The End of the Empire

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The End of the Empire

• 11.3 Guided Notes

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Problems in the Empire

• For centuries after the rule of its first
  emperor, begun in 27 B.C., the Roman Empire was
  the most powerful state in the ancient world.
  Rome continued to expand to include 3 continents
  Asia, Europe, and Africa.
• At its height, the Roman Empire included all land
  around the Mediterranean Sea
• By the end of the 200s, emperors had to give up
  some of the land the Roman Army had conquered
• Empire had become too large to defend or govern
  efficiently.

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Map of Roman Empire circa AD 116
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External Threats

• Even as emperors were giving up territory, new
  threats were appearing
• Germanic warriors attacked Romes northern
  borders. At the same time, Persian armies invaded
  in the east
• Rome defended itself for over 200 years, but what
  possible costs would this defense have?

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Invasions
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Internal Threats

• Border raids made people living near the borders
  nervous
• Over time, people abandoned their lands
• To grow enough food, Romans invited Germanic
  farmers to grow crops on land
• These farmers came from the same tribes that
  threatened Romes borders
• In time, whole German communities had moved into
  the empire-they chose their own leaders, largely
  ignored emperors

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Other Problemswhen in Rome

• Disease swept though the empire, killing many
  people
• Government also had to increase taxes to pay for
  defense

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Division of the Empire

• Diocletian became emperor in the late 200s
• Convinced the empire was too big, he split and
  ruled the eastern half and named a co-emperor for
  the western half
• Constantine reunited the empire and moved the
  capital east to what is now Turkey
• Constantinople The city of Constantine
• Rome no longer a central power, instead power
  moved east

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The Fall of Rome

• Internal Forces
• 3 Main Categories
• Political
• Economic
• Social

• External Forces
• - Invaders, also called barbarians

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Internal Forces
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Internal Political

• Corruption in government
• Plebeians had no rights
• Empire too large to control
• Emperors plotted against each other for control
  instead of uniting
• Civil wars
• Government lost loyalty as patricians moved to
  villas and stopped caring about government
• Army deteriorates

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Internal - Economic

• Slavery
• Unemployment
• Welfare system
• Taxation
• Forced labor
• Decrease in trade

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Internal - Social

• Loss of citizens confidence and loyalty
• Population declines
• Lead Poisoning?
• Too many cultures
• Bread and circuses
• Plague

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External Threat - Invasions
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Your Task

• Write an extended response that looks at 2
  reasons for the Fall of Rome.
• Select From
• Plagues
• Size of the Empire
• Weak emperors
• Barbarian invasions
• Corruption in the government
• Switch from polytheism to monotheism
• Lead poisoning