The Decline of the Roman Empire

Who was Constantine?

Constantine was an emperor who reunited the empire under a single emperor. He gained control of the western part of the empire in A.D. 312 and continues many of Diocletian's policies. He went on to control the eastern part of the empire in A.D. 324.

How many generals were proclaimed to be emperors of Rome in the 50 year period between A.D. 235-284?

50 Generals, proclaimed by armies in the provinces and in Rome. Of these "barracks emperors", 26 had bfief senate approval and 25 suffered violent deaths.

Who was the last Roman Emperor?

A 14-year-old boy named Romulus Augustules. In A.D. 476, he was deposed by a German general named Odoacer and sent into exile. No emperor claimed power in the western provinces of Rome again.

Who was Attila the Hun?

A powerful chieftain of the Huns who united them in A.D. 444.

What sources of prosperity had the Empire seen under the Pax Romana?

Bustling trade, riches taken from conquered terrirories, and the grain supplies, which could feed the city populations. These all ended with the Pax Romana.

What problems were caused by a lack of loyalty and interest in politics?

Citizens did not care about the fate of the empire. Very few wanted to hold public offices, as they did not want to pay for costly public events and baths. Only the armies were interested in politics.

What tribes invaded Rome and when?

Germanic people near the Rhine river (The Franks, Burgundians, and Vandals) fled the Huns, and when the Rhine river froze in the winter of A.D. 406, Vandals swarmed across, moving through Gaul, Spain, and North Agrica. From Carthage, they raided some Mediterranean islands, as well as Italy.

What had happened to the Western Roman Empire after Rome was sacked?

Germanic tribes fought one another for control of its territories. The Visigoths controlled Spain, the Vandals controlled North Africa, Britannia was controlled by the Angles and the Saxons, and Gaul was overrun by the competing Franks, Burgundians, and Visigoths. Italy was being raided by the Ostrogoths.

What external military problems did Rome face?

Germanic tribes repeatedly overwhelmed Roman legions on the northern frontiers, and Persia threatened territory in Syria and Anatolia. In A.D. 260, emperor Valerian was captured by the Persians.

How did Attila attack the west Roman Empire?

He advanced against rome in A.D. 452. However, the Huns had suffered famine and disease, and so Pope Leo I was able to negotiate for them to leave.

What did Diocletian do to strengthen the empire?

He doubled the size of Roman armies by drafting prisoners of war and hiring German mercenaries. He set fixed prices for goods in an attempt to limit inflation. He ordered farmers to stay on their lands and for workers to stay in their jobs for life. He claimed descent from the ancient gods and passed decrees to persecute the Christians.

How did Attila attack the east Roman Empire?

He led his 100,000 soldiers to attack and plunder 70 cities in the east, but he failed to defeat constantinople.

What was one of the changes that Constantine made in the empire?

He moved the capital to Byzantium, located between the Mediterranean and Black seas. He renamed the city to Constantinople after building massive walls around it and filling it with imperial buildings.

How did Diocletian leave power?

He retired in A.D. 305, due to ill health. Unfortunately, his plans for succession failed and civil war broke out, leaving four rivals to compete for emperor by A.D. 311. One of these rivals was Constantine.

What was Diocletian's most significant reform?

He split the Empire into two halves: East (Greek-speaking, with Greece, Anatolia, Syria, and Egypt) and West (Latin-speaking, with Italy, Gaul, Britannia, and Spain). He controlled the Eastern half and appointed General Maximian as a co-ruler for the western half.

Who was Diocletian?

He was a strong-willed army leader who became the new emperor in A.D. 284. He restored order in the empire and increased its strength by governing as an absolute ruler and severely limiting personal freedoms.

What finally caused the fall of the western Roman empire?

Internal problems had worsened, it was separated from the east, and it suffered from several invasions by Germanic peoples. Massive groups of Germans poured into Roman territory, eventually overrunning the society and driving the last emperor from the throne.

What happened to the East Roman Empire as the west fell?

It flourished into what we now call the Byzantine Empire. It preserved Greek and Roman culture for 1,000 years longer. The Byzantine emperors ruled from Constantinople, seeing themselves as heirs to the power of Augustus Caesar. (The empire finally fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.)

What agricultural problems did Rome face?

Land in Italy and western Europe had been overworked and lost its fertility. Farmland had also been destroyed. Poor farmers had abandoned their land, and cheap slave labor discouraged improvements in technology that could result in greater crop yields.

What internal military problems did Rome face?

Soldiers were only loyal to their commanders, not to Rome. The government began recruiting mercenaries to defend itself against internal and external threats, but these mercenaries had the same lack of loyalty.

How did the government attempt to fix Rome's economic issues?

Taxes were raised and more coins with less silver were minted. However, this resulted in major inflation.

What were the sources of economic troubles during decline?

The Empire had frequent wars, with great costs. The wealthy spent almost all of the Empire's money on foreign goods. The Empire had stopped expanding, removing the source of riches.

What happened after the Huns had stopped attacking the Roman Empire?

The Germanic invasions still continued. In A.D. 455, Vandals led by Gaeseric sacked Rome. Famine hit, and the population dropped from around 1 million to 20,000.

What was the main reason for the Germanic invasions of Rome?

The Huns had moved westward into Europe. They were fierce Mongol nomads that originated in central Asia. They invaded the areas around the Rhine and Danube river around A.D. 370, forcing the groups there to move into the Roman empire.

What problems followed the end of the Pax Romana?

The Rulers after the Five Good Emperors had little or no idea of how to deal with the issues in the empire and some, such as Aurelius' son Commodus, were completely incompetent and brutal rulers. This greatly weakened the empire.

Which Germanic peoples attacked the city of Rome itself and when?

The Visigoths, led by Alaric, their king, marched across the Alps (In A.D. 408) towards Rome and laid siege to the city in. Hordes of Germans stormed rome in A.D. 410, plundering it for three days.

What was the tetrarchy?

The system by which Maximian governed. Each half of rome had an emperor, the Caesar. Each of these Caesars had a successor with his own capital, an Augustus.