The end of the roman empire

1. The end of the roman empire

2. Entry Task • Using what you’ve learned of civilizations… • What challenges do you think the Roman Empire faced? • What do you think lead to their eventual collapse? • How can you avoid this in your “build an empire” project? • Keep these and check your educated guess with our discussion

3. Problems arise • At its height the Roman Empire included all the land around the Mediterranean Sea. • The empire became too large to defend or govern efficiently. • Emperor Diocletian divided the empire to make it more manageable.

5. Problems Arise • Emperors gave up territory because they feared the empire had become too large. Yet new threats to the empire were appearing. • Because so many people were needed for the army, no one was left to farm the land. • Disease and high taxes threatened Rome’s survival.

6. Constantine • Emperor Constantine reunited the two halves shortly after he took power. He moved the capital east, into what is now Turkey. • The new capital was called Constantinople. Power no longer resided in Rome. • Constantine

7. The capture of rome • The Huns pushed a group called the Goths into Rome. The Goths had nowhere else to go. • The Goths destroyed Rome after Rome quit paying them not to attack. • The Goths sacked, or destroyed, Rome in 410.

8. Slide Break • http://youtu.be/ZuetL_zCe4o

9. Enemies sense weakness • The Goths’ victory encouraged other groups to invade the western half of the empire. • The Vandals invaded Spain, crossed into northern Africa, and destroyed Roman settlements. • Roman emperors became weak, and military leaders took power. They did not protect the empire, however. • A Barbarian general overthrew the last weak emperor in Rome and named himself king in 476. This event is considered the end of the western Roman Empire.

11. Led by Attila, the Huns raided most of the Roman territory in the east. • Overview of Attila

12. Factors that led to Rome’s downfall • The large size of the empire made it hard to govern. • Barbarian invasions weakened the empire. • Corruption, or the decay of people’s values, in politics led to inefficiency in government. Bribes and threats were used to achieve goals. • Wealthy citizens began to leave Rome, making life more difficult for those who remained.

13. Life in the Eastern empire • The eastern empire grew in wealth and power. • People created a new society that was different from society in the west.

14. Justinian • Justinian wanted to reunite the old Roman Empire. He conquered Italy and much land around the Mediterranean. • He examined Rome’s laws and organized them into a legal system called the Justinianic Code. • Removed out-of-date and unChristian laws • Simplified Roman law to give fair treatment to all • Theodora, his wife, was smart and powerful, and she advised Justinian on how to end the riots.

15. The End • After his death, the eastern Roman Empire began to decline. • Later emperors lost all the land Justinian had gained. • In 1453 a group called the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople and ended the eastern Roman Empire. • The 1,000-year history of the eastern Roman Empire came to an end.