Chapter 15 section 4

1. Chapter 15 section 4 Emperors And The Fall of the Empire

2. Emperors of Rome • An emperor is an absolute ruler of an empire. • An empire is a group of states, regions, or countries, under 1 person’s absolute rule • Rome had several emperors. Some were good and some were terrible. • Some emperors gained the throne through adoption • Others may have been put there by the Praetorian Guard- the bodyguards that are to protect the emperor

3. Augustus • 27 B.C.- A.D. 14- Julius Caesar’s nephew and heir • 1st emperor • Pax Romana- reforms, created peace • Reorganized the government • Patron of the arts • No son- step son becomes his heir

4. Tiberius • A.D. 14- A.D. 37 • 2nd emperor • Continued Augustus’s reforms • Reformed taxes, cut luxury expenses to improve finances of the empire

5. Caligula • A.D. 37-A.D. 41 • Adopted by Tiberius • Repaired roads and built aqueducts • Made his own horse the consul of Rome

6. Claudius • A.D. 41-A.D. 54 • Extended Rome into England • Extended citizenship to more people • Married his own niece who had him murdered so her son could be emperor

7. Nero- last of Julius Caesar’s line • A.D. 54 to 68 A.D. • Last emperor who was “related” to Julius Caesar • Murdered lots of family members • Persecuted the Christians • Rebuilt Rome after the fire in A.D. 64 • He committed suicide

8. Flavius Vespasians • A.D. 69- A.D. 79 • He established a new line of emperors • Started the construction of the Coliseum • Destroyed Jerusalem during a revolt • He was followed by his son Titus (A.D. 79-A.D. 81) • Mt. Vesuvius erupts in August of A.D. 79

9. Domitian • A.D. 81- A.D. 96 • Coliseum was completed under his reign

10. Trajan • A.D. 98- A.D. 117 • 1st non Italian to lead the empire • Adopted by Nerva • Aggressive foreign policy (Romanian, Armenia, and Mesopotamia)

11. Hadrian • A.D. 117- A.D. 138 • Built new towns • Public works projects • Reformed slavery system- illegal for a master to put his own slave to death • Built a wall as northern boundary- est. manmade and /or natural boundaries in Empire

12. Marcus Aurelius • A.D. 161 – A.D. 180 • One of the greatest emperors- the last of “good” emperors • Very kind and very fair • Military leader • Loved philosophy and wrote a book • Last emperor of the Pax Romana

13. Commodos • A.D. 180- A.D. 192 • Marcus Aurelius was his father • He was very cruel and undid all the reforms his father did. • His guards killed him.

14. Diocletian • A.D. 284- A.D. 305 • Rule by Divine right • Economic reforms • Divided empire (Eastern Roman Empire and Western Roman Empire) to make it easier to rule

15. Constantine I • A.D. 312- A.D. 337 • 1st Roman emperor to convert to Christianity • Moved capital to Constantinople

16. Fall of the Empire • 4 main reasons the Empire fell: • Political • Economic • Social • Foreign Invasions

17. Conditions get worse • Out of control spending • Greedy emperors • Inflation / High taxes • Lack of consistent leadership and selection of emperors • Fighting among Roman legions over support of Emperors • No new territories coming in to empire with wealth • Money not worth much- causing citizens to have to go back to a barter economy • Growing crime rates and poverty

18. Attempts to save the Empire • Diocletian- • Son of freedmen • Fortify frontiers • Reorganized government • Set maximum prices for wages and goods • All workers keep same jobs until they die • Rule by Divine Right • Divide Empire into 2 to make it easier to rule

19. Attempts to save the Empire • Constantine I- • Workers had to follow their father’s trade • Sons of farmers had to work their father’s land • Sons of ex-soldiers had to serve in army • Moved capital out of Rome and created a permanent split in the Empires

20. Political • Government not able to rule a vast empire- the government was set up to run a small city-state rather than an area as large as the Roman Empire • Lacked a fixed succession to the throne • The divided empire lacked effective leadership- the best leaders were in the Eastern Empire • The Western Empire was in a state of decline and decay • Selection over emperors- either civil wars, auction throne to highest bidder • Establish Rule by Divine Right

21. Economic • Rome needed money- the government had heavy expenses • Levied heavy taxes on the people • Emperors tried to fix prices to control businesses • Crime increases • Roads and bridges in disrepair • Trade and manufacturing disappear- towns lose population • Agriculture suffers- much land used as latifundias • Inflation- money value is worthless • Went to a system of barter- trade items for items instead of using money

22. Social • Lack of loyal soldiers- no match for the well trained/ loyal German tribes • Mixture of cultures, religions, national groups • Loss of patriotism and loyalty to Rome herself • Christianity-new religion that taught against worshipping the emperor • Slave revolts • Decline in health- epidemics break out

23. Foreign Invasions • Invaders able to break through the borders of Rome (The Huns, the Germanic Tribes) • Invention of the stirrup • Rome was captured in A.D, 410 by the Visigoths • Germanic tribes claimed large portions of Western Empire • Eastern half of empire was stronger and more prosperous and able to resist outsiders • Barbarians able to defeat the Roman army • The Roman Senate declared the people were on their own and they could no longer save them

24. After the fall …. • The Western Empire will go through 1000 year period called the “Middle Ages” where classical things such as art, architecture, philosophy, science, math, literature, and politics will be “forgotten” until the Renaissance. • The Church will play a big role in the political structure of many of the countries in Europe. • Western Europe will experience the Dark Ages.

25. The Eastern half of the empire will thrive and go on to great things and keep the classical knowledge alive and safe. • It will be known as the Byzantine Empire