The Slow Decline of the Roman Empire

400 years of history in one Powerpoint presentation

Augustus- The Exalted One

Friends, Romans and Countrymen lend me your ears

HAVE CHILDREN…THE EMPIRE NEEDS THEM

LIVE A MORAL LIFE…THOSE WHO DON’T WILL BE SENT ELSEWHERE

PRAY TO THE GODS

Augustus (Octavian) Caesar

Built foundation for the Pax Romana (an extended time of peace for Rome)

Eliminated taxes for goods crossing the border between provinces

AUGUSTUS

More on Augustus

Monetary Policy- The money supply- The Denarius

A Stable money supply makes for a strong nation

We need better roads, bridges and aqueducts

Lower Taxes!Helped to create the Pax Romana

PAX ROMANA

NOT A CHEESE BUT AN IDEA!!! When in Rome… All Roads lead to Rome… Built up Rome (“Rome was made of

bricks when I came, marble when I left…”)

Next!

A little matter of succession… Who should decide? Selected by the Senate? The emperor himself? Praetorian Guard? Been there, done that. All of ‘em.

(Drumroll please…) The Good Emperors!

Ruled from 96 A.D. – 180 A.D. (85 years) Mostly made decisions beneficial to Rome

(Including a welfare program for kids) Mostly military leaders Absolute monarchs, but known fo tolerance

and diplomacy

2 Bad Emperors- Incompetent Caligula

– I hereby name my horse- Co-Consul Nero

– Do you mind if I play my Fiddle??? While Rome Burns????

– Persecuted Christians, Killed the Christian Apostles, Paul and Peter

3 Good Emperors

Trajan 98 AD- 117– Selected rather than Born into it-– Stabilized the Roman Empire- First non-Roman

emperor (Spanish) Hadrian 120 CE

– Rome reaches it Geographic Pinnacle!!!– All the Way from North Africa to Hadrian’s Wall!

Marcus Aurelius 162-180 CE– The last of the Good Emperors– Tried to secure the Northern Borders against the

German Barbarians– Stoic!! Wrote Meditations

What goes up…

By 200 A.D. the empire was in trouble Pirates, raiders, and barbarians…oh my! Greedy folks…pouring out money for foreign

luxuries (spices, silk, etc) Say, is there any silver in this coin?

(eventually lost 98% of the silver in the money) HUGE INFLATION

Tired dirt

But wait, there is more bad news…

Barbarians at the GATE- Goths (nope, not the type in schools today) beat up the legions on the Danube

Persia captures the Roman emperor Valerian…uses as a permanent foot stool.

Have money? Will fight. (all soldiers mercenaries, some not even Roman)

The descent continues…

Patriotism takes a dive. Nobody cares about the “republic”

Army (armies) have too much influence on government

Praetorian Guard No one wants to be a politician…too much

at stake (if your people don’t give you enough tax money, you have to make up the difference. Gulp.)

Who do you call when your Empire is in Trouble

DIOCLETIAN!!! 284 – 305 CE– A Spanish born Emperor he tries to restore stability

Let’s divide it up!!! Empire is divided into for parts Secure the Borders Stop Inflation Restore the Gods An Emperor should look like an Emperor

THE DIVIDED ROME- Eastern and Western Capital

The Capital Moves!!! On to Constantinople

Moves the Capital from Rome to Byzantium which becomes known as “Constantinople”---today its’ Istanbul

Christianizes Rome

306-337 AD

Christianity becomes the New Religion

Battle of Milvian Bridge

The last Century – 5th

Attila the Hun not the one in the Disney Movie---on the outskirts of Rome– Pope Leo I makes a deal

Romulus Augustulus to Odoacer The last Roman Emperor- IN THE WEST

– 476 CE– Eastern Empire has another 1000 years

before it completely collapses– Visigoth ODOACER takes control

Goths and other BarbariansPants!!!

Western Europe ruled by Barbarians!!! A Sea of Instability

The East Still Lives