Bellwork
• What caused the fall of the Roman
Republic? What do you think will lead to
the end of the Roman Empire?
World History
Section 3, Unit 6
Ancient Rome p. 4
Objectives
• Identify the causes of the fall of Rome
• Discuss why the empire was forced to move to
Constantinople
• Examine the role and movements of the
invaders, including the Huns
• Identify the cultural characteristics of Rome
• Define “Greco-Roman”
• Describe and analyze how Greco-Roman
culture impacted Western Civilization.
Decline
• Historians generally agree that the Roman
Empire began to decline around 180 A.D.,
after the rule of the last of the Five Good
Emperors, Marcus Aurelius. The rulers over
the next century were incapable of dealing
with the problems facing the empire.
– Some were brutal to their people and only
served to hasten the decay.
Loss of Resources
• During the Pax Romana,
three sources of
prosperity– (1) bustling
trade patrolled by
Roman soldiers, (2)
farms with enough food
to feed the cities, and (3)
gold and silver– were in
plentiful supply.
• However, by the third
century A.D., all three
sources of prosperity
evaporated.
Roman Grain
Inflation
• Costly wars against hostile tribes outside
the nation, combined with the wealthy
continually spending money on luxury
goods, caused Rome to experience a
draining of the empires gold and silver
reserves.
• Since the expansion ended, there were no
new sources of metal, which were
considered currency at the time.
Inflation (cont.)
• Desperate to pay for it’s mounting expenses,
the government raised taxes and started
minting coins that contained less and less
silver.
• Rome hoped to create more money with
same amount of precious metals, but soon
the economy suffered from inflation, a
drastic rise in prices in an economy.
How did this happen?
As the
government
began to mint
more coins, the
amount of
coins increased.
Because they
flooded the
market with
too many
coins– with
few precious
metals in
them– they
made the value
of money fall.
If the value
of money
falls, then
what will
happen to
prices?
Prices rise
because the
money is less
valuable and
cannot buy as
much as it was
able to
previously.
If you do not
understand, please say
something.
Agriculture
• Agriculture faced many serious problems.
Harvest in Italy and western Europe became
increasingly meager because overworked soil
lost it’s fertility and farmland was destroyed by
warfare.
• The higher taxes imposed by government
almost caused many poor farmers to abandon
their lands.
• As well, the use of slaves discouraged
improvements in technology regarding
agriculture.
Food shortages
• Between the loss of soil, warfare, and lack of
technology, the empire experienced serious
food shortages and eventually, disease
spread and the population declined.
Military troubles
• The empires’ economic crises was worsened by
the growing military troubles.
• Throughout the third century, Germanic tribes
repeatedly overwhelmed the Roman legions
guarding the northern frontiers.
• At the same time, Persia threatened Roman
territory in Syria and Anatolia.
– The issue reached it’s height when in A.D. 260, the
Persians captured the Roman Emperor Valerian,
which only caused more instability for the Empire.
Military Trouble (cont.)
• In the army, discipline and loyalty had
collapsed. Soldiers, who once gave their loyalty
to Rome, began to only be loyal to their
commanders, who fought among themselves
for the throne.
• To defend against the increasing threats to the
empire, the government began to recruit
mercenaries (foreign soldiers who fight for
money) to fight.
– However, unlike Roman soldiers, the mercenaries
felt little sense of loyalty to the empire, despite
accepting a lower pay than the soldiers.
Roman Politics
• For a time, Romans
were willing to lose
their lives to protect
the republic. However,
conditions in the later
centuries of the
empire caused citizens
to lose their sense of
patriotism. They
became indifferent to
the empire’s fate.
Roman Politics (cont.)
• Romans had once considered holding a
political office to be an honor.
• However, by 200’s A.D., few people chose to
serve the government out of fear they would
lose more money to pay for the government
services (such as paying for public circuses
and baths out of their pockets) than what
they would earn in the position itself.
