Roman Empire

Reasons for the Decline of Rome

Political

• Political office was seen as a burden, not as a reward

• The military interfered with politics • Civil war and unrest broke out • The empire was divided into East and West • The capital was moved from Rome to

Byzantium

Military

• There was a threat of invasion from northern Germanic tribes

• Funds for defense were low• Problems with recruiting Roman citizens

occurred, so they had to recruit non-Romans

• Patriotism and loyalty among soldiers declined

Economic

• Poor harvests• Disruption of trade• Lack of gold and silver• Inflation• The tax burden was crushing• A widening gap between rich and poor,

with an increasing poverty in the West

Social

• There was a decline in interest of public affairs 

• Confidence in the empire was dropping • Loyalty and patriotism was falling,

corruption was wide-spread • A contrast between rich and poor

Roman Empire

Efforts at Reform

Diocletian’s Reforms

• Became emperor in 284 C.E. • Doubled the size of the armies • Hired German mercenaries

(foreign soldiers who fought for money)

Diocletian’s Reforms

• Tried to control inflation by setting prices for goods

• Froze jobs, no one could switch professions• Passed laws to persecute the Christians• Divided the empire into the Greek-speaking

East and the Latin-speaking West

Results of Diocletian’s Attempts

• Slowed the decline of the empire• Borders became safe again • The emperor’s prestige was restored • After he retired, civil war broke out and

four rivals competed for power

Constantine

• Took over in the West in 312 C.E.

• Took over the East in 324 C.E.

Constantine’s Reforms

• Moved the capital from Rome to the Greek city of Byzantium

• Protected the city with massive walls and filled it with imperial buildings like Rome

• Gave the city a new name, Constantinople

Results of Constantine’s Attempts

• Capital was now located on major East-West trade routes

• The center of power in the empire shifted East

• After his death, the empire was divided again and the East survived while the West fell

Roman Empire

Foreign Invasions

Foreign Invasions

• Wars in East Asia caused the Huns to migrate across Central Asia. By 350 C.E., the Huns reached Eastern Europe.

• Germanic Tribes sought safety (escape from the Huns) by crossing into Roman territory.

• Roman armies were unable to defend themselves against the Germanic tribes.

Foreign Invasions

• In 434 C.E., Attila the Hun’s invasion of Europe sent more Germanic tribes into Rome.

• In 476 C.E., Odoacer, a Germanic leader, ousted the emperor in Rome.