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SHRINKING OF ROMAN EMPIRE

SHRINKING OF ROMAN EMPIRE. Theories behind the shrink . Invasion by Barbarians . by the 300s “barbarian” groups like the Goths had encroached beyond the Empire’s borders 410 the Visigoth King Alaric successfully sacked the city of Rome

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SHRINKING OF ROMAN EMPIRE

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  1. SHRINKING OF ROMAN EMPIRE

  2. Theories behind the shrink

  3. Invasion by Barbarians • by the 300s “barbarian” groups like the Goths had encroached beyond the Empire’s borders • 410 the Visigoth King Alaric successfully sacked the city of Rome • The Empire spent the next several decades under constant threat before “the Eternal City” was raided again in 455this time by the Vandals • 476, the Gerrmanic leader Odoacer staged a revolt and deposed the Emperor Romulus Augustulus • many cite 476 as the year the Western Empire suffered its deathblow

  4. Economic troubles and overreliance on slave labor • While being attacked from the outside Rome was falling on the inside as well • Constant wars and overspending had significantly lightened imperial coffers • oppressive taxation and inflation had widened the gap between rich and poor • members of the wealthy classes had even fled to the countryside  • further blow came in the fifth century, when the Vandals claimed North Africa and began disrupting the empire’s trade by prowling the Mediterranean as pirates. • economy faltering and commercial and agricultural production in decline • the Empire began to lose its grip on Europe.

  5. Rise of Eastern Empire • late third century, the Emperor Diocletian divided the Empire into two halves • the Western Empire seated in the city of Milan • the Eastern Empire in Byzantium, later known as Constantinople • division made the empire more easily governable in the short term, but over time the two halves drifted apart •  failed to adequately work together to combat outside threats, and the two often squabbled over resources and military aid. As the gulf widened, the largely Greek-speaking Eastern Empire grew in wealth while the Latin-speaking West descended into economic crisis

  6. Continue of the eastern …. • Constantine ensured that the city of Constantinople was fortified and well guarded, but Italy and the city of Rome were left vulnerable

  7. Overexpansion and military overspending • Roman Empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Euphrates River in the Middle East • That’s a lot of land to cover • It was hard to keep up with all the communication when they were trying to cover all this land • Rome struggled to marshal enough troops and resources to defend its frontiers from local rebellions and outside attacks

  8. Trajan 98-117 CE • Became emperor when Nerva died • Took the Roman Empire all the way to Darcia (Modern day Rumania) • Dacia had a lot of gold mines, and so Rome became rich from all the gold • Trajan also made Christianity illegal • Trajan took the army to Western Asia and he conquered a lot of land from the Parthians • Created a road system to keep land connected • Was a good emperor because he cared for the people –public welfare & good government

  9. Hadrian 117-138 • Adopted by Trajan as a son, reality he was Hadrian’s nephew • He was not liked amongst the Roman Empire • Gave back the land they had conquered from Parthian’s back to them • He thought it was too expensive to keep it because it was such a big area to cover • The army isn't too pleased with this • He doesn’t want to conquer land and he keeps giving land away...boring • But PEACEFUL • Defended weak against the strong and tried to cut down taxes

  10. by the second century the Emperor Hadrian was forced to build his famous wall in Britain to keep the enemy at bay (barbarians) • As more and more funds were funneled into the military upkeep of the empire • Other things had to be compromised… • technological advancement slowed and Rome’s civil infrastructure fell into disrepair

  11. Government Corruption • Rome was a scary place to govern…people were scared to come to power • Civil war thrust the empire into chaos • more than 20 men took the throne in the span of only 75 years • … usually after the murder of their predecessor • Praetorian Guard- guards of the emperor would sometimes kill of the emperor and sell the seat to the highest bidder • Roman citizens lost trust in their leadership

  12. Christianity  • Edict of Milan legalized Christianity in 313, and it later became the state religion in 380 • Beliefs are shifting • Christianity displaced the polytheistic Roman religion • Polytheistic roman religion • viewed the emperor as having a divine status • Christianity shifted focus away from the glory of the state and onto a sole deity

  13. Politics and religion ? • popes and other church elders took an increased role in political affairs • Complicates things • What happens when religion gets involved ...

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