Fall Of Rome Pwpt
Transcript of Fall Of Rome Pwpt
The Fall of RomeFor centuries after the rule of its first emperor, begun in 27 B.C.E., the Roman Empire was the most powerful
state in the ancient world. Rome continued to expand to include 3 continents: Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Roman Empire Expansion
What is needed to control such a vast empire?
The Fall of Rome
Political Causes •Oppressive government, loss of popular support
•Increased government corruption
•Division of empire – Too large to control
•Internal power struggles – Lack of organized system of succession
Diocletian (284—305) and the Division of the Roman Empire
These included splitting the Empire into two in
order to be more manageable, creating a new system of Imperial succession to answer the question of who
would be Emperor of the newly divided East and West, called the system of "Tetrarchy", or "rule of four", whereby a senior emperor would rule in the East and West, and
each would have a junior emperor.
Diocletian believed that going forward under the current system of Roman Imperial government was unsustainable. He initiated a number of reforms to prevent a return to the anarchy of previous generations and maintain the viability of the Empire.
Constantine (306-337) Constantine is famed for his rebuilding of Byzantium as Constantinople (Constantine's City). Constantine is best remembered in modern times for the Edict of Milan in 313
and the Council of Nicaea in 325, which fully legalized and legitimized Christianity in the Empire for the first
time.
These actions are considered major factors
in the spread of Christianity and helped to
give him the title of the "first Christian Emperor."
Economic
Causes •Increase in taxes to support army and bureaucracy
•Reliance on slave labor
•Indenture of farmers to wealthy landowners
•Unemployment
•Welfare system
Social Causes
•Population decline caused by war and disease
•Decline in patriotism, discipline, and devotion to duty
•Spread of Christianity
•Devotion of upper classes to luxury and self-interest
•Bread and Circus
Military Causes
•Poorly trained armies
•Army deteriorates
•Little loyalty among hired soldiers
•Threat of the Huns
•Series of Germanic invasions beginning in 3rd century
External Forces
The warmer climate, rich farmlands, and wealth of the Roman lands attracted the Germanic
tribes. By the 5th century, the Roman Empire was overrun by barbarians.
Germanic tribes from northern Europe crossed the Roman frontier and invaded Greece, Italy, Spain, and coastal areas of Asia Minor.
Attila the HunAttila the Hun was King of the
Huns (circa 433-53). He was one of the most feared and notorious
barbarians of all time.
Sweeping west across the Rhine River into Gaul, Attila's forces fought the Romans at the Battle of Châlons in 451 CE. Against all odds, the
Huns were defeated. Attila later died mysteriously, some say of a massive nose bleed. Attila’s retreat across the Rhine was the last
victory achieved in the name of the Western Roman Empire.
Odoacer
Odoacer (435 – 493), was the half Hunnish, half Scirian chieftain of the Germanic Heruli. He is best known to history as the man who deposed the
last Western Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustus, in 476. As the first “barbarian king” of Italy, 476 is traditionally considered the end of the
Western Roman Empire.
The Fall of Rome
Once the Roman army could no longer defend its borders, Germanic tribes began pouring into Europe. One Roman province fell after another. In 476 A.D., the Western Roman
emperor was overthrown. Odoacer was then proclaimed king of Italy. The ancient world was drawing to a close.
I. Necessary preconditions for the rise of empires:
Rome Han
State-level government
High agricultural potential in the area
An environmental mosaic
Several small states with no clearly dominant state (power vacuum)
Mutual antagonisms among those states
Adequate military resources
I. Conrad Demarest Model of Empire
Kept most of Qin centralized government
Established Roman Republic.
Wheat, grapes, cattle Wheat, millet, pigs
Alps, Mediterranean Sea, forests, Tiber and other rivers, hills
Tianshan mountains, Yellow and Yangtze river, loess soil, Pacific Ocean
Rome and other city-states on Italian peninsula; surrounding states in Mediterranean
Qin empire broken into smaller states
rivalry between pastoralists in hills and agriculturalists in plains
Warring States period before Qin unification
Surplus of men and resources. Expanded and created professional army.
soldiers recruited from peasant class within the entire empire.
II. Conrad Demarest Model of EmpireII. The primary
reason a state succeeded in empire building
Rome Han
An ideology supporting personal identification with the state, empire, conquest, and militarism.
“Republic" based on citizenship of free men;
citizenship ensured loyalty to state and brought taxes
into the state treasury; emperor-dictators had to
support the idea of the republic and pretend to follow what the Senate
decreed. Development of bureaucracy helped run
empire.
Militaristic Legalism developed by Qin continued, then
softened by Confucian system of government
based on ethics, meritocracy, and
concept of Mandate of Heaven. Development of bureaucracy helped run empire. Tribute
system for foreign relations.
III. Conrad Demarest Model of EmpireIII. The major
rewards of empire:
Rome Han
Economic rewards, reaped especially in the early years and redistributed to the elite and often to all levels of the citizenry
citizenship led to recognition of place in
society, possible government and military positions of leadership,
opportunities for merchants, Roman-style urbanism for new towns
and cities. New trade and products.
land for supporters, expansion of established
cities, creation of new capital, storehouses of
food when supplies fell. Golden age of art,
architecture, technology, etc.
Population increase, often supported by the government and its ideology
population increased as new lands with more people were conquered
population increased as new land was colonized by Chinese farmers.
IV. Conrad Demarest Model of EmpireIV. Empires fall
because:Rome Han
The ideology of expansion and conquest fueled attempts at conquest beyond practical limits
Failure to continue conquest indefinitely and to continue to bring home its economic fruits eroded faith in the ideology.
tenant farmers looked to landowners of latifundias
for security; soldiers' loyalty shifted to generals
rather than the state.
tenant farmers looked to landowners for security;
bandits and rebels attacked government officials and facilities.
Revolutions toppled the empire
military service became less desirable as soldiers lost land;
recruits of "foreigners" to keep numbers of soldiers up
led to dissatisfaction; tax revenues fell, so government failed to pay soldiers fully;
safety within empire and on borders declined.
"barbarians" continued to demand more concessions in
the tribute system; recruits of "foreigners" to keep numbers
of soldiers up led to dissatisfaction; tax revenues and soldiers pay fell; safety
within empire and on borders declined.
Germanic tribes sacked cities near borders and
finally Rome.
Yellow Turbans peasant rebellion and threats from
Nomads in the north.
DeclinDeclinee
Of Of
RomeRome
Economic Causes Military Causes
Political Causes
Social Causes
Name:______________________ Date:_______
•Increase in taxes to support army and bureaucracy
•Poorly trained armies
•Division of empire
•Population decline caused by war and disease
•Little loyalty among hired soldiers
•Decline in patriotism, discipline, and devotion to duty
•Reliance on slave labor
•Oppressive government, loss of popular support
•Internal power struggles
•Series of Germanic invasions
•Indenture of farmers to wealthy landowners
•Devotion of upper classes to luxury and self-interest
•Increased government corruption
Causes of the Decline of Rome
DeclinDeclinee
Of Of
RomeRome
Economic Causes Military Causes
Political Causes
Social Causes
Name:______________________ Date:_______
•Oppressive government, loss of popular support
•Increased government corruption
•Division of empire
•Internal power struggles
•Poorly trained armies
•Little loyalty among hired soldiers
•Series of Germanic invasions
•Increase in taxes to support army and bureaucracy
•Reliance on slave labor
•Indenture of farmers to wealthy landowners
•Population decline caused by war and disease
•Decline in patriotism, discipline, and devotion to duty
•Devotion of upper classes to luxury and self-interest