The Fall of Rome

Lead Pipes

• The aqueducts used lead pipes

• Many people died of lead poisoning

• The loss of population added to the fall

Bread and Games

• Giving bread and entertainment to keep the poor from revolting

• This got expensive for the roman empire

Visigoths

• The Germanic tribe that threatened the roman Empire

• They ended up taking over parts of the empire particularly Spain

On the Dole

• Rome’s version of welfare• This got expensive for the

Roman empire

Latifundia

• Large estates owned by the roman aristocracy

• Grew olives and grapes (luxury crops)

• Slaves or peasants ran these estates

Christianity

• Not the direct cause of the Roman Decline

• Changed roman lifestyles to be “more holy”

• Changed their beliefs in their gods—changed ceremonies

• Their “pagan” ceremonies and rituals were the “glue” that held the empire together

The Army

• The army became weak• The army made or broke

the emperors—they had too much power

• They eventually started to fight with themselves

Western Roman Empire

• The roman empire split• Each empire had a

different • The split divided the

power and weakened the empire

Eastern Roman Empire

• The are also known as the Byzantine Empire

• Once they split the Byzantine Empire came to power

• Eventually the Byzantines took over Europe

Justinian Code

• Did not actually lead to the fall of Rome

• Actually from the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Rome)

• So well written they were the used during the middle ages

• Bases for many modern laws

Disease

• Since trade was so big, many foreign diseases were passed

• Many diseases came from China and the Middle East

• Foreign diseases killed over ¼ of the population

The Han Chinese

• The Han wanted Rome to pay for them in gold

• Hans refused to buy roman exports

• No money from the exports added to the financial problems

Slavery

• The slaves often revolted• 1 out of every 3 people was

a slave• So many slaves meant

normal people didn’t work—bad for economy

• Created mobs of unemployed citizen upset the empire