Decline and Fall of
Rome
Critically Think: What political factors led to the decline of the Roman
Empire? Think besides Christianity.
Problems and Upheavals
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3rd Century – Roman Empire nearly collapses.
Several civil wars take place.
Military governments under Septimius Severus restores order.
New dynasty tone – “Enrich the soldiers, ignore everyone else.”
• What does this mean?
-For about 50 years, the Roman throne was occupied by whomever had the military strength to
seize it.
-In these 50 years, there were 22 emperors.
• the empire was troubled many different invasions
• With the constant change over of the Roman throne, outsiders saw it as easy to enter and
take over the throne.
• the Sassanid (suh • SAH • nuhd) Persians made inroads into Roman territory from the
east.
• Germanic tribes poured into the Balkans, Gaul, and Spain.
• (Remember – this is all part of the Roman Empire during this time period!)
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Invasions
civil wars
plague (epidemic disease)
Economic struggle
A labor shortage created by plague
Military shortage – couldn’t pay them
decline in trade and industry.
Farm production declined as crops were ravaged by invaders or the
defending Roman army.
• Interestingly - By the mid-third century, the empire had to hire Germans to
fight.
• soldiers did not understand Roman traditions
• had little loyalty to either the empire or the emperors.
Let’s recap – What again were some of the
reasons that the Roman Empire was falling?
Reforms by Diocletian and Constantine
• End of 3rd beginning of 4th centuries, the Roman Empire gained one last
chance two emperors, Diocletian and Constantine.
• Changes that they made to the Late Roman Empire:
1. new governmental structure
2. rigid economic and social system
3. new state religion—Christianity.
What does this mean for the struggle that we saw in the last lesson
between the Roman Empire and Christianity?
• Diocletian (Rules 1st this new Roman Empire) believed that the empire had grown too
large for a single ruler
• divided it into four units known as prefectures.
• The entire Roman Empire was divided into two parts, east and west.
• Each part contained two prefectures, ruled by two leaders.
• This new system was called the tetrarchy (rule by four).
• Diocletian’s military power enabled him to hold ultimate authority.
• Constantine (rules second this new Roman Empire) continued and even expanded the
policies of Diocletian.
• biggest project was the construction of a new capital city in the east, on the site of
the Greek city of Byzantium on the shores of the Bosporus. (eventually renamed
Constantinople (now İstanbul, Turkey)
• developed for defensive reasons. Its strategic location provided protection of the
eastern frontier.
• Constantinople, the "New Rome," became the center of the Eastern Roman Empire and
one of the great cities of the world.
How would
establishing
four different
capitals help to
protect Rome?
The End of the Western Roman Empire
Constantine had reunited the Roman Empire and restored order.
After his death, the empire continued to divide into western and
eastern parts as fighting erupted on a regular basis
By 395, the western and eastern parts of the empire became 2
independent states.
• In the fifth century, the empire in the east remained intact under
the Roman emperor in Constantinople.
• At the same time, the empire in the west collapsed and was
replaced by an assortment of Germanic kingdoms.
Decline and Fall of Rome
• Increasing numbers of Germans crossed into the Roman Empire due to loss of their
own lands by foreign peoples.
• By the middle of the fifth century, the western provinces of the Roman Empire had
been taken over by Germanic peoples who were in the process of creating
independent kingdoms.
• Rome was able to withstand for some time.
• power behind the throne tended to rest in the hands of important military
officials known as Masters of the Soldiers.
• These military commanders controlled the government and dominated the
court.
• In 476 Odoacer, a new Master of the Soldiers with German origin, killed the Roman
emperor (Romulus Augustulus).
• End of the Western Roman Empire.
Again, factors that played a role in the
decline of the Roman Empire?
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Christianity weakened Roman military virtues.
Traditional Roman values declined as foreigners moved into the empire.
Lead poisoning through leaden water pipes and cups caused a mental decline in the population.
Plague wiped out one-tenth of the population.
Rome failed to advance technologically due to slavery.
Rome could not create a workable political system. (Too many divisions, military power, change
in emperors, etc.)
• No single explanation can sufficiently explain the fall of a great empire.
• Eastern Empire able to withstand another thousand years against these factors? Why?
Home Learning
1. How did plague help lead to an economic collapse in the 3rd century?
2. Use our class discussion, powerpoints, notes etc. to identify the causes of the
decline and fall of the Roman Empire.
3. What political factors led to the decline of the Roman Empire?
4. What effects did Diocletian and Constantine have on the Roman Empire?
5. How did the migration of immigrants (primarily German tribes) affect the Roman
Empire?
Complete sentences!
McGraw/Hill