The Decline of

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The Decline of

• The
• Roman
• Empire

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The Decline

• After Emperor Marcus Aurelius in 180 C.E., a very
  long decline began
• Emperor Diocletian divided the Roman Empire into
  2 sections the Western Eastern Empire
• He began to shift the power money from the
  Western Empire (Rome) to the Eastern Empire to
  what was later called Constantinople after the
  Emperor Constantine

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The Decline Fall

• After power shifts to Constantinople, the
  barbarians ( Huns, Vandals, Franks, Saxons,
  Visigoths) invaded took over control of the
  Western Empire.

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Reasons for the Fall of the Roman Empire

• Diseases killed 1/3 of the people
• Unemployment
• Unemployed living off government hand-outs,
  draining the economy
• Unemployed not paying taxes
• Less food is grown because of poor farming methods

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Reasons for the Fall of the Roman Empire

• Large land owners ( who used slave labor) forced
  small farmers out of business
• Romans are HEAVILY taxed to support a massive
  army
• No orderly way to choose a new emperor, emperor
  often chosen by military leaders, who chose
  soldiers rather than good rulers. The military
  murdered emperors whom they did not like

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Accomplishments of the Romans

• Wrote laws that are used in Europe Latin
  America today
• Built roads, bridges, aqueducts
• Improved many of the Greek designs
• Created the arch dome
• Famous buildings of the Romans include

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Temple of Vesta
The temple of Vesta stood at the forum of Rome.
It was built round, imitating the primitive
round huts in which the Latins had lived. The
priestesses of Vesta, the Vestal Virgins, lived
in a palacial residence next to the temple.
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The Pantheon
The Pantheon was initially built by Agrippa in
the first century BC, dedicated to the planetary
gods. But the great rotunda was later built by
Hadrian (AD 118-128).
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The Colosseum
The Colosseum was begun by Vespasian was
finished by Titus in AD 80. It is elliptical and
measures 180 metres long and 156 wide. It could
contain an audience of between 45'000 and 50'000
spectators
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The Theater of Marcellus
The theatre of Marcellus was built by Augustus
in memory of his nephew Marcellus. It held from
10'000 to 14'000 spectators. I n the Middle Ages
it was used as a fortress of the Savelli family.
Later, in the 16th century, the residence of the
Orsini family was placed atop the ruins of the
ancient theatre.
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The Arch of Titus
The arch of Titus was built in the Forum of Rome
under the reign of Domitian to commemorate his
deification and the suppression of the Jewish
revolt
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Accomplishments of the Romans

• Created sculpture that actually looked like those
  they portray
• Latin became the basis for other languages
  (French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese)
• Roman poet Virgil wrote the Aeneid, an epic which
  traces the beginnings of Rome to Aeneas ( a
  warrior in the Iliad by Homer- a Greek epic)

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Accomplishments of the Romans

• Invented Roman numerals still used today
  (I,V,X,L,M)
• United millions of peoples under one rule
• Created peace in a vast empire (YES! Peace IS
  possible!!)

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