Collapse of the Roman and Han Empires
Historical Comparisons
Long-Distance Travel in the Ancient World
• Lack of police enforcement outside of established settlements
• Changed in classical period– Improvement of infrastructure– Development of empires
©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2
Trade Networks Develop
• Dramatic increase in trade due to Greek colonization
• Maintenance of roads, bridges• Discovery of monsoon wind patterns• Increased tariff revenues used to maintain
open routes
3©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The Silk Roads
• Named for principal commodity from China• Dependent on imperial stability• Overland trade routes from China to Roman
empire• Sea lanes and maritime trade as well
4©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The Silk Roads, 200 B.C.E.-300 C.E.
©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 5
Organization of Long-Distance Trade
• Divided into small segments– Trade done in stages
• Sea trade– Malay and Indian mariners– Persian, Egyptian, Greek
©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 6
Cultural Trade: Buddhism and Hinduism
• Merchants carry religious ideas along silk routes
• India through central Asia to east Asia• Cosmopolitan centers promote development
of monasteries to shelter traveling merchants• Buddhism becomes dominant faith of silk
roads, 200 B.C.E.-1000 C.E.
©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 7
The Spread of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity, 200 B.C.E.-400 C.E.
©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 8
The Spread of Epidemic Disease
• Role of trade routes in spread of pathogens• Limited data, but trends in demographics
reasonably clear• Smallpox, measles, bubonic plague• Effect: economic slowdown, move to regional
self-sufficiency
9©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Epidemics in the Han and Roman Empires
10©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Internal Decay of the Han State
• Court intrigue• Problem of land distribution– Large landholders develop private armies
• Epidemics• Peasant rebellions– 184 C.E., Yellow Turban uprising
11©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Sinicization of Nomadic Peoples
• Social and cultural changes to a Chinese way of life
• Adapted to the Chinese environment– Agriculture
• Adoption of Chinese names, dress, intermarriage
12©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Popularity of Buddhism and Daoism
• Disintegration of political order casts doubt on Confucian doctrines
• Buddhism, Daoism gain popularity• Religions of salvation
©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 13
Fall of the Roman Empire: Internal Factors
• The “barracks emperors”• 235-284 C.E., twenty-six claimants to the
throne, all but one killed in power struggles• Epidemics• Disintegration of imperial economy in favor of
local and regional self-sufficient economies
©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 14
Diocletian (r. 284-305 C.E.)
• Divided empire into two administrative districts
• Co-emperors, dual lieutenants– “Tetrarchs”
• Currency, budget reform• Relative stability disappears after Diocletian's
death, civil war follows• Constantine emerges victorious
15©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Fall of the Roman Empire: External Factors
• Visigoths, influenced by Roman law, Christianity– Formerly buffer states for Roman empire
• Attacked by Huns under Attila in fifth century C.E.
• Massive migration of Germanic peoples into Roman empire
• Sacked Rome in 410 C.E., established Germanic emperor in 476 C.E.
©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 16
Germanic Invasions and the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, 450-476 C.E.
©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 17
Cultural Change in the Roman Empire
• Growth of Christianity– Constantine’s vision, 312 C.E.– Promulgates Edict of Milan, allows Christian
practice– Converts to Christianity
• 380 C.E., Emperor Theodosius proclaims Christianity official religion of Roman empire
©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 18
The Fall of Rome
For centuries after the rule of its first emperor, begun in 27 B.C., the Roman Empire was the most powerful state in the ancient world. Rome continued to expand to include 3 continents: Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Many factors cause the decline of Rome
By the second century, the Roman Empire seemed indestructible. Yet, by the end of the fifth century it had collapsed. Rome did not fall instantly.Instead the empire went through a long slow decline. Many conditions caused the fall of Rome including internal (inside) and external (outside) forces.
The Fall of Rome
Internal Forces 3 Main Categories:- Political - Economic- Social
External Forces
- Invaders, also called barbarians
Political • Corruption in government• Plebeians had no rights• Empire too large to control• Emperors plotted against
each other for control instead of uniting
• Civil wars• Government lost loyalty as
patricians moved to villas and stopped caring about government
• Army deteriorates
Economic
• Slavery• Unemployment• Welfare system• Taxation• Forced labor• Decrease in trade
Social
• Christianity• Loss of citizen’s
confidence and loyalty• Population declines• Hierarchical classes• Too many cultures• Bread and circuses• Plague
External Forces
Invaders, also called barbarians, began to invade in the 3rd century. Germanic tribes from northern Europe crossed the Roman frontier and invaded Greece, Italy, Spain, and coastal areas of Asia Minor. 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.
Diocletian
Constantine
The Fall of RomeOnce 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.
Top Related