Late Roman Empire

Late Roman Empire

Fall of (Western) Rome

• Emperor lives at Constantinople• 313 Edict of Milan – religious freedom• 410 – Alaric (Master of Soldiers) of the

Visigoths (Arians) sacks Rome• 409-429 – Vandals (Arians) invade Spain, then

took all of northern Africa

Attila the Hun, 440s

Hun Empire

Attila the Hun “Scourge of God”

• 445 – Attila takes over Huns from brother Bleda

• Terrorized central and northern Europe and Central Asia, Eastern Romans paid tribute

• 451 – lost Battle of Catalaunian Plains to combined Roman and Visigoth forces

• 452 – Pope Leo I persuaded him to not attack Rome

Growth of The Franks

Merovingian Dynasty of The Franks

• 486-507 – Clovis conquers many parts of Gaul• Clovis = Louis• Converted to Roman Catholicism

Meanwhile…over in the East

• Justinian – “Last of the Romans”, Empress Theodora ruled alongside wisely

• Roman Emperor from 527-565• Builds Hagia Sofia (correction)• Belisarius – favorite general, successful in Persia

and winning back Africa from Vandals, won Italy back temporarily

• Stopped use of Latin in government, used Greek• Most famous for codifying Roman civil law

Just before reconquest

Just after reconquest

Loss of Italy again

After Justinian

• High taxes to pay for western wars• Persia attacked Byzantines• 632 - Emperor Heraclius eventually prevailed,

sacks Persepolis • Both empires devastated, unprepared for

invading Muslim armies from Arabia• Many territories too tired, gladly accepted

new rulers

The state of the West

• Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals all weakened• Franks (the least Roman-educated group)

poised to fill the vacuum left• Christianity still the predominant religion• Pope still in Rome