Roman Decline• What’s going on, circa 200’s CE?

– Christianity spreading– Marcus Aurelius dies in 180Pax Romana

comes to an end– Aurelius’ son, Commodus takes over

• Comparable to Nero

Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus

Roman Decline• Time of political instability and unsuccessful

reforms• Diocletian (ruled 284-305)

– Emerged as ruler from political struggle– Saw the empire as too big—a single center would not

work– 293 CE- divided the empire in quarters—2 in the west

and 2 in the east• Governed by him and 3 appointed partners

– Called “tetrarchy” or rule by four

• Diocletian was the supreme ruler and the other 3 were loyal to him

• Maximian was the most powerful leader in the west, Diocletian in the east

WESTWESTEASTEAST

Political Instability means Economic Instability

• Inflation was a problem in the empire– People hoarded food and goods, as a result

• 301- Diocletian issues the Edict of Prices– Wage and price controls– Set maximums for the prices for about 1000 goods

and services– Forbade hoarding– Ineffective…why?

• Merchants did not cooperate• Hard to enforce

• Raised taxes, esp. for elites

*Diocletian was also responsible for a massive persecution against Christians in 303.

Constantine• Ruled 312- 337• Edict of Milan—313, proclaimed free choice of

religion• Tried to enforce Diocletian’s reforms• 330- moved capital to Byzantium and renamed in

Constantinople (Istanbul today)– Significant because it “shifted” the empire east

Theodosius• Ruled 379- 395• 391- Banned polytheism• Died in 395, and willed east and west to be

separate

Germanic Tribes• Will bring decline to the west• Franks, Vandals, Ostrogoths, Visogoths,

Lombards, Huns, Celts, Angles and Saxons• Moved into the empire in the west• 2 major reasons for their migration into the

western empire:– Fleeing attacks of the Huns– Joining Roman prosperity

• First migrations encouraged by Roman emperors (Germanic men could serve in the Roman army)

• By the 370’s, Germanic peoples were flooding into the empire, and western gov’t could not absorb them or defend against them

• Germanic bands began settling in Roman territory in the 4th century

• Were warrior groups

• 378- Visogoths defeat Roman army at Adrianople, and killed the eastern emperor

• 410- Visogoths invade, capture and sack Rome

• Romans and Visogoths combine forces to fight the Huns in 451 in Gaul

• Huns (under Attila) sacked Italy

476—Why this date matters

• Huns leave Italy/Rome destroyed• 455- Vandals raid Rome• 476- Odoacer (OH-duh-WAY-suhr), a Germanic

soldier, overthrew Romulus Augustus and took Rome– Then named himself king of Italy

• This date is considered the end of the Roman empire…but is it really?

{What remains in the east? Culture?}