Roman Politics (cont.)
• Only the armies became
actively interested in
politics. Between 235284 A.D., armies in the
provinces and in Rome
proclaimed 50 generals
to be emperors of Rome.
• Of these so-called
“barracks emperors,” 26
won the approval of the
senate.
– 25, however, died
violently.
Diocletian
• In 284 A.D., Diocletian, an
army leader, became the
new emperor.
• With amazing boldness,
he restored order in the
empire and increased its’
strength.
Diocletian
• He governed as an absolute ruler and
severely limited personal freedoms.
• Diocletian doubled the size of the Roman
armies, drafted prisoners of war, and hired
German mercenaries.
Diocletian
• Diocletian set fixed prices on goods to control
inflation.
• He ordered farmers to remain on their lands
and other workers to stay in their jobs for life.
• To restore the prestige of the Roman emperor,
he proclaimed descent from the Ancient
Roman Gods and, because of his views of
Christianity as a threat, he passed decrees to
persecute the Christians.
Diocletian
• Diocletian believed the
empire was too big and
complex for one ruler.
• In his most significant
reform, he split the
empire into the Greekspeaking East and Latinspeaking West.
• He took the eastern half
for himself and
appointed a co-ruler for
the West, General
Maximian.
Eastern and Western Rome
Diocletian’s Empire
• Each emperor also selected an assistant,
who would be their successor.
• While Diocletian shared authority, he kept
overall control.
• His half of the empire, the East, included
most of the empires great cities and trade
centers– Jerusalem, Alexandria,
Byzantium– and was far wealthier than the
West.
Effect of Diocletian’s reforms
• Diocletian’s reforms slowed the decline of
the empire. The borders became safe again
and the empire’s prestige was restored.
However, because of ill health, Diocletian
had to retire in position in A.D. 305.
Failed Succession
• However, Diocletian’s plans for orderly
succession failed. Civil War broke out
immediately after his retirement. By 311,
four rivals competed for power.
– Among them was a young commander named
Constantine. He would soon prove to be a great
leader, and he would be the one who would end
the persecution of the Christians.
Constantine
• In A.D. 312, Constantine
fought three rivals for
the title of Emperor.
• He marched into the
Tiber River at Rome to
battle his chief rival. On
the day before his
battle, Constantine
prayed for divine help.
Constantine
• He reported that he then saw a cross of light
in the heavens bearing the inscription, “In
this sign, conquer.”
• Constantine ordered his troops to put the
cross on their shields.
Constantine’s victory
• Constantine and his troops were victorious
in the battle. He gave credit to his success to
the help of the Christian God.
• In the next year, after becoming Emperor,
he announced an end to Christian
persecution and declared Christianity a
religion approved by the emperor.
Constantine (cont.)
• Constantine gained control of the western part
of the empire in A.D. 312 and continued many
of the social and economic policies of
Diocletian. In 324, Constantine also secured
control of the East, thus restoring the concept
of a single ruler.
• However, Constantine would soon make a
decision that would have a greater
consequence to Rome than almost every
emperor before him.
Byzantium
Byzantine Mosaic
• In 330 A.D., Constantine
moved the capital of
Rome to the Greek city of
Byzantium in present-day
Turkey. The new capital
stood on the Bosporus
Straight, strategically
located for trade and
defense purposes on
crossroads between West
and East.
Constantinople
• With Byzantium as its
capital, the center of
power in the empire
shifted from Rome to
the East.
• Soon, the new capital
was protected by
massive walls and
filled with imperial
buildings similar to
that of Rome.
Constantinople
• The city was given a
new name–
Constantinople– “City
of Constantine”.
• After Constantine’s
death, the empire
would once again be
divided– the East
would survive, but the
West would fall.
Invaders Attack Rome
• The decline of the Western empire took
many years.
• The Western empire collapsed due to the
worsening of internal problems, the
separation of east and west, and outside
invasions.
