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Which ancient civilization is most
associated with the terms listed in the
box above?
A Chinese
B Egyptian
C Mesopotamian
D Roman
TLW…
 Discuss the reasons for the
fall of the Roman Empire
 Examine the reigns of
Constantine and Justinian and
the rise of the Byzantine
Empire
 Define Justinian Code
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Many different factors led to the rise and fall
of ancient empires. The Roman Empire was
no exception. By the third century A.D., Rome
had forged the largest empire the world had
ever known. But the empire’s vast size would
pose many problems for its rulers and
eventually contribute to its decline.
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Barbarian invasions- Germanic tribes attacked along the Danube;
Parthians waged war in east; North Africans pushed on the
southern borders.
Ineffective emperors-Caligula was insane. He ordered the murder
of many people and wasted huge sums of money. Commodus
spent most of his time seeking glory for himself—he even
announced he was the new Romulus and wanted the city renamed
after him. He did little to solve serious problems facing Rome.
Nero was a brutal, ruthless emperor who was not concerned about
his people.
Too many demands on the army- As the empire grew, more
troops were needed to protect the frontiers. Soldiers hired on the
frontiers were not willing to go defend other parts of the empire
and often were loyal to local commanders rather than rulers in
Rome. Sending soldiers out to the frontiers caused a manpower
shortage in Rome.
Disease- Soldiers returning from Parthia brought back the plague;
from A.D. 250-400, waves of smallpox and other diseases
decreased the population.
Overextension of the empire- It was difficult to govern efficiently
and effectively. It was hard to defend the outlying provinces as
more and more troops were needed. Romans were exposed to
diseases from other lands. The empire had to cope with many local
languages and customs.
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Who They Were: tribes who
lived outside the Roman
Empire, including the Goths
(Visigoths and Ostrogoths),
Huns, and Vandals
Where They Lived: outskirts
of the Roman Empire and
surrounding lands
How They Lived: nomadic
way of life
What They Did: plundered,
raided, seized territory,
forced payments
What They Became Over
Time: the modern nations of
Europe and the Middle East
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Emperor Diocletian decided the only thing
to do with Rome was to split the empire in
half, because he felt that it had grown too
large to run smoothly. That way, it would
be easier to manage. This created two
Roman empires - the Western Roman
Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire.
Each side had a ruler in charge of it
emperor—the Augustus—and an
assistant—the Caesar.. But the ruler who
was in charge of Rome was the senior
ruler. The Western Roman Empire
(Europe/North Africa) included the city of
Rome. The Eastern Roman Empire
(Turkey/parts of Asia) included the city of
Byzantium.
Rather than rule Rome, Diocletian chose to
rule the Eastern Roman Empire. He placed
a good friend in charge of Rome. Before he
left town, Emperor Diocletian moved a
great deal of Rome's money over to the
Eastern Roman Empire.
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A.D. 274 - A.D. 337
The vision that influenced Constantine was
of a flaming Chi Rho symbol in the sky with
the Latin words In hocsigno vinces under
it- "in this sign you will conquer."
Seen as ambitious, friend to the Christians,
able warrior, effective ruler, brilliant leader,
convert to Christianity at the end of his life.
the Edict of Milan helped Christianity
spread faster than ever- a proclamation
that permanently established religious
toleration for Christianity within the Roman
Empire. It was the outcome of a political
agreement concluded in Milan between the
Roman emperors Constantine I and Licinius
in February 313.
He helped Christianity spread by legalizing
the religion and ending the persecution of
Christians, and he moved the capital from
Rome to the city of Byzantium (later
renamed Constantinople).
Chi and Rho are the first two
letters (ΧΡ) of "Christ" in
Greek ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ. (Christos).
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Constantine’s Edict of Milan made Christianity
a legally recognized faith in the Roman
Empire, the religion began to spread faster
than ever. List some things about Christianity
that appealed to the people of the empire:
◦ It offered comfort in troubled times.
◦ It gave them hope for a better future (in the present
life and in the next).
◦ It included a call to love and help one’s neighbors.
◦ It seemed to give meaning to their hard lives.
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292: Diocletian divides the Roman empire into two.
324: Constantine reunites the two parts
330: Constantine builds a new capital in the location of
ancient Byzantium
337: The death of Constantine results in division between
east and west.
When people say "Rome fell", they mean the Western Roman
Empire. The Western Roman Empire, pictured below in dark
gold, included the city of ancient Rome. The Western Roman
Empire fell into the Dark Ages in 476 CE.
The Eastern Roman Empire, pictured in green below, with its
capital Constantinople, continued for another thousand
years.
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A series of events contributed to a
gradual decline of the Roman Empire
until, at last, one event heralded the
end. Here’s a list of events that can be
collectively considered “the fall of
Rome.”
Emperors and generals fought over land.
Roads and buildings fell into disrepair.
War, famine, and disease took many lives.
Invading tribes of barbarians overran
Roman lands and towns.
◦ In 410 A.D., Visigoths plundered Rome
after the emperor of the Western Empire
and his court fled.
◦ In 476 A.D., barbarians captured and
exiled Romulus Augustulus, the last
Roman emperor.
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Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to
Byzantium. When the glory that was Rome faded in the
West, the Eastern Empire continued to flourish, becoming
the Byzantine Empire. Eventually, this empire extended
from Spain to the Black Sea and along the north coast of
Africa. The Byzantine Empire developed a new culture,
exciting art, and remarkable architecture that still inspire
awe today. Influences from both West and East came
together in the glory and grandeur of the Byzantine
Empire.
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Many people helped the Byzantine Empire
grow and prosper, but none contributed
more than Justinian and Theodora. Acting as
a team, the emperor and empress provided
forceful leadership and great insight. They
expanded the empire and united it through
law, art, and architecture.
Justinian
◦ He created Justinian’s Code.
◦ He transformed the capital into a city with many
churches, including the magnificent Hagia Sophia.
He also built an enormous underground aqueduct.
 The Hagia Sophia is a huge domed cathedral built by
the Byzantine emperor Justinian in Constantinople
around A.D. 535. The name means “Holy Wisdom.”
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Theodora
◦ Theodora was the empress, wife, partner, and
trusted advisor to Justinian.
 upset a lot of people because she was an actress,
and many people thought all actresses were bad
women. But in fact she made a good empress, and
Justinian seems to have loved her very much, even
though they never were able to have any children.
◦ She built hospitals for the sick and converted an
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Emperor Justinian wanted to save in writing
all the laws that began in ancient Rome. In
ancient Rome, those laws were called the
Twelve Tables. Emperor Justinian collected up
all the old laws, and added new ones that
gave his people even more rights. He called
this body of law the Code.
One of the laws in Justinian's Code stated that
a person was innocent until proven guilty.
These laws form the basis of all today's
justice systems in the western world.
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Justinian made peace with King Khusrho of
the Sassanids in 532 AD, which made it
possible for him to send Roman troops to
reconquer Africa from the Vandals, Italy
from the Ostrogoths, and Spain from the
Visigoths. This is called the Byzantine
Reconquest. These troops mainly
succeeded, though after his death the land
was slowly lost again to new invaders.
On the other hand, there were many raids
into the empire during his reign, especially
in the Balkans. And, beginning in 542 AD,
there was a terrible plague throughout the
Empire, which may be the first appearance
of the bubonic plague.
______ divides the
Roman empire into two.
A. Diocletian
B. Constantine
C. Justinian
D. Nero
Emperor Justinian made all
new laws that were
completely different from the
Roman’s Twelve Tables
 For True
X for False