Rome Decline Lesson

Rome's Decline

Lesson 2

A Troubled Empire

The peace of the Pax Romana was followed by a century of confusion and violence. Roman government grew weak while the army grew strong and independent. The legions of the army fought each other to put new emperors on the throne. Rome had 22 emperors in a period of 50 years. This period of civil war caused great suffering, including:

● Food shortages

● High prices

● Decreased support for education

● Unpaid taxes

A Troubled Empire Cont...

The government tried to fix the economy by making more new coins. These new coins had less value, so it cost more to buy goods. This is called inflation. Inflation happens when prices go up and money is worth less. People began to barter. Instead of using money, they traded one product or service for another.

As Rome struggled, Germanic tribes began to attack the empire. The Romans built walls around their cities for protection. The Roman government hired Germanic soldiers for the army, but these soldiers had no loyalty to Rome.

Open Ended

How did the new coins effect the Roman economy?

Open Ended

During the period of Civil War, how did Rome suffer?

A Troubled Empire Cont...

In a.d. 284, a general named Diocletian became emperor. He tried to strengthen the empire by making many reforms, or changes to make things better.

He built forts along the borders. He set prices for goods and wages. This was to keep prices from rising even more. People paid no attention to his rules. Diocletian was not strong enough to enforce them, so his reforms did not work.

Open Ended

How did Diocletian try to improve Rome's economy?

The Fall of Rome

The next emperor was Constantine. Constantine made the military stronger. Nothing seemed to help Rome improve. In a.d. 330, he moved the capital from Rome to Byzantium in the east. Then he changed the name of the new capital to Constantinople. That name lasted many years. Today the city is known as Istanbul in present-day Turkey. Constantine’s reforms helped the empire, but not enough.

After Constantine died, Theodosius took power. He realized that the empire had grown too big to rule. When Theodosius died, he left a will that instructed the Romans to divide the empire into eastern and western parts. When the Romans divided the empire, they also divided the army. The western half of the empire was now too weak to stop invaders.

Open Ended

What did Constantine decide to do when he saw that his reforms were not working?

The Fall of Rome Cont..

In the a.d. 300s and a.d. 400s, many Germanic tribes took over Roman land. Some wanted better land for raising crops and farm animals. Many were running away from the Huns, a fierce group of warriors. A tribe called the Visigoths asked Rome for protection. The Romans let the Visigoths live just inside the empire's border. Later, the Romans treated the Visigoths badly so the tribe fought back. The Visigoths captured Rome in a.d. 410.

Then, another Germanic tribe, the Vandals, invaded the Western Roman Empire. They burned buildings and took valuable things. The Germanic people now had entered every part of Roman society. Many held high government positions.

Open Ended

Why did some Germanic tribes want land?

Open Ended

Why did the Visigoths rebel?

The Fall of Rome Cont...

The last Western Roman emperor was a 14-year old boy name Romulus Augustulus. He did not have strong power or support.

In a.d. 476, a Germanic general named Odoacer overthrew the

emperor. He took control of Rome. No Roman emperor ever

again ruled from Rome. This is considered the end of the Western

Roman Empire.

Open Ended

Why do historians consider a.d. 476 an important date?

Rome's Legacies

Roman ideas still influence our lives in the United States today. We read Roman literature. Modern buildings use Roman arches, domes, and concrete.

We share Roman ideas about justice and the law. Like the Romans, we believe that everyone is equal under the law and that a person is considered innocent until proven guilty. We also require judges to decide court cases fairly.

Our government, too, is similar to the Roman republic. In a republic, citizens elect their leaders. As in Rome, our republic works best when citizens get involved.

Rome's Legacies Cont...

The Romans also influenced how we speak. The Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian languages come from Latin. Many English words have Latin roots. We use the Latin alphabet. Doctors, lawyers, and scientists use Latin phrases in their work. All plant and animal species have Latin names.

Some of our architecture and construction comes from the Romans. Government buildings and state capitols often use domes and arches. Concrete, developed by the Romans, is an important building material today.

One of the world’s major religions, Christianity, began in the Roman Empire. It spread with the help of the Roman road system.

Open Ended

How did the language of the Romans influence languages used today.

Open Ended

List 2 Roman contributions that still influence our lives

today (other than language).