The Fall of Rome &
A Lasting Legacy
"Rome never fell because it turned
into something even greater, an idea,
and achieved immortality."
~ R.H. Barrow
The End of Pax Romana
 After the rule of Marcus Aurelius in 180 CE, Pax Romana
began to collapse and Rome went into decline.
 Weak economy: Hostile tribes on the borderlands and pirates
threatened trade. There were no new sources of gold and
silver, so the government raised taxes. By minting more and
more coins with less precious metal, inflation occurredmoney was worth less and prices went up.
 Agriculture: The soil became overworked and produced fewer
crops, leading to shortages and disease.
 Military and political upheaval: Soldiers had become less
disciplined and loyal. The government needed to recruit
mercenaries (foreign soldiers who fought for money).
Eventually, feelings of loyalty to the empire weakened among
regular citizens, who became indifferent to the fate of the
empire.
Diocletian and Reform
 Despite these problems, Rome
survived for another 200 years.
 Emperors like Diocletian
attempted to reform the empire.
He limited personal freedoms,
curbed inflation by setting prices
and doubled the size of the army.
 He divided the empire into East
(Greece, Anatolia, Syria, Egypt)
and West (Italy, Gaul, Britain and
Spain). He appointed a co-ruler
for the West, but maintained over
all control.
 After Diocletian’s death, civil war
broke out.
Constantine
 Constantine emerged victorious
in the civil war and became the
next emperor. He also reunited
East and West.
 In 330 CE, Constantine moved
the capital from Rome to the
Greek city of Byzantium (it
would be renamed
Constantinople).
 The center of power shifted to
the east from Rome. The new
capital was strategically located,
protected by massive walls and
soon filled with imperial
buildings and wealth.
The Western Empire Declines
 Separated from the
wealthier Eastern Empire,
the West was soon
weakened further by
internal issues.
 Rome was also under threat
from a new group, the
Huns. These Mongol
nomads swept in from
central Asia and pushed
various Germanic peoples
closer into the Western
Empire.
Who were the Germanic peoples?
 The Germanic peoples had
always lived on the borders of
the Roman Empire to the
north. They were actually
many different groups, such as
the Goths, Visigoths, and
Vandals.
 Considered barbarians by the
Romans, they migrated into
Gaul, Spain and North Africa.
 Unable to field an army to stop
them, Rome was plundered in
410 by Germanic tribes.
Attila the Hun
 The Huns became a direct
threat in 444, united under
the chieftain Attila, who
terrorized both halves of
the empire.
 Unable to defeat
Constantinople, Attila
turned his attention to
Rome. In 452, Rome
narrowly escaped defeat as
the Huns were weakened
by famine and disease.
End of the Empire
 The Romans continued to face
threats from various Germanic
tribes.
 The last Roman emperor, a 14 year
old named Romulus Augustulus,
was ousted by German forces in
476. After that, Roman power in
the western half of the empire was
dead.
 Meanwhile, the eastern half
survived and flourished. It was
known as the Byzantine Empire,
preserving Greek and Roman
culture.
Invasions of the Western Roman Empire
What caused the Western Roman Empire to Fall?
 Political causes: Political office was seen as a burden;
military interference in politics; civil war; division of
empire and moving the capital to Byzantium.
 Social causes: Decline in interest in public affairs; low
confidence in empire; disloyalty; corruption; divide
between rich and poor; decline in population due to
food shortages.
 Economic causes: Poor harvests; disruption of trade;
inflation; no more war plunder; taxes.
 Military causes: Threat from northern European tribes;
low funds for defense; mercenaries; decline of loyalty
among soldiers.
 Immediate cause: Invasions by Germanic tribes and Huns.
What was the legacy of Rome?
 A legacy is what is left behind after an era comes to
an end. The legacy of Rome is what is known as
classical civilization- a mixture of Greek, Hellenistic
and Roman elements that became known as GrecoRoman culture.
 This was a hybrid culture that not only included
elements of the original cultures, but also created its
own distinctive forms. It involved art, literature,
science, law and other elements.
Roman Fine Arts
 Roman art was more realistic and
less idealized, intended to
educate the public.
 Romans developed the baserelief form of sculpture, where
images are projected from a flat
background.
 Artists also created mosaics,
which were pictures composed
of small pieces of stone, glass
and tile.
 Frescoes, large murals painted on
wet plaster, were also a Roman
specialty.
Literature
 Romans borrowed much of their
philosophy from the Greeks.
Stoicism was particularly popular.
 They also took inspiration from
Greek literature. Epics were popular,
and a way for the Romans to
promote their own themes and
values. The poet Virgil wrote the
Aeneid, the most famous piece of
Latin literature.
 On a less serious note, the poet Ovid
was famous for light, witty poetry.
 Rome also produced many
historians. Livy was known for
embellishing his history of Rome
with myths, while Tacitus presented
the facts accurately.
Architecture and Engineering
 The Romans were known as
master builders. The arch, the
dome and concrete were all used
to build massive structures.
 Arches supported bridges and
aqueducts, which brought water
into cities and towns. Roman
roads were also technologically
advanced, using stone, concrete
and sand.
 The Colosseum is one of the most
famous Roman buildings, which
had a system of ramps, elevators,
animal cages, concealed trapdoors,
passageways and seats ringing a
giant arena.
The Colosseum
Roman Law
 Romans believed that the law should be fair and
apply equally to all people, rich and poor. The
standards of law were influenced by teachings of
Stoic philosophers and based on common sense and
practical ideas.
 Basic principles included: all people had the right to
equal treatment under the law; a person was
innocent until proven guilty; the burden of proof
should rest with the accuser, not the accused; a
person is punished for actions, not thoughts; and
any law that was grossly unfair should be set aside.
Did Rome Really Fall?
 Some people believe that Rome did not
actually fall, because it lived on in Western
cultural tradition.
 Roman art, literature, architecture,
technology, engineering and even language
lived on as ideas and influences.