The Decline of Rome

The Decline of Rome The Late Empire, Its Challenges, and the Emperors that Pulled it Down

Pax Romana • Augustus is the end of the Republic and the beginning of the Pax Romana • The world had never seen such a long period of peace, order, effective organization, cultural diffusion, and prosperity • The Julio-Claudians (14-68 AD) were marked by corruption, conspiracies, decadence, and straight-up lunacy, but they maintained the essence of Augustus’ achievements • The Flavians got off to a good start but started to lose control • Built the coliseum • Destroyed the temple at Jerusalem • Domitian assassinated leading Romans and was himself assassinated • The “5 good emperors” led Rome through it pinnacle • The Pax Romana was a “Time of Happiness” and Rome’ mission was fulfilled: to create a world-state without needless fighting and excessive use of military force

“Time of Happiness” • Constructive rule- Romans were tremendous engineers • Built 53,000 miles of roads from Scotland to the Euphrates • Goods were carried through a sea that was safe from pirates • A stable currency kept a thriving economy • Citizenship extended to almost everyone after 212 A.D. • Improvements for Slaves and Women • Freeing slaves became common and less conquests meant less slavery • Status of women also improved during this time • An orderly world community- • Romans solved the problems of the Greek city-state: civil war, intercity warfare, attitude the divided Greeks from non-Greeks • The world community was global- it preserved the Greco-Roman culture but broke down the barriers between nations • Universalism and cosmopolitanism

Roman Culture in the Late Empire • Literature and History • Virgil’s Aeneid- National glory- religion, civic pride, family • Livy’s History of Rome- Glorified Rome • Horace- joy of wine, value of moderation, beauty of friendship • Ovid- romance and humor • Tacitus- denounced roman emperors and imperialism • Juvenal- attacked evils of Roman society • Philosophy • Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius- stoics who saw the universe as governed by reason • The gap between Greek philosophy and Christianity was narrowing • Science • Ptolemy- geocentric theory- math, geometry, astronomy • Galen- dissection, medicine

Roman Entertainment • Rome presents a paradox here because they had a high standard of civilization yet their entertainment was barbaric • Battles to death • Animal fights (ex. tigers and elephants) • Animals tore apart men dressed in animal skin • Women fighting • Dwarfs fighting • Few questioned the barbarism

Trouble on the Horizon • Uprisings in Egypt, Gaul, and Judea • Native loyalties begin to emerge • The economy had problems too- only a small portion of the population was reaping the benefits of the empire • Bread and Circus kept the rest quiet • Discontent was growing as the economic and cultural gap increased

A Spiritual Awakening • Spiritual stagnation- a change in values marked a decline in the Greco-Roman world • The value of humanism was challenged by mythic-religious movements • Greek rationalism never completely subdued the influence of mythic-religious mentality • Religious cults promised immortality and the proliferation of these cults is an expression of the transformation of classical values • Like mystery religions looked for something beyond this world

Neo-Platonism • Replaced stoicism and transcended reason • Subordinated reason to mysticism • Plotinus (205-270)- most influential neo-Platonist • Retained elements of Plato's rationalism but was intrigued by Plato’s otherworldliness • He desired union with the One, or the Good- sometimes called God • He believed that the One transcended all human knowledge and required a mystical leap • Purification of the soul • Mystery religions intoxicated the masses and classical civilization was being transformed • Quest for the divine

The Decline • The 3rd century brought crises • Degeneration of the army • Soldiers waged war on civilians for loot • They made and unmade emperors • Germanic people took advantage of the weakened military and crossed the Rhine-Danube to loot and destroy • Economy is stricken • Ruined farms, taxation, trade disrupted, debased coinage, inflation, disrupted transportation, damaged middle class, forced labor, famine

The Emperors of the Late Empire • Septimius Severus • Caracalla and Elagabalus • Diocletian • Constantine • Julian • Claudius Julianus • Theodosius

Septimius Severus • When Commodus died each of the 3 major armies (Syrian, Danube, British) appoints an emperor and once again civil war ensues • Severus established a military autocracy • Decisions were made for the good of the troops • He was African therefore he held no loyalty toward Italy • Focused all attention on the provinces • Removed the tax break that the Italians had • Allowed tribesman to join the military and rise to the highest positions

Caracalla and Elagabalus • Caracalla (MARCUS AURELIUS SEVERUS ANTONINUS) was made emperor with his brother Geta as assistant emperor by Septimius • He kills Geta • Believed he was Alexander the Great reincarnated • spent large amounts of money on ridiculous wars • extended citizenship to all who lived in the Roman Empire • Elagabalus killed Caracalla with the help of Alexander Severus • Elagabalus ends up being murdered by Alexander • Rome is busy with it's civil wars and multitude of leaders for 50 years meanwhile the rest of Europe is building up their troops

