Decline and Fall Chapter 5 Section 5
Problems & Upheavals A long period of unrest followed the death of the last good emperor,, in A.D. 180. For a period, Rome was ruled by the Severans, whose motto was pay the soldiers and ignore everyone else. After their rule ended, between 235 and 284, Rome was ruled by There were 22 emperors during these years; many died violently. Septimus Severus
Political Decline begins with, son of Marcus Aurelius (Gladiator) AD 192 Commodus killed by own soldiers Roman armies busy fighting one another,
Problems & Upheavals Simultaneously, the Roman Empire suffered invasions by Persians and Germanic peoples. almost caused the Roman economy to collapse in the third century. declin ed, and there was a labor shortage due to plague. decli ned on fields ravaged by invaders.
Economic Decline War disrupts travel, production and trade More coins minted, reduced value Increased shortages
Problems & Upheavals Money was short, but Rome needed soldiers more than ever. By the mid-third century, the state was depending on hired Germanic soldiers. They had no loyalty to Rome, nor did they understand Roman traditions.
Reforms by Diocletian & Constantine At the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth centuries, the emperors Diocletian and Constantine revived Rome, founding a state called the It had a new governmental structure, a rigid economic and social system, and a new religion.
Reforms by Diocletian & Constantine ruled from 284 to 305. Believing the empire was too large to have only one ruler, he divided the empire into sections, each with its own ruler, including himself. His military power, however, made him the ultimate authority., who ruled from 306 to 337, extended many of Diocletian s policies.
Division under Diocletian
Reform Diocletian 284 AD raised number of legions in Roman Army traveled throughout empire divided empire into two units froze wages and set maximum prices for goods
Reforms by Diocletian & Constantine Both expanded the bureaucracy and enlarged the army to five hundred thousand troops. Expanding the civil service and the military drained the treasury. To fight inflation, Diocletian issued strict wage and price controls for the entire empire. froze wages and set maximum prices for goods They did not work.
Reforms by Diocletian & Constantine Both emperors issued edicts forcing people to stay in their jobs, which made basic jobs like being a baker hereditary. Small, free farmers increasingly were in debt to large landowners.
Reforms by Diocletian & Constantine In 324 became the sole ruler of Rome His biggest project was constructing a new capital city in the east on the site of Byzantium on the shores of the Bosporus. Founded for defensive purposes, the city eventually was named (present-day Istanbul). Constantine The Great
Constantine 312 AD tries to stabilize empire most jobs hereditary compulsory Edict of Milan (313) legalizes Christianity Council of Nicaea (325) assembly of bishops
Reforms by Diocletian & Constantine Calling it his New Rome, Constantine filled the city with a forum, palaces, an amphitheater, and other signs of Roman and civic glory. It became a center of the Eastern Roman Empire and one of the world s greatest cities.
Reforms by Diocletian & Constantine The policies of Diocletian and Constantine were based on. In the long run, therefore, they stifled the vitality Rome needed to revive.
The Fall The empire restored by Diocletian and Constantine continued for another hundredplus years. It had two capitals, Rome in the and Constantinople in the.
Theodosius 379 AD empire officially Empire is divided upon his death East and West
In the second half of the fourth century, from Asia moved into eastern Europe and put pressure on the Germanic Visigoths. The moved south, crossing the Danube into Roman territory. Initially Roman allies, the Visigoths revolted and defeated a Roman army in 378. More Germans crossed into Roman territory. The Fall
Huns chief Romans and Goths fight against Huns in Gaul plunder northern Italy Huns retreat to eastern Europe due to and
The Fall In 455, another group, called the, also sacked the city. Our modern word vandal comes from the name of this ruthless tribe. In 476, the western emperor,, was deposed by the Germanic head of the army, Flavius. This event is usually taken as the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire, known as the Byzantine Empire, continued on.
The Fall weakened Rome s military virtues Roman values declined as non-italians gained prominent positions from water pipes and vessels caused a mental decline held Rome back from advancing technologically Rome s proved unworkable.
Reasons for the Fall Didn't really, it faded away as it gradually lost control of territory Inability to counter the huge invasions caused both by population pressures and pressure from the Huns in the east. Increasing from landowning classes made imperial government unnecessary. and the chaos of third-century crisis destroyed the urban life that was at the center of traditional ancient culture.