The End of the Roman Empire

Mr. DavisSocial Studies 7

Spring 2014

The Height of the Roman Empire

External Threats

• In the 200s, emperors had to give up some of their lands—the empire was too large to manage

• Attacks: Germanic tribes from the North, Persians from the East

Internal Threats

• Roman farmers leave borderlands• Germans come in to farm• Outsiders moving in elect their own leaders

and ignored emperors• Disease• Government increased taxes for defense

Diocletian

• Became emperor in the late 200s

• Decided the empire was too big for one person to rule

• Ruled the Eastern empire, named a co-emperor to rule the West.

Constantine

• Ruled after Diocletian• Moved the capital to

a city in the east named Constantinople

• Rome was no longer considered the center of power

Decline of Rome

• HUNS = fierce warriors from Central Asia. Defeated the Goths (neighboring people of the Roman Empire)

Decline of Rome

• GOTHS = fled the Huns into Roman territory, battled Roman armies and pushed farther into the Empire

• 410: The Visigoths attack Rome. First attack on the city in 800 years.

Other Attackers on Rome

• Vandals• Angles• Saxons• Jutes• Franks

Attila The Hun

• Fierce ruler from Mongolia (in the Far East) that led brutal attacks across the known world

• Vicious military tactics led him to attack Rome around the late 300s

The End of the Empire

• Military leaders take over power from the emperors by 450.

• 476 – Official end of the Roman Empire; foreign military leaders overthrow the last emperor

Factors of Rome’s Fall

• Empire was too large to control• Difficult to communicate• Corruption: the decay of people’s values• Wealthy citizens flee to estates and build up

armies• Population decreased• Schools closed• Taxes & Prices soared

Growth of the Eastern Empire• Justinian – ruled 527-565• Reuniting the Old Empire was

his passion• Developed Justinian’s Code:

removed outdated, non-Christian laws

• Supported by his wife, Theodora

• The empire shrunk after his death

• By 1453 (900 years after his death!) His lands became known as the Ottoman Empire

Byzantines• The Byzantines created an

Eastern society that deviated (strayed) from Rome

• People spoke Greek, not Latin• Importance of Christianity is

reflected in the art and architecture of the area.

• Christianity practiced different in this area than in the west

• 1000s = Orthodox Church created, dividing Christian practices in the east and west