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The Fall of Rome
The Decline of Rome
I.
Marcus Aurelius, the last of the five good
emperors, died in 180, and a series of civil
wars followed.
II. From 196 to 284, the throne was occupied by
whoever had the military strength to seize it.
III. During this 88 year period, there were 28
emperors, many of whom met with a violent
death (list of Roman Emperors).
IV. Also during this time the Empire was troubled
by invasions by the Persians in the east, and
Germanic tribes moved into Gaul, Hispania,
and the Balkans.
VI. As if civil wars and invasions were not enough,
plague, inflation, and economic depression
came close to causing the Empire to collapse.
VII. A labor shortage was created by plague,
which effected military recruitment and the
economy, farms were ravaged by invaders
and Roman armies, and as a result there was
a dramatic decline in industry and trade.
VIII.The Empire began to have to rely on hiring
German mercenaries to fight under Roman
commanders.
IX. These mercenaries did not understand Roman
traditions, and had little loyalty to the Empire.
A New Lease On Life
I.
II.
In 284, Emperor Diocletian, realizing that the
Empire was to large for one person to govern,
he divided the Empire into sections, each with
its own ruler.
Caesars, junior emperors, would rule over
subdivisions, and each would be subordinate
to their respective Augustus, senior emperor.
A New Lease On Life
I.
In 284, Emperor Diocletian, realizing that the
Empire was to large for one person to govern,
he divided the Empire into sections, each with
its own ruler.
II. Caesars, junior emperors, would rule over
subdivisions, and each would be subordinate
to their respective Augustus, senior emperor.
III. Diocletian, and later Constantine, would
strengthened the governmental bureaucracy,
enlarged the army, which included German
troops, and make economic reforms.
IV. To address the labor shortages and ensure tax
revenue, edicts were passed that forced people
to remain in their designated vocation.
V. Basic jobs, such as bakers, became hereditary,
and free tenant farmers found themselves
bound to the land of large landowners.
VI. In 306 AD, Constantine I began his reign as
an Augustus, but his jealous rival Maxentius,
son of a former Emperor, seized the throne.
VII. For a period of time Constantine supported
Maxentius, and Constantine was supported
by Maxentius.
VIII.However, Maxentius’ rule was insecure, and
he went to war with his rivals to secure power,
and 312 AD, he and Constantine met in battle.
IX. The night before the battle, it is said that
Constantine had a dream in which he was
told "to mark the heavenly sign of God on
the shields of his soldiers.”
X. The next day his army broke the ranks of
Maxentius’ army, which fled to the Tiber.
XI. Maxentius fled with his troops, and attempted
to cross the Tiber River with them, but he was
pushed by the mass of his fleeing soldiers into
the river, and drowned.
XI. Maxentius' body was fished out of the Tiber
River, his body was decapitated, and his head
was paraded through the streets for all to see.
XII. Constantine issued decrees that there would
be no revenge against Maxentius' supporters,
property lost under Maxentius would be
returned, he recalled political exiles, and
released Maxentius' imprisoned opponents.
XIII.Constantine then consolidated power and
established a new capital in the Greek city
Byzantium, and named it Nova Roma,
meaning New Rome.
Constantine the Great
The Rule of Constantine
I.
II.
Constantine’s new capital had an excellent
strategic location, and he enriched the city by
building a forum, palace, and amphitheater.
The city was renamed Constantinople, which
in Latin was Constantinopolis, meaning the
city of Constantine.
Constantinople
The Rule of Constantine
Constantine’s new capital had an excellent
strategic location, and he enriched the city by
building a forum, palace, and amphitheater.
II. The city was renamed Constantinople, which
in Latin means the city of Constantine.
III. In 313, Constantine had jointly developed
the Edict of Milan which allowed Christians
to practice their faith without oppression,
removed penalties for professing Christianity,
and returned confiscated Church property.
I.
IV. The edict not only protected Christians from
religious persecution, it allowed anyone to
worship whichever deity he or she chose.
V. In 325, Constantine summoned the Council of
Nicaea, which instituted the Nicene Creed and
dealt with Arianism.
VI. The Arian concept of Christ was that the Son
of God did not always exist, but was created
by God, and is therefore separate from God.
