ousted the
  emperor in Rome even though they had already
  given up most of their empire.

9
Causes of the Fall

• This fall from greatness was a major turning
  point in the history of western civilization.
• Germanic invasions
• Legions of late empire lacked discipline
  training
• Hiring of mercenaries who felt no loyalty to Rome
• Authoritarian oppressive government
• Civil wars over power
• Rival armies battling for power causing a divide
• Heavier taxes
• Reliance of slave labor prevented exploration of
  new technology
• Climate change
• Decrease of population because of plagues wars
• Decline in social values (patriotism, discipline,
  devotion)
• Upper class once provided leaders, but became
  self-interested
• Bread Circuses undermined self-reliance of
  the masses

10
Did Rome Fall?

• The Roman Empire did not vanish off the map in
  476.
• An emperor still ruled the eastern Roman empire
• This became known as the Byzantine empire which
  lasted for another 1,000 years
• However Germanic customs languages replaced
  much of Roman culture