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CH 6 Sec 5

The document summarizes the long decline of the Roman Empire from the 3rd to 5th centuries AD. Emperors Diocletian and Constantine attempted reforms to stop the economic and political problems plaguing the empire. However, invasions by groups like the Huns and Visigoths overwhelmed the weakened Roman military. The sacking of Rome in 410 symbolized the fading Roman power. A combination of military, political, economic and social factors contributed to the empire's slow transition rather than a singular fall.

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302 views

CH 6 Sec 5

The document summarizes the long decline of the Roman Empire from the 3rd to 5th centuries AD. Emperors Diocletian and Constantine attempted reforms to stop the economic and political problems plaguing the empire. However, invasions by groups like the Huns and Visigoths overwhelmed the weakened Roman military. The sacking of Rome in 410 symbolized the fading Roman power. A combination of military, political, economic and social factors contributed to the empire's slow transition rather than a singular fall.

Uploaded by

mbr91853285
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Ch 6 Sec 5 – The Long Decline

I. Crisis and Reforms


A. Struggles for Power – (After the Pax Romana)
1. Emperors were overthrown by people who seized
power with the support of their troops
2. In one 50-year period, at least 26 emperors reigned
3. Political violence and instability became the rule
B. Economic and Social Problems
1. High taxes to support the army and the bureaucracy
placed heavy burdens on business people and small
farmers
2. Many poor farmers lost their land and sought
protection from wealthy landowners
C. Emperor Diocletian
1. In 284 AD, he set out to restore order
2. He divided the empire into 2 parts
a.) He ruled the wealthier eastern part himself
b.) He appointed a co-emperor to rule the
western provinces
3. He also took steps to end the empire’s
economic decay
a.) To slow inflation (rapid rise of prices), he
fixed prices for goods & services
b.) In cities, sons were required to follow their
father’s profession
D. Emperor Constantine
○ 1. He continued Diocletian’s reforms
○ 2. By granting toleration to Christians, he encouraged
the rapid growth of Christianity within the empire and
guaranteed its future success
○ 3. He built a new capital, Constantinople, on the strait
that connects the Black and Mediterranean seas
A.) He made the eastern portion of the empire the center
power
E. Mixed Results
○ 1. The reforms of Diocletian and Constantine revived
the economy but the reforms failed to stop the long-
term decline
 II. Foreign Invasions
A. Impact of the Huns
○ 1. The Huns, a nomadic people, migrated across Central Asia
○ 2. They fought fierce battles to dislodge the Germanic peoples in
their path
 A.) The Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and other peoples crossed into Roman
territory seeking safety
○ 3. Men armed with spears moved in bands along with women
and children, carts, and herds, hoping to settle on Roman land
○ 4. Under pressure from the attacks they surrendered Britain,
France, and Spain
B. Rome Defeated
1. When a Roman army tried to turn back the Visigoths, it
suffered a stunning defeat and Roman power was fading
2. In 410, the Visigoth general Alaric overran Italy and
plundered Rome
3. Attila, the leader of the Huns, embarked on a savage
campaign of conquest across much of Europe
a.) Christians called him the “scourge of God” because
they believed his attacks were a punishment for the sins
of humankind
4. In 476, Odoacer a Germanic leader, ousted the emperor
in Rome
a.) Historians referred to that event as the “fall” of
Rome
 III. Causes of the Fall of Rome
A. Military Causes
○ 1. The attacks on Rome were successful partly because the
Roman legions lacked the discipline and training of past
Roman armies
○ 2. Rome hired mercenaries – foreign soldiers serving for pay
to defend its borders
B. Political Causes
○ 1. As the government became more oppressive and
authoritarian, it lost the support of the people
○ 2. Growing numbers of corrupt officials undermined loyalty
○ 3. There were frequent civil wars over succession to the
throne
○ 4. Dividing the empire at a time when it was under attack may
have weakened it beyond repair
C. Economic Causes
○ 1. Heavier and heavier taxes were required to support the vast government and military
○ 2. The wealth of the empire dwindled as farmers abandoned their lands and the middle classes sank into poverty
D. Social Causes
○ 1. Worried Romans pointed to the decline in values such as patriotism, discipline, and devotion to duty on which the empire was built
○ 2. The upper class devoted itself to luxury and self interest
E. Did Rome Fall?
○ 1. The Roman empire did not just disappear from the map in 476
○ 2. An emperor still ruled the eastern Roman empire, which later became known as the Byzantine empire and lasted for 1,000 years
○ 3. The phrase “the fall of Rome” is shorthand for a long, slow, change from one way of life to another
○ 4. Over the next centuries, German customs and languages replaced much of Roman culture
○ 5. Old Roman cities crumbled, and Roman roads disappeared

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