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FalloftheRomanEmpireFalloftheRomanEmpire
• ThefalloftheRomanEmpirehasbeenromanticizedinhistoryforthelast1500years• Inourimaginationitwasasingleevent:
– ThebarbarianssackedRome– CivilizationcollapsedbringinganendtotheClassicalEra– TheDarkAgesbeganandwouldlastfor1000years
• Inreality,Romebeganasteadydeclinedatingbacktotheendofthe2ndcenturyCE• Thedeclineincreasedrapidlybythe5thcenturybutonlyinthewesternhalfoftheEmpire• Whenthe“barbarians”finallydefeatedthe(Western)RomanEmpireitwassimplythefinalblow
toastructurerottentoitscore• ThefalloftheRomanEmpirecanbeattributedtoanumberoffactorsincluding:
1. TheSplitoftheEmpireintoWestandEast2. Governmentcorruptionandpoliticalinstability3. Economicproblemsandoverrelianceonslavery4. Overexpansionandmilitaryexpenditures5. WeakeningoftheRomanLegions6. Christianityandthelossoftraditionalvalues7. Themigrationandinvasionof“barbarian”peoples
SplittingtheEmpire
• 293CE–EmperorDiocletiansplittheEmpireintoEastandWest• Afteraseriesofcivilwarsinthe3rdcenturyinwhichDiocletianemergedvictorious,hebelieved
thisdividewasnecessarytomaintainorder• ThisdividedcreatedahugedisadvantagefortheWestasthewealthoftheRomanEmpirelayin
theeast• TradewithotherwealthycivilizationssuchasPersia,India,andChinawouldflowintotheEastern
RomanEmpirebutnottheWest• ThoughEmperorswouldlaterattemptandsometimessucceedinrulingbothhalves(i.e.
ConstantinetheGreat)theEmpirewouldeffectivelyremaindividedGovernmentCorruptionandPoliticalInstability
• Romansnevercreatedaneffectivesystemforchoosinganewemperor• Politicalfavorswouldbegivenoutbythenewemperortothosewhohadgivenhimthetitle• Civilwarswereendemicinthe3rdand4thcenturiesbetweencompetingemperorsfurther
weakeningtheEmpire• ThePraetorianGuard(Emperor’spersonalbodyguard)wouldplayamajorroleinselectingthe
emperors
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• 193CE–thePraetorianguardstrangledtheemperorandinstalledanewone• OverthenextcenturyRomehad37emperors–25ofwhomwereassassinated• ThePraetorianGuardevensoldthethronetothehighestbidderonoccasion
EconomicProblems
Inflation• OnceRomestoppedconqueringnewlands,theflowofgoldintotheRomaneconomydecreased• Goldwasbeingspentforandusedinluxurygoods–lessgoldtouseincoins• Theamountofgoldpercoindecreased–thecoinsbecamelessvaluableUnemployment• Forcenturies,thewealthyusedslavesonlargefarmingestatescalledlatifundia• RegularRomanfarmerscouldnotcompetewithpricesandlostorsoldtheirfarms• TheyfloodedRomeandpoverty,alongwithcrime,skyrocketedSlavery• Rome’seconomywasbasedonslavelabortotillthefields,buildtheinfrastructure,andmine
resourcessuchasiron,silver,andgold• WhentheEmpirestoppedexpandingtherewasnolongerafreshinfluxofconqueredpeoplesto
enslaveOverexpansionandMilitaryExpenditure
• RomeexpandedrapidlyinthefirstandsecondcenturiesCE–stretchingfromtheAtlanticOceantothePersianGulf
• Incrediblydifficulttoadministeranddefend• Romestruggledtomaintainenoughtroopsandresourcestoquelllocalrebellionsanddefend
againstoutsideattacks• The4thand5thcenturiessawnewpeoplesfromoutsidetheEmpireinvadingandmigratinginto
theRomanworld• Militaryspendingincreasedleavinglittleforpublicworkssuchasroad,bridge,andaqueduct
repairWeakeningoftheRomanArmy
• RomeoweditspowertoitsmilitaryandtheRomanlegionnairewhowastheheartandsoulofthatmilitarymachine
