•
DECLINE BEGAN AFTER MARCUS AURELIUS (161-
180), THE LAST OF THE FIVE GOOD EMPERORS
•
INCOMPETENT LEADERS FOLLOWED

•
HOSTILE TRIBES ON BORDERLANDS AND PIRATES ON THE MEDITERRANEAN
DISRUPTED TRADE
•
WEALTHY SPEND ON LUXURY GOODS FROM ASIA, THUS DRAINING EMPIRE
OF GOLD AND SILVER
•
GOVERNMENT RAISED TAXES TO PAY FOR COSTLY WARS
•
MINTED NEW COINS, WHICH CAUSED INFLATION
•
SOIL LOST FERTILITY DUE TO WAR AND BEING OVERWORKED- SO LESS
PRODUCTIVE = LESS FOOD
•
CHEAP SLAVE LABOR HAD DISCOURAGED INNOVATION IN AGRICULTURE
•
DISEASE WIPED OUT THE POPULATION

•
INCREASING ATTACKS BY GERMANIC TRIBES IN
NORTH AND PERSIANS IN THE EAST (260 PERSIANS
CAPTURED EMPEROR VALERIAN)
•
NO DISCIPLINE OR LOYALTY IN THE ARMY ANYMORE
•
SOLDIERS LOYAL TO COMMANDERS
•
ARMY FORCED TO HIRE MERCENARIES (FOREIGN
SOLDIERS WHO ACCEPTED LOWER PAY BUT WERE
NOT REALLY LOYAL TO ROME)

•
CITIZENS LOST SENSE OF PATRIOTISM
•
BY 200S FEW CHOSE TO SERVE IN GOVERNMENT
(PARTLY BECAUSE THE COSTLY BREAD AND
CIRCUSES CAME OUT OF POLITICIANS’ OWN
POCKETS)
•
ONLY ARMIES REMAINED INTERESTED IN
POLITICS AND WOULD BEGIN TO PROCLAIM
GENERALS AS EMPERORS OF THE PROVINCES

•
284 DIOCLETIAN BECOMES EMPEROR
•
RESTORED ORDER IN THE EMPIRE BY GOVERNING
AS AN ABSOLUTE RULER AND LIMITING PERSONAL
FREEDOM
•
DOUBLED THE SIZE OF THE ARMIES
•
HIRED GERMAN MERCENARIES
•
SET FIXED PRICES FOR GOODS TO CONTROL
INFLATION
•
CLAIMED DESCENT FROM ROMAN GODS
•
PASSED DECREES TO PERSECUTE THE CHRISTIANS

•
DIVIDED THE EMPIRE INTO EAST AND WEST
EAST- GREEK SPEAKING WITH BETTER TRADE
ROUTES AND CENTERS AND HE RULED IT
WEST - LATIN SPEAKING- APPOINTED GENERAL
MAXIMIAN RULED IT
•
305 HE RETIRED
•
CIVIL WAR BROKE OUT AND BY 311 FOUR PEOPLE
CLAIMED POWER

•
312 HE GAINED CONTROL OF WEST AND IN 324 GAINED
CONTROL OF THE EAST, THUS REESTABLISHING A SINGLE
RULER
•
330 HE MOVED THE CAPITAL TO THE GREEK CITY OF
BYZANTIUM
•
CENTER OF POWER THEN MOVED EAST
•
CITY RENAMED CONSTANTINOPLE, CITY OF CONSTANTINE
•
AFTER HIS DEATH THE EMPIRE SPLIT AGAIN. THE WEST
COLLAPSED BUT THE EAST SURVIVED

•
376-476 LARGE NUMBERS OF GERMANS MOVED
INTO ROMAN TERRITORY- OSTROGOTHS,
VISIGOTHS, FRANKS, ANGLES, SAXONS, VANDALS,
ETC.
•
THEY DRIVE THE LAST EMPEROR FROM THE
THRONE

•
REASON FOR THE GERMANIC INVASIONS OF THE
WEST WAS BECAUSE THE HUNS HAD MOVED
INTO EUROPE
•
HUNS WERE A FIERCE MONGOL NOMADS FROM
CENTRAL ASIA

•
AS THE HUNS ENTERED, GERMANIC TRIBES FLED
AND KEPT MOVING THROUGH THE ROMAN
PRONICES
•
BY EARLY 5 TH CENTURY, ROME VULNERABLE TO
ATTACK
•
410 HORDES OF VISIGOTHS STORMED ROME

•
444 HUNS UNITED UNDER POWERFUL CHIEFTAIN
ATTILA
•
ATTILA RENEWED ATTACKS AGAINST THE EMPIRE
UNTIL FAMINE AND DISEASE WEAKENED THE
ARMIES
•
AFTER ATTILA’S DEATH IN 453 THE GERMANIC
INVASIONS CONTINUED
•
FAMINE STRUCK ROME, DROPPING ITS POPULATION
SIGNIFICANTLY

•
LAST EMPEROR WAS A 14 YEAR OLD NAMED ROMULUS
AUGUSTULEUS
•
IN 476 HE WAS DEPOSED BY A ODOACER, A GERMAN GENERAL,
AND SENT INTO EXILE
•
ROMAN POWER IN THE WEST WAS GONE
•
EASTERN HALF OF THE EMPIRE CAME TO BE CALLED THE
BYZANTINE EMPIRE AND WOULD ENDURE UNTIL 1453 WHEN
THE OTTOMAN TURKS TOOK IT OVER
•
BYZANTIUM WOULD PRESERVE MUCH OF THE GRECO-ROMAN
WORLD