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The End of the Roman Empire
Mr. DavisSocial Studies 7
Spring 2014
The Height of the Roman Empire
External Threats
• In the 200s, emperors had to give up some of their lands—the empire was too large to manage
• Attacks: Germanic tribes from the North, Persians from the East
Internal Threats
• Roman farmers leave borderlands• Germans come in to farm• Outsiders moving in elect their own leaders
and ignored emperors• Disease• Government increased taxes for defense
Diocletian
• Became emperor in the late 200s
• Decided the empire was too big for one person to rule
• Ruled the Eastern empire, named a co-emperor to rule the West.
Constantine
• Ruled after Diocletian• Moved the capital to
a city in the east named Constantinople
• Rome was no longer considered the center of power
Decline of Rome
• HUNS = fierce warriors from Central Asia. Defeated the Goths (neighboring people of the Roman Empire)
Decline of Rome
• GOTHS = fled the Huns into Roman territory, battled Roman armies and pushed farther into the Empire
• 410: The Visigoths attack Rome. First attack on the city in 800 years.
Other Attackers on Rome
• Vandals• Angles• Saxons• Jutes• Franks
Attila The Hun
• Fierce ruler from Mongolia (in the Far East) that led brutal attacks across the known world
• Vicious military tactics led him to attack Rome around the late 300s
The End of the Empire
• Military leaders take over power from the emperors by 450.
• 476 – Official end of the Roman Empire; foreign military leaders overthrow the last emperor
Factors of Rome’s Fall
• Empire was too large to control• Difficult to communicate• Corruption: the decay of people’s values• Wealthy citizens flee to estates and build up
armies• Population decreased• Schools closed• Taxes & Prices soared
Growth of the Eastern Empire• Justinian – ruled 527-565• Reuniting the Old Empire was
his passion• Developed Justinian’s Code:
removed outdated, non-Christian laws
• Supported by his wife, Theodora
• The empire shrunk after his death
• By 1453 (900 years after his death!) His lands became known as the Ottoman Empire
Byzantines• The Byzantines created an
Eastern society that deviated (strayed) from Rome
• People spoke Greek, not Latin• Importance of Christianity is
reflected in the art and architecture of the area.
• Christianity practiced different in this area than in the west
• 1000s = Orthodox Church created, dividing Christian practices in the east and west
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