Germanic Tribes
• Since Julius Caesar’s rule,
Germanic peoples had
gathered on the northern
borders of the empire and
many settled in to a
peaceful farming life.
• Some had assimilated to
Roman society, such as
speaking Latin and
becoming Christians.
• However, many groups
continued to be nomadic–
groups that move from
place to place.
Germanic Tribes
• From 376-476, huge numbers of Germans
poured into Roman territory– groups such
as Ostrogoth's, Visigoths, Franks, Angles,
and Vandals.
• Gradually, they overwhelmed the structures
of Roman society. They would drive the last
Roman emperor from the empire.
– We will talk about the last Roman emperor in a
few slides.
The Huns
• The main reason the Germanic invasions
occurred was due to the Huns.
• The Huns were a fierce group of Mongol
nomads from central Asia who began to
invade the eastern ranges of the Roman
empire.
• Their movements forced the Germans
towards Rome.
The Huns (cont.)
• Notice carefully that as the Huns moved West, the
Germanic tribes moved farther west and began to
attack Rome.
• Constantinople, however, would survive the attacks.
Germanic Invasions
• Germanic peoples fled the Huns and sought refuge
in Roman lands. Western Rome could not prevent
the sudden influx of Germans.
• By the early fifth century, the city of Rome became
vulnerable to attack due to too many peoples.
• Although it had been almost 600 years since a
foreign army– Hannibal of Carthage– had
threatened Rome, the Visigoths, led by their king
Alaric, began a campaign to seize the city.
– In 410, they stormed Rome and plundered it for three
days.
Attila the Hun
• While the Germans
assaulted the empire,
the Hun’s united under a
powerful chieftain,
Attila, and with 100,000
soldiers terrorized both
halves of the empire.
• In the East, Attila’s army
attacked and plundered
70 cities, but failed to
scale the high walls of
Constantinople.
The Huns
• The Huns, who were initially indirectly
responsible for the flooding of Germans
into Roman territory, swept into the West.
• In 452, Attila’s forces advanced against
Rome, but they were weakened by famine
and disease.
The Huns
• As a result, Pope Leo I
was able to negotiate
with Attila and
persuading him to leave
Italy.
– What exactly the
negotiations specified is
unknown, but some
suspect it was either a
large sum of gold or that
Attila was more worried
about his men than
trying to sack Rome.
Germanic Invasions Continue
• In 453, Attila died and the Huns were no
longer a threat to Rome. Despite this, the
Germanic Invasions continued.
• In 455, the Vandals sacked Rome, leaving it
in chaos.
• Famine struck hard and the population fell
from 1 million to 20,000 people.
Rome’s Last Emperor
• The Western Roman Emperor was almost
completely powerless.
• The Germanic Tribes fought against one
another for control of the Western
provinces and wasted little time with Rome.
Rome’s Last Emperor
• The last Roman emperor
was a 14 year old boy
named Romulus
Augustus. In 476, he was
deposed by a German
general named Odoacer
(oh-doh-ay-sur) and
sent into exile.
• After that, no emperor
even pretended to rule
Rome and the entire
western half of the
Empire crumbled.
Romulus surrendering his crown to
Odoacer.
Rise of Byzantine Empire
• The eastern half of the empire, came to be
called the Byzantine Empire, with
Constantinople as it’s capital.
• Not only did it survive what occurred, but
flourished for another 1,000 years. It
preserved the heritage of the Greeks and
Romans and the leaders saw themselves as
heirs to the power of Augustus Caesar.
Influence of Rome
• Although Rome’s political power in the
West ended, its cultural influence, though
ideas, customs, and institutions, continued
to be deeply embedded in western
civilization.
• Rome would ultimately prove to define
western cultures that would grow from the
German tribes that conquered the once
powerful empire.
Change of the Roman Empire
Anything with a “-” in
front of it denotes “B.C.”
As you can see, the
empire changes and
around 405 AD, we see
that the Empire splits.
