■ EssentialQuestion:– WhatfactorsledtothecollapseoftheRomanEmpire&whateffectdidthefallofRomehaveontheMediterraneanworld?

■ Warm-UpQuestion:– Onthecartoononthenextslide,identifyasmanyRomanaccomplishmentsaspossible

TheRomanRepublic

Romebeganasacity-statethatwasheavilyinfluencedbyGreekculture

TheRomanRepublicBy509B.C.,

RomewasruledbyelectedSenatorswhoservedintheRomanRepublic

TheRomanRepublicDuringtheRepublic,RomeexpandedbydefeatingCarthageinthePunicWars&laterundergeneralslikeJuliusCaesar

TheRomanRepublicBut,theRepublicweakeneddueto

corruption,civilwars,&theassassinationofJuliusCaesarin44

B.C.

TheRomanEmpire

AfterCaesar’sdeath,RomebecameanempireruledbytheEmperorAugustus

TheRomanEmpire

PaxRomana

UnderAugustus,Romeenteredanera

ofpeace&prosperityknownasthePaxRomana

TheRomanRepublic

PaxRomana

Eraofdecline

After207yearsofprosperityduringthePaxRomana,theEmpirebegantodecline&was

conqueredin476A.D.

QuickClassDiscussion

■ WhydidtheRomanEmpiredecline?– BrainstormalistofreasonswhythemightyRomanEmpiremighthaveenteredaneraofdecline

TheDeclineoftheRomanEmpire■ ThefalloftheRomanEmpirehappenedin3majorstages:– AneraofdeclineduetointernalproblemswithinRome

TheRomansexperiencedpoliticalproblemsTheempirewastoolargeforoneemperortocontrol

EmperorsafterthePaxRomana

wereweak

Citizensexperiencedalossofconfidence,patriotism,&loyalty

totheRomangov’t

TheRomansexperiencedeconomicproblemsOutsidegroupsdisruptedtrade

Poorharvestsledtofoodshortages

Romehadatradeimbalance(theyboughtmorethantheyproduced)Thegov’traisedtaxes&printednewcoinswhichledtoinflation

TheeconomicdeclineleftmanyRomanspoor

TheRomansexperiencedmilitaryproblemsGermanictribesoutsideRomeweregainingstrength

TheRomanmilitarywasgrowingweak:generalswerechallengingthe

authorityoftheemperors

Tosavemoney,Romanshiredforeignsoldiers

butthese“mercenaries”werenot

loyaltoRome

QuickClassDiscussion

■ Whatwouldyoudotosavetheempire?– BrainstormaseriesofreformsthatmightsaveRomefromitsdecline

TheDeclineoftheRomanEmpire■ ThefalloftheRomanEmpirehappenedin3majorstages:– AneraofdeclineduetointernalproblemswithinRome– AbriefperiodofrevivalduetoreformsbyEmperorsDiocletian&Constantine

AttemptstoReformtheEmpire■ In284A.D.EmperorDiocletiancametopower&madeaseriesofreformsthattemporarilyhaltedRome’sdecline– Tofixthemilitary,hedoubledthesizeoftheRomanarmy– Tofixtheeconomy,hefixedpricesforgoods– Tofixthelackofloyalty,hepresentedhimselfasagodlikeemperor

Diocletian’smostimportantreformwasrealizingRomewastoolarge&dividingtheempireintotheWesternEasternRoman

EmpiresTheempirewasdividedbetweenGreek-speaking&Latin-speakinghalves

TheEastwasfarwealthierthantheWestbecauseithadmostofthegreatcities&tradecenters

But,theempirewasalsodivided

bywealth

AttemptstoReformtheEmpire■ AfterDiocletian,theemperorConstantinecametopower&continuedtoreformRome– TohelpunifyRome,heendedpersecutions&convertedtoChristianity– HemovedtheofficialcapitalfromRometoanewcityintheEast,calledConstantinople

Constantinoplewasamajortradecenter&waseasytodefend;thecitywasbuiltintheRomanstylebut

hadastrongGreek&Christianinfluence

TheDeclineoftheRomanEmpire■ ThefalloftheRomanEmpirehappenedin3majorstages:– AneraofdeclineduetointernalproblemswithinRome– AbriefperiodofrevivalduetoreformsbyEmperorsDiocletian&Constantine– Continueddecline,invasionbyGermanic“barbarians”,&theconquestofRome

TheCollapseoftheRomanEmpireAfterEmperorsDiocletian&Constantine,theWesternRomanEmpirecontinuedtodecline

Disease,corruption,&decliningeconomyexposedtheWesttoattackfromoutsideinvasions

TheCollapseoftheRomanEmpire

By370A.D.,“barbarian”groupsoutsideRome,ledbytheHuns,begantoattack

TheweakRomanarmyintheWestcoulddolittletostoptheinvasions;By476,Germanic

barbariansconqueredWesternRome

TheFallofRome

“Destruction”oneofthefivepaintingsthatmakeupAmericanHudsonRiverValleypainter,ThomasCole’sseries“TheCourseofEmpire”,whichwaspaintedbetween1833and1836.

AftertheFallofRomeThedeclineoftheWesternRomanEmpireledtotheMiddleAges

AftertheFallofRomeTheEastbecametheByzantineEmpire&flourishedforanotherthousandyears

TheByzantineEmpirekeptalivetheculturalachievementsofancientGreece&Rome

TheClassicalEra

ThecivilizationsoftheClassicalEraproducedimportantachievementsthatarestillusedtoday

ThecombinationofGreek&Romanachievementsare

knownasGreco-Romanculture

ClosureActivity■ WhatweretheimportantculturalcontributionsoftheClassicalEra?– Matchtheachievementwiththeappropriateclassicalcivilization