VII. This belief is grounded in the Gospel of John
passage, “You heard me say, ‘I am going away
and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved
me, you would be glad that I am going to the
Father, for the Father is greater than I.“
VIII.The Arian Belief was in conflict with those
who believed Jesus was divine, which was in
conflict with the first commandment, “You
shall have no other gods before me.”
IX. The Nicaea Council was the first effort to
attain consensus in the church through an
assembly representing all of Christendom.
X. The council developed the Nicene Creed
which defines God as three divine persons,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
XI. Constantine had new laws passed regarding
Jews, who were forbidden to own Christian
slaves or to circumcise their slaves.
XII. Throughout his rule, Constantine supported
the Church financially, built basilicas, granted
privileges to the clergy, promoted Christians
to high office, however, he was over 40 before
he converted to Christianity, and he was not
baptized until the end of his life.
XIII.During the reign of Theodosius I, 379 to 395,
policies against paganism were intensified,
and eventually paganism was outlawed and
Christianity was made the state religion of
the Roman Empire.
The Barbarian Invasions
I.
Theodosius I was last emperor to rule over
both the western and eastern halves of the
Roman Empire.
II. In 378, Germanic tribe of the Visigoths,
fleeing the migration of the Huns, entered
the Balkans, defeated a large Roman army,
and were allowed to settle within the Empire.
III. In 406, a mixed group of Germanic tribes,
crossed the frozen Rhine River, ravaged Gaul,
and moved on to the regions of Hispania and
Africa, resulting in the Empire loosing control
over these lands.
IV. The Visigoths, after being mistreated by local
Roman administrators, rebelled, raided Greece,
invaded Italy, and in 410 sacked Rome.
The Sacking of Rome, 410 AD
IV. The Visigoths, after being mistreated by local
Roman administrators, rebelled, raided Greece,
invaded Italy, and in 410 sacked Rome.
V. They then left Italy and founded the Visigoth
Kingdom in southern Gaul and Hispania.
VI. From 434 to 453, the Huns, led by Attila,
raided the Balkans, Gaul, Italy, and were
a threat to both Constantinople and Rome.
VII. Attila was known as the “Scourge of God.”
Attila the Hun
IV. The Visigoths, after being mistreated by local
Roman administrators, rebelled, raided Greece,
invaded Italy, and in 410 sacked Rome.
V. They then left Italy and founded the Visigoth
Kingdom in southern Gaul and Hispania.
VI. From 434 to 453, the Huns, led by Attila,
raided the Balkans, Gaul, and Italy, and
threatened both Constantinople and Rome.
VII. Attila was known as the “Scourge of God.”
VIII.The Huns were the main push factor for the
Germanic tribes during the Migration Period.
IX. Another group, the Vandals, moved through
Gaul, into Hispania, then conquered North
Africa, and then in 455, sacked Rome.
The Sacking of Rome, 455 AD
X. It is from this the word vandalism originates.
XI. In 476 AD, the Western Roman Emperor,
Romulus Augustus, was deposed by a rival
who then proclaimed himself ruler of Italy
and asked the Eastern Emperor to be the
Emperor of both empires.
XII. The Emperor agreed, but then shortly after
incited the Ostrogoths, another Germanic
tribe, to take back Italy for him.
XIII.The Ostrogoths did this, but then founded an
independent kingdom of their own, and Italy
was lost to the Empire.
The Fall
I.
There are several factors that contributed
to the decline and eventual fall of Rome.
II. Plague wiped out on-tenth of the population.
III. Rome failed to advance technologically
because of its use and reliance on slave labor,
there was constant political turmoil, and a
dependence on mercenary soldiers.
IV. Traditional Roman values declined as nonItalians gained prominence in the Empire.
V. Lead poisoning through lead water pipes and
cups caused a mental decline in the population.
VI. It is even theorized that Christianity
contributed by weakened Rome’s militarily
values, which might be considered a
contradiction.
VII. There is no singular cause for the fall of Rome.
VIII.The Roman armies in the west were simply
unable to fend of the hordes of Germanic
people invading into Gaul and Italy.
IX. Even though the western half of the Roman
Empire would fall, the Eastern Roman Empire
would survive for another thousand years.
The End