The Decline of the The Decline of the

Roman EmpireRoman Empire

Crisis

• After the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180, the golden age of the Pax Romana ended.

• Political violence, civil wars, and instability became the rule in the next 100 years.– 22 emperors total

“Bread and Circuses”

• Many emperors tried to distract the Roman masses of people from serious political issues by giving them free bread and entertaining them.– Circus Maximus

• Horse and chariot races

– Colliseum• Gladiator fights

Circus Maximus

Colliseum

• http://podcasts.howstuffworks.com/hsw/podcasts/csotp/2011-01-21-csotp-colosseum.mp4?_kip_ipx=1469016428-1324401293

Emperor Diocletian

• (284 A.D.) To make the empire easier to govern, he divided it into two halves—the eastern and western empire.

• He kept control of the wealthier eastern part himself, but appointed co-emperors and caesars.– This is called a tetrarchy, or govt.

by four rulers

Adoption of Christianity

• Christians had been persecuted early on.

• Christian church became more structured by utilizing a clergy, or church leaders.

Adoption of Christianity

• How did Christianity attract followers?

1.Message was personal and offered salvation.

2.Similar to other religions and Jesus was a human figure that was easy to relate to.

3.Fulfilled human need to belong.

Adoption of Christianity

• Christians had become too strong to blot out by force.

Emperor Constantine• (312) Gained throne.

• Constantine became the first Christian emperor and was baptized late in his life.

• He issued the Edict of Milan– Proclaimed official tolerance

and no more persecutions.

Constantine

• He built the new capital of Constantinople in the eastern empire on the site of the Greek city of Byzantium.

• Diocletian and Constantine’s reforms enlarged the army and civil service, which drained public funds.– Population declined so tax base was not

big enough to pay for these.

• Massive inflation, or rapid increase in prices

Foreign Invasion

• The Germanic peoples invaded.– Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals,

etc.

• The Huns, a nomadic people from Asia, fought fierce battles to dislodge the Germanic peoples in their path.

• So the Huns and Germanic peoples attacked and Rome had to surrender Britain, then France and Spain.

The Pantheon

Foreign Invasion

• Attila the HunAttila the Hun embarked on a savage campaign across much of Europe and the western Roman empire.

• He sent more Germanic peoples fleeing into the Roman empire.

• (476) OdacerOdacer, a Germanic leader, ousted the emperor of Rome.

• Eastern Roman Empire survived for another 1,000 years.