• TheRomansoldierwasacitizenwhohadastakeindefendingandexpandingtheEmpire• AstheEmpirebecameincreasinglycorruptwiththerichgettingrichertherewerenotenough
regularRomancitizenstofillthearmy• ForeignmercenarieswereneededtohelpdefendtheEmpire–unprofessional,unreliable,and
veryexpensive• Bythe5thcenturytheRomanarmywasashadowofitsformergloryandincapableofdefending
againsttheinvadingandmigrating“barbarians”Christianity
• 313CE–theEdictofMilanlegalizedChristianity• 380CE–Christianitybecamethestatereligion• ChristianitydisplacedthepolytheisticRomanreligionwhichviewedtheemperorashavingdivine
status• Shiftedfocusawayfromthegloryofthestateandontoasoledeity
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• Bishopsandotherchurchleaderstookanincreasedroleinpoliticalaffairs,furthercomplicatinggovernance
• ChristianityasacontributingfactortothefallofRomeremainscontroversial• SomehistoriansseethenewreligionasfundamentallychangingtheculturalfabricofRome
– War,strength,conquest(Mars) replacedwith
– Love,forgiveness,charity(Christ)• OthersargueChristianity'sinfluencepalesincomparisontootherfactorssuchasmilitary,
economic,andadministrative“Barbarian”Invasions
• Barbarian–atermusedtodescribeanyoneoranygroupthatwasnotGreco-Roman• Beginninginthe4thcenturyandincreasinginthe5thcentury,manyGermanicgroupsbegan
migratingintoRomanterritories• Thereareanumberofpossibilitiesforthismigrationincludingclimatechange,population
increases,andmigrations/invasionsofothergroupsfurthereastsuchastheHuns• TheRomanmilitarywasincapableofstoppingthismovementofpeople• Attimes,Romewouldhiresomeofthesegroupstodefendagainstothergroups• RomecouldhavestrengtheneditselfbyincorporatingthesepeoplesintotheEmpire• Instead,Romanxenophobiaandcrueltykeptthesenewpeoplesoppressedforcingthemtofight• ThreebarbariangeneralswouldplaymajorrolesinthefalloftheWesternRomanEmpire
• AlarictheGoth• AttilatheHun• OdoacerI
TheGoths
• TheGothswereaGermanictribewhoseoriginsareunclear– SomeaccountshavethemmigratingfromScandinavia,othersfromnorthoftheBlackSea
• ItisbelievedtheywerethefirstGermanictribetoconverttoChristianity• TheRomanhistorianPlinytheElderwroteofthemin75CE• TheywerelaterdefinedbytheRomansasVisigoths(WesternGoths)andOstrogoths(Eastern
Goths)• 378CE-TheBattleofAdrianople–TheRomansweredefeatedandEmperorValenswaskilledby
theVisigoths–theRomanArmywouldneverrecoverAlaricI
• AlaricwasageneralandthenkingoftheVisigothsfrom395-410CE• TheGothshadmovedintoRomanlandsfromtheeast,pushedbyothertribes• TheyhadfoughtforandagainsttheRomansastheytriedtofindanewhomewithinthebordersof
theEmpire• ManyGothswouldfightassoldiersintheRomanArmyandsomewouldsettleinRomantowns
andcities• ThemajorityoftheGothsremainedwithAlaricinmakeshiftvillagesandcampsconstantlyonthe
movebutfeelingsafeamongsttheirownpeople• Growinghatredandracismtowards“barbarians’amongstRomancitizensledtotwoeventsthat
wouldprovoketheGothsintoaction:• ThearrestandexecutionoftheRomanGeneralStilichowhohadpromisedlandtoAlaricin
exchangeforhelpingdefendtheEmpire
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• ThemassacreoftensofthousandsofwivesandchildrenoftheGothsservingintheRomanmilitarybytheRomanpopulation
• 30,000GothicsoldiersdefectedfromtheRomanmilitaryandjoinedAlaric• AlaricwouldlaysiegetoRome
• DidnotintendtotakeitbutinsteadwantedtoforcetheRomanstokeeptheirpromise• RomewasnolongerthecapitaloftheWesternRomanEmpireasitwasovercrowdedanddirty–
