Imperial Rome

Imperial Rome

The Rise and Fall of a Great Empire

Some Reasons Rome Fell

• Invasions by Barbarian tribes

•  Economic troubles and overreliance on slave labor

• The rise of the Eastern Empire

• Overexpansion and military overspending

• Government corruption and political instability

• The arrival of the Huns and the migration of the Barbarian tribes

• Christianity and the loss of traditional values and Weakening of the Roman legions

Multiple Choice

The fall of Western Rome was around which year

• 476

• 453

• 700

• 1453

Multiple Choice

The Eastern Empire fell around

• 1400

• 1453

• 1600

• 453

Invasion of Barbarian Tribes

The invading army reached the outskirts of Rome, which had been left totally undefended. In 410 C.E., the Visigoths, led by Alaric, breached the walls of Rome and sacked the capital of the Roman Empire.

The Visigoths looted, burned, and pillaged their way through the city, leaving a wake of destruction wherever they went. The plundering continued for three days. For the first time in nearly a millennium, the city of Rome was in the hands of someone other than the Romans. This was the first time that the city of Rome was sacked, but by no means the last.

Invasion of Rome

Barbarian Invasions Cont...

• Although Alaric would soon die afterwards, other barbarians - whether Christian or not - did not stop after the sack of the city. 

• Although Alaric would soon die afterwards, other barbarians - whether Christian or not - did not stop after the sack of the city. 

• By 475 CE Spain, Britain, and parts of Gaul had been lost to various Germanic people and only Italy remained as the “empire” in the west

Constantine And Rise of Christianity

In 313 C.E., Roman emperor Constantine the Great ended all persecution and declared toleration for Christianity. Later that century, Christianity became the official state religion of the Empire. This drastic change in policy spread this relatively new religion to every corner of the Empire.

The western Empire spoke Latin and was Roman Catholic. The eastern Empire spoke Greek and worshipped under the Eastern Orthodox branch of the Christian church. Over time, the east thrived, while the west declined. In fact, after the western part of the Roman Empire fell, the eastern half continued to exist as the Byzantine Empire for hundreds of years. Therefore, the "fall of Rome" really refers only to the fall of the western half of the Empire.

Economy-Internal Problem

Other fundamental problems contributed to the fall. In the economically ailing west, a decrease in agricultural production led to higher food prices. The western half of the empire had a large trade deficit with the eastern half. The west purchased luxury goods from the east but had nothing to offer in exchange. To make up for the lack of money, the government began producing more coins with less silver content. This led to inflation. Finally, piracy and attacks from Germanic tribes disrupted the flow of trade, especially in the west.

Political And Military Difficulties

Over time, the military was transformed into a mercenary army with no real loyalty to Rome. As money grew tight, the government hired the cheaper and less reliable Germanic soldiers to fight in Roman armies. By the end, these armies were defending Rome against their fellow Germanic tribesmen. Under these circumstances, the sack of Rome came as no surprise.

Open Ended

The increase recruitment of tribesmen was seen as a pitfall for Rome, why?

Split Empire Leads to Split Control

The division made the empire more easily governable in the short term, but over time the two halves drifted apart. East and West failed to adequately work together to combat outside threats, and the two often squabbled over resources and military aid. As the gulf widened, the largely Greek-speaking Eastern Empire grew in wealth while the Latin-speaking West descended into economic crisis

Most importantly, the strength of the Eastern Empire served to divert Barbarian invasions to the West. Emperors like Constantine ensured that the city of Constantinople was fortified and well guarded, but Italy and the city of Rome—which only had symbolic value for many in the East—were left vulnerable. The Western political structure would finally disintegrate in the fifth century, but the Eastern Empire endured in some form for another thousand years before being overwhelmed by the Ottoman Empire in the 1400s.

Multiple Choice

Constantine picked up which religion and made it the basis for the entire empire

• Judaism

• Christinaity

• Islam