The Fall of the Roman Empire in the West

ATHENIAN EMPIRE, 5th c BCE

Ancient Greece

PERSIAN EMPIRE Builders of the 6th century BCE

were Cyrus the Great and Darius.

Ancient Persia (Iran) Ziggurat Temple, palace of Darius I in Persepolis,

and the 2,500 year old palace of Cyrus

Ruins of Persepolisan ancient capital of Persia

ALEXANDER’S EMPIRE 4th c BCE

ROMAN EMPIRE 44 B.C.E.

The Conversion of St. Paul, 1st c CE(Saul of Tarsus / a Roman citizen)

The Spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire

Ancient RomeRomulus and Remus, the Colosseum, Athena

& the Discus Thrower

Ancient empires engaged in conquests in order to acquire wealth, which came

primarily in the form of slaves and tribute.

Both men and women were sold as slaves and young boys were the most expensive slaves to buy. Some slaves were well educated, especially those from Greece, and they would be used to teach the children of the house.

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

• The peak of Roman power was during the so-called Pax Romana – “the Roman Peace.” For around 200 years (from 27 BCE to 180 CE), a period of stability ensued. The adoptive system (wherein he “adopted” and chose as his successor a man with proven ability) introduced by Emperor Nerva (96 CE) helped maintain this peace.

• This period, however, was not truly peaceful for all.

To cite some examples:

1. Emperor Caligula was cruel and insane (38 CE).2. Emperor Nero persecuted the Christians (65 CE).3. Emperor Vespasian put down uprisings in Gaul and Judaea (66 CE).

Nearly 1,000 Jewish refugees in the mountaintop fortress of Masada committed suicide (73 CE).

4. Emperor Hadrian suppressed a second Jewish revolt in Judaea. He forbade Jews from entering Jerusalem except once a year and encouraged non-Jews to settle there. Most of the Jews who survived were sold into slavery or sought refuge in other lands.

The Masada stronghold of the Jewish refugees

What effect did continuous conquests for expansion have on Roman society?

• 1. The rich slave-owners and officials grew more wealthy.

• 2. The peasants in the countryside were obliged to render military service, thereby falling deeply into indebtedness. They were thus forced to sell their small lands to rich land-owners who added them onto their estates, worked on by slaves.

• 3. The artisans in the towns had to compete with the products of the ever-increasing number of slaves. Many lost their source of livelihood and became part of the “city mob” with no ownership.

• 4. The slaves were subjected to dehumanization.

Roman society faced a crisis.A. Economic Crisis *A trade deficit resulted from the fact that more goods were imported from India and China, compared to goods exported. Rome was using up too much of its gold.

* Limited economic and technological growth resulted from the widespread use of slave labor. Why was this so?

* Many commoners lost their sources of income. Explain why.

*To support the army, emperors exacted higher taxes from its citizenry and looted their products. This destroyed the peasantry and middle class.

B. Political Crisis

1. Internal Factors *There existed no legal system for succession. Thus, in the 3rd century BCE, generals fought over the position of emperor. *Rebellions in the provinces (e.g., Gaul & Judaea in the 1st and 2nd centuries) and withdrawal of support in other places weakened the Empire. *When generals fought for political power, they recalled the legions guarding the borders (Rhine & Danube) back to Rome, thus weakening the Empire’s defenses.

Ancient Gaul and Judaea

B. Political Crisis

2. External Factors *Germanic tribes took advantage of the weak

defenses at the borders and crossed the Rhine and Danube. They invaded Gaul, Italy, Greece and Asia Minor.

*The Persian Empire, which regained strength, conquered Roman lands in the east.

C. Cultural Crisis *A decadent culture prevailed. The ruling elite engaged in perverse activities such as gluttony and orgies. Why do you think so?

*Dehumanization was widespread. - “bread and circuses” - slavery

• Adopted from the earlier Etruscans, gladiatorial games originated in the rites of sacrifice due the spirits of the dead and the need to propitiate them with offerings of blood.

• After the slave revolt of Spartacus in 73 BCE, the State assumed greater control of public games, and large numbers of gladiators were trained in imperial schools.

Above: A gladiator requests for mercy, but mercy is denied.

• Most gladiators were prisoners of war, slaves bought for the purpose, or criminals sentenced to serve in the schools.

• But for the criminal who was to be publicly executed or for Christian martyrs who refused to renounce their faith and worship the gods, there was no hope of survival in the arena.

Below: A gladiator is injured.

Right: A gladiator’s wife

A dying gladiator

A temporary relief was enjoyed by the rich slave-owners and officials through continuous conquests. These provided them with wealth and a chance to provide ‘dole’ (e.g., ‘bread and circuses’).

The long-term effect of continuous conquests, however, was the inevitable downfall of the empire.

Revolts staged by slaves and other disgruntled sectors of society were the primary reasons behind the growing internal weakness of the empire and vulnerability in the hands of the foreign invaders (‘barbarians’).

II. Attempts to save the situation *In the 3rd c CE, Diocletian divided the Empire into the Western and Eastern parts. *But by this division, Rome was separated from the rich provinces in the East.

III. Invasion by the Germanic Tribes

Why did the Germanic tribes migrate to the lands of the Roman Empire?

Migration by the Germanic tribes had been taking place for many years. Some of the reasons for this were the following:

1. The climate in the Empire was not as cold as that in northern parts of Europe.

2. The tribes were lured by the Empire’s wealth.3. The tribes needed more land for their growing

population.

How did the Roman Empire treat these Germanic tribes?

• Rome tried to “romanize” the peaceful tribes by allowing them to settle within the Empire’s boundaries and recruiting them as soldiers.

• Most of the tribes, however, were obstructed from crossing the Rhine-Danube frontier.

• In the 4th century CE, when the fierce nomadic Huns from Central Asia invaded the Danube plain, the Visigoths asked for refuge within the Empire.

• In 376 CE, the Roman emperor let in the Visigoths, who eventually warred with and defeated the Romans.

• In the 5th c CE, an alliance of Germanic tribes and remnants of the Roman army defeated the invading Huns, under Attila. But the Germanic invasions continued.

Trivia

Projects for connecting the Rhine and Danube basins by canal were conceived since the time of Charlemagne.

In 1992, such a canal was completed, thus now

connecting the North Sea to the Black Sea.

IV. Fall of the Roman Empire in the West

By 476 CE, some of the hired Germanic officers in the Roman army overthrew Romulus Augustulus (the child Western Roman emperor). They declared Odoacer (a German) king of Italy.

This date is traditionally regarded as the end of the Roman Empire in the West.

The Barbarian Invasions and the Division of the Roman Empire circa 455 C.E.