thenewcapitalwasRavenna• ThecitywasstillanimportantsymboltotheRomanpeople• TheRomansdelayedandmademorepromisesonlytobreakthem• August24,410CE–AlaricenteredRomeandtheGothswouldsackthecityoverthreedays• Romewouldneverrecoverfromthepsychologicaldamage
TheGoths
Itshouldhavebeendifferent• TheGothscouldhavehelpedsaveRome• AlarichadnotwantedtofightRome,hehadwantedhispeopletosettleinandbecomepartofthe
Empire• Racismtowards“barbarians”ledtohorriblesufferingfortheGoths• AlaricforcedRometoitskneesbecausehehadnootheroption• HistoricalaccountssaythatAlaricmadesuretheGothstreatedtheinhabitantsofRomehumanely
astheyplunderedRome’streasuresTheHuns
• TheHunswereanomadictribewhoseoriginsandevenappearanceremainamystery• Theywereexperthorsemen,seemingtobeonewiththeirsteeds,rarelyseendismounted• Theyarethoughttoberesponsiblefor“TheGreatMigration”asvariousgroupsmovedwestinto
Romanterritorytoescapetheirbrutality:IncludedGoths,Alans,VandalsAttilatheHun
• RuledtheHunsfrom434untilhisdeathin453CE• BeforeAttila’stimetheHunshadmovedwestfromcentralAsiaandenteredRomanterritory• TheRomansandtheGermanictribeswerecompletelyunpreparedfortheHunstyleofwarfare–
themountedarcher• TheEmpirewasforcedtopayhundredsofpoundsofgoldayeartotheHunstostopthemfrom
destroyingRomantownsandvillages• 451CE-AcombinedRomanandVisigotharmywouldbarelydefeatAttilaatOrleansinmodern-
dayFrance• 452CE-AttilamarchedonRome,devastatingmanyItaliantownsontheway• AccordingtolegendPopeLeowentouttoconfrontAttilaandconvincedtheHuntoturnbackwith
thefearofgod• Inreality,ItalywassufferingthroughafamineandtherewaslittlefoodtosupplytheHunnicarmy• Attiladiedathisweddingcelebrationthefollowingyear
Odoacer
• Germanicgeneralwholivedfrom433-493CE• OdoacerandhisarmywasthehiredmilitarymightbehindthelasttwoWesternRomanemperors
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• 476CE–Deposedthelastemperor,RomulusAugustulus(stillaboy)andmadehimselfkingoftheItalianPeninsula
• RomanpowerintheWestwasofficiallyoverand476isthetraditionaldategivenforthefalloftheWesternRomanEmpire
TheDarkAges
• TheWesternEmpirewouldnowberuledandfoughtoverbyGermanicwarlords• Roadsandbridgeswereleftindisrepair,fieldsleftuntilled• Citiescouldnotbemaintainedwithoutproducefromfarms,tradeandbusinessceased• Peopleleftthecitiesandreturnedtoanagrarianlifestyleinthecountry• TheDarkAgesinWesternEuropehadbegun
TheByzantiumEmpire
• TheEasternRomanEmpirewouldremainforanotherthousandyears• ThisEasternEmpirewasnotaworldthatJuliusorAugustusCaesarwouldhaverecognized• ItwasaChristianEmpirealmostfromitsbeginningwhenConstantineImovedtheRomancapital
toConstantinople• HeavyculturalinfluencesfromtheMiddleEastalongwithGreekbecomingthemainlanguage
wouldmaketheByzantiumEmpireaveryun-RomanworldJustinianTheGreat
• EasternRomanEmperor–527-564CE• SomehistoriansconsiderhimthelasttrueRomanemperor• LastemperorwhospokeLatinasafirstlanguage• AttemptedtoresurrecttheimperialpoweroftheRomanEmpire• WouldreconquerandbrieflyholdpartsoftheoldWesternEmpireincludingRomeandItaly• 541-542CE–thePlagueofJustinianwouldcrippletheByzantiumEmpire,devastatethearmy,
andcutshortJustinian’sreconquestoftheWest• AllofthegainsintheWestwouldbelostafterthedeathofJustinian• JustinianTheGreatwouldbemostfamousforhislawcode–theCodeofJustinian–whichwould
laytheframeworkforlawsthatwouldinfluencetheworldforcenturies