Overtime, however, the
empire begins to
weaken and all that is
left is Constantinople.
Fall of Rome
Factors
Political
Social
Economic
Military
Individual Factors
Political office seen
as a burden, military
interference in
politics, civil war
occurs, empire is
divided, Capital is
moved to
Byzantium
Decline in interest
in public affairs, low
confidence in
empire, disloyalty,
lack of patriotism,
class warfare
Poor harvests,
disruption of trade,
no war plunder, gold
and silver drain,
inflation, high taxes,
widening gap
between rich and
poor
Threat from
Germanic tribes and
Huns, low funds for
defense, problems
recruiting, decline
in patriotism and
loyalty
Review Video
• Please watch the following video (Fall of
the Roman Empire in the 15th Century…)
and take note on what you recognize from
it.
Unity under the Romans
• Under the Roman Empire, hundreds of
territories were brought under a single state.
Each Roman province and city was
governed in the same way and Roman’s were
proud of their ability to rule.
• However, the Romans not only
acknowledged the Greeks, but admired
their leadership in the fields of art,
architecture, literature, and philosophy.
Greece and Rome
• When Rome
conquered Greece in
2nd century B.C.,
Romans had come to
admire Greek culture
and assimilated into it.
Question: What is
assimilation?
Greco-Roman
• The mixing of elements
from Greek, Hellenistic,
and Roman culture
produced a new culture:
Greco-Roman or
“classical” civilization.
Greco-Roman
• Roman artists, philosophers, and writers
copied Greek and Hellenistic models and
adapted them to their own purposes.
• Roman art and literature came to convey the
Roman ideals of strength, permanence, and
solidity.
Roman Sculpture
• Romans learned the
art of sculpture from
the Greeks. However,
while the Greeks
idolized beauty and
grace in their
sculpture, the Romans
created realistic
portraits in stone.
• Roman art was meant
to educate the masses.
Bas-relief
• The reign of Augustus was a period of great
artistic achievement.
• At that time, the Romans developed a type
of sculpture known as bas-relief (bahrelief).
• In bas-relief, images
are projected from a
flat background.
Roman sculpture used
this style of art to
represent crowds of
people, soldiers in
battle, or landscapes.
Bas-Relief
Notice how the background is
flat and the characters are
carved into it.
Mosaic
• Roman artists were also skilled in the
creating mosaics. Mosaics were pictures or
designs made by setting small pieces of
stone, glass, or tile in the surface. Many
Roman villas (wealthy country homes) had
at least one colored mosaic.
Frescoes
• Romans also excelled in
the art of painting. Most
wealthy Romans had
bright, large murals–
called Frescoes– painted
directly on the walls.
– Few have survived the test
of time.
– Many modern paintings
have been found in Pompeii
and Herculaneum, two
Roman towns that were
covered in volcanic ash from
Mount Vesuvius. The ash
has preserved many of the
buildings and works of art.
Question: Who is this to
the left?
You may be
surprised about who
it is.
Roman Art
• Roman art continued to inspire Western art
throughout the centuries to follow the fall
of Rome.
• Future artists would value the practical
concepts of Roman art and emulate it.
Entire cities, such as the Vatican in Rome,
are almost entirely designed with Roman
influence in mind.
Philosophy
• Romans borrowed much of their philosophy
from the Greeks. Stoicism- the belief that a
divine power controlled the universe and
that people should live in harmony with
natural law- was very influential in Roman
life.
– Stoicism valued virtue, duty, moderation, and
endurance– values that the Romans greatly
admired.
Literature
• In literature, the
Romans found
inspiration again in
the Greeks.
• Writers used Roman
themes and ideas
while following the
Greek forms and
models (think epics or
dramas).
Literature
• The poet Virgil, for
example, spent 10
years writing the
Aeneid (ih-nee-ihd),
an epic about the
legendary Aeneas.
