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Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire

Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire. World History I. The Decline. A period of conflict and confusion developed in Rome after 180 AD. Civil war once again plagued Rome. There were 22 emperors in a period of 50 years. The empire also suffered a series of invasions during this time.

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Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire

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  1. Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire World History I

  2. The Decline • A period of conflict and confusion developed in Rome after 180 AD. • Civil war once again plagued Rome. • There were 22 emperors in a period of 50 years. • The empire also suffered a series of invasions during this time. • Rome was invaded by Germanic tribes and people from Persia.

  3. Factors leading to the decline • Economic Problems • There was a decline in trade and small industry. • A labor shortage was caused by a plague. • Plague – an epidemic disease. • Farm production declined. • Fields were ravaged by invaders and the defending Roman army. • The monetary system began to show signs of collapse.

  4. Factors leading to the decline • Military Problems • The plague also led to a shortage of men in the military. • Armies were needed, but it was difficult to enlist and pay soldiers. • By the 3rd century, Germans were being hired to fight under Roman commanders. • They did not have the loyalty to the Roman government.

  5. Factors leading to the decline • The Roman Empire experienced change under Constantine and Diocletian. • Both rulers enlarged the bureaucracy. • The army grew to 500,000 men. • This drained public funds further. • New economic and social policies were put in place. • Jobs became hereditary. • These reforms failed. • These reforms were temporarily successful, but they were unable to save the empire.

  6. The fall of Rome • Under Constantine, the Roman Empire was divided into two parts. • The Eastern and Western Roman Empire. • The Western Empire came under attack by Germanic tribes. • The Visigoths defeated Rome in 378. • Increasing numbers of Germans were invading Rome. • In 410, the Visigoths sacked Rome. • The Vandals invaded Italy from northern Africa and also sacked Rome in 455. • In 476, the western Roman Emperor Romulus Augustus was dethroned. • The Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantine Empire continued to thrive.

  7. Why did Rome fall? • Many theories exist… • The spiritual nature of Christianity weakened Rome’s military values. • Traditional Roman values declined as non-Italians gained prominence in the empire. • Plague wiped out part of the population. • Rome failed to advance technologically because of slavery. • Rome couldn’t establish a workable political system. • All of these may have contributed to the downfall of Rome, but no one event can explain the fall of Rome individually.

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