Rumors • He would wear a tunic made wholly of cloth of gold, or one made of purple, or a Persian one studded with jewels, and at such times he would say that he felt oppressed by the weight of his pleasures. He even wore jewels on his shoes, sometimes engraved ones - a practice which aroused the derision of all, as if, forsooth, the engraving of famous artists could be seen on the jewels attached to one's feet. He wished to wear also a jeweled diadem in order that his beauty might be increased and his face look more like a woman's; and in his own house he did wear one. Historia Augusta Life of Elagabalus XXIII • Brothels and Taverns • ...And even at Rome he did nothing but send out agents to search for those who had particularly large organs and bring them to the palace in order that he might enjoy their vigor. Life of Elagabalus V; VIII

Diocletian • Born poor • Joined the army; started at the very bottom and worked his way up to becoming emperor • Establishes an autocracy • Led successful campaigns against the Franks and the Bergandians • Divides the empire into west and east sections • Each section will have an Augustus and a Caesar • He becomes the Augustus of the east with Galerius as Caesar • Maximian becomes Augustus of the west with Constantius as Caesar • Both the east and west are broken into 4 Prefectures • Each of these is broken into 12 diocese • Each diocese is headed by a vicar • Once again imposed paganism and outlawed Christianity • After 20 yrs he passes the thrown to his Caesar • Constantius dies immediately after he is appointed

Constantine • Appointed by the army • Civil war ensues again • Built a new capital- Constantinople • Byzantine, present day Istanbul • Called the most important emperor of Late Antiquity • His victory at the Milvian Bridge counts among the most decisive moments in world history, while his legalization and support of Christianity and his foundation of a 'New Rome' at Byzantium rank among the most momentous decisions ever made by a European ruler. (http://www.roman-emperors.org/conniei.htm) • Milvian Bridge Constantine was commanded in a dream to place the sign of Christ on the shields of his soldiers. • Converts to Christianity

Arianism and Nicaea • Controversy over the relationship between the God the father and Jesus • Arius said that Jesus was a lesser God than the father • Constantine summoned the First Ecumenical Council on 20 May 325 • Arius was condemned • Other matters were solved as well (canon)

Constantine’s Death • Dies from illness and his sons inherit the empire • Constantine II, Constantius, Constans • Civil war once again ensues and all 3 brothers die • Julian takes over when the brothers die • Executes Christians again • Flavius Claudius Julianus reigned from 360 to 26 June 363 • Dies fighting the Persians

Invasions in the West • Theodosius I dies in 395 and leaves the west to his son Honorius and the East to his son Arcadius; both were considered equal • Goths Vandals and Huns begin to tear down the western empire • The Visigoths under King Alaric had settled in the Balkans but saw an opportunity to invade • 410 Rome was sacked • Vandals had swept through Spain and came to Occupy Roman Africa; they sacked Rome in 455

476 • Odoacer (a barbarian) and his troops were mercenaries in the service of Rome • In 476 his men revolted and proclaimed Him king. • Odoacer defeated the Romans at Piacenza and Ravenna (the West Roman capital). • Finally he deposed the last Roman emperor of the West Romulus Augustus in 476 • Eastern Emperor Zeno sent Theodoric the Great, King of the Ostrogoths to fight Odoacer in 488 • They agree to share authority in Italy but Theodoric’s men assassinate Odoacer • Theodoric Names himself Master of Italy, ruler of Goths and Romans

Decline of Rome • Why did Rome Decline? • Lost a strong and effective emperor • Lost disciplined military • Lost a strong senate • The economy collapsed • Bread and circus made people lazy • Bread and circus is basically food and entertainment • There was a shortage of silver • Collapse of civil service • No city officials • Lack of efficient administration

The “Fall” • 1- The process lasted hundreds of years • 2- only the western half fell; the eastern half endured as the Byzantine empire until the mid 15th • 3- No single explanation is sufficient for Rome’s decline

Perry’s Reasons • The role of the Germanic Tribes • Their pressure aggravated Rome’s internal problems • The Romans had to impose heavy burdens on its people to maintain the armed forces • The Roman spirit had turned to apathy and a lack of interest in public life • Even though the Romans far outnumbered the barbarians • Political and Military Considerations • Sapped the initiative and spirits of the citizens • The state became more of an enemy than the Germans • Quality of Roman soldiers deteriorated • Large numbers of barbarians were recruited • No loyalty to Greco-Roman civilization • Economics • Population shrank while costs to run the empire shot up • Fewer workers were available for agriculture • Manpower for the army dwindled • Cities lacked industry • People began to abandon their farms for the safety of the latifundia • Others turned to banditry

The Roman Legacy • The center of gravity shifted from the cities to the landed estates in rural areas • Local aristocrats gained in power • Rome left an important idea: the idea of a world empire united by common law • By preserving and adding to the Greek culture, Rome strengthened the foundations of Western Civilization • The Latin language • Christianity developed within and was a product of the Roman culture

The Decline of Rome