– While being written
about roman virtues, it
followed the Greek
epics of Homer.
Virgil would also appear as a main character in
Dante’s Divine Comedy.
Historical Literature
• Romans were also skilled in writing about
their own history.
• Tacitus (tas-ih-tus), a Roman historian, was
notable among ancient historians because
he presented the facts accurately. He was so
concerned about the Romans lack of
morality during his time that he wrote
about both the good and bad if imperial
Rome.
Question
What was the language the Romans spoke? What languages did their
language influence?
Latin
• Latin remained the language of learning in
the West long after the fall of Rome. It was
the official language of the Roman Catholic
Church into the 20th century.
• Latin was adopted by different peoples and
developed into French, Spanish,
Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian.
Languages inspired by Latin are called the
“Romance Languages”.
Latin
• However, Latin also influenced other
languages, including English, which a
Germanic language. More than half of the
words in English have a basis in Latin.
Accurate– from Latin “acu-” meaning “sharp”
Grade– from Latin “grad-” meaning “walk, step, or go”
Doctor– from Latin “doc-” meaning “teach”
Direct- from Latin “rect-” meaning “straight”
Architecture
• Visitors from across the empire marveled at
the architecture of Rome.
• The arch, dome, and concrete were all
combined to build spectacular structures,
such as the Colosseum.
• Because Roman architecture was designed
to be practical, they remained popular.
Look carefully at these two
pictures. How are they both
similar?
Thomas Jefferson, inspired by the Romans, began a Roman revival in the
United States in the 18th century. Many large public buildings, such as the U.S.
capitol building (on the left) are inspired by Greco-Roman architecture.
Law
• Rome’s most lasting and widespread
contribution was it’s law. Early Roman law
dealt mostly with the rights of Roman
citizens, but as it grew, they began to
believe that the law should apply equally to
everyone– rich and poor.
• The standards of law were inspired by their
beliefs in common sense and practical
ideas.
Comparison
Roman Laws
Does America have laws like this?
All persons have a right to equal
treatment under the law.
Yes. Americans value equal
protection.
A person is considered innocent
until proven guilty.
Yes. You are not assumed to be
guilty.
The burden of proof lies in the
accuser rather than the accused.
Yes. If someone accuses you of
something, they have to have proof.
A person should be punished
only for actions, not thoughts.
Yes. Freedom of speech applies to
freedom of thought.
Any law that seemed
unreasonable or grossly unfair
could be set aside.
Yes. Some states allow Americans to
vote away laws or they will be
considered unconstitutional.
Principles of Roman Law
• Roman law continued to endure to form the basis of
law in many countries and places influenced by
Europe, including the United States.
• In fact, the use of Roman laws may also explain why
buildings, such as the Supreme Court building, has so
many Grec0-Roman inspired themes:
There are pillars, slanted
roof, and a bas-relief in the
Supreme court building.
Enduring Influence of Rome
• By preserving and adding to Greek civilization,
Rome strengthened the Western cultural
tradition. The world as we know it today may
not be the same had Rome never existed.
• As Rome fell, a new Europe was slowly going to
build itself out of the ashes of Rome. Many of
these new civilizations would not fully
embrace Roman ideals for hundreds of years.
– We will talk about them in more detail in the
future.
Review Objectives
• Identify the causes of the fall of Rome
• Discuss why the empire was forced to move to
Constantinople
• Examine the role and movements of the
invaders, including the Huns
• Identify the cultural characteristics of Rome
• Define “Greco-Roman”
• Describe and analyze how Greco-Roman
culture impacted Western Civilization.
Questions
• If you have any questions, please ask now.
Next Lesson
• We are going to move away from Europe for
the next lesson and discuss the rise of
Islam, including Muhammad, Islamic
beliefs, and the effects of Muslims on
society.
Review
• Please read “The Influence of Rome” and
answer the question at the end.
• Your answer to the question must be at least
one page long and must include references
to either the lesson or the reading itself.