Chapter 7 Section 6

1
Chapter 7Section 6

• The Fall of the
• Western Empire

2
Troubled Times Arise

• After Marcus Aurelius died in 180AD the empire
  quickly slid into crisis.
• Invaders threatened the borders and civil war
  tore at the empire
• The defense of frontiers and civil war were
  costly. As a result there was a shortage of
  silver. Silver coins contained very little actual
  silver, so merchants had to raise prices.
• the rise in prices due to devalued money is
  called inflation

3
(No Transcript)
4
Two Able Emperors Attempt Reform

• Diocletian, a general in the Roman army, was made
  emperor in A.D. 284
• He appointed a co-emperor and 2 Caesars because
  of the realization that the empire was too large
  for one person to rule alone
• He ruled the East and the co-emperor ruled the
  West
• They were able to drive out the invading tribes
• Diocletian and his co-emperor retired leaving the
  Caesars to become co-emperors with their sons as
  the new Caesars

5
Continued.

• When the western emperor died his son Constantine
  took his place as emperor
• The eastern emperor refused to recognize
  Constantine and the divided rule failed
• Civil war broke once again
• In the end Constantine won and became sole
  emperor in A.D. 324
• After Constantine died the empire remained stable
  but the government was inefficient and corrupt.
• As the western empire grew weaker, the eastern
  empire became the center of power and wealth

6
(No Transcript)
7
The Final Invasions

• Although Diocletian and Constantine were able to
  hold the empire together through effort and
  reforms the threat of invasion from the north and
  east was never gone
• The most troublesome of the invaders were the
  German tribes called the Goths and the Vandals
  who were fleeing the advancing Huns
• In the shadow of defeat, Rome allowed the Goths
  to settle in the empire, in return for the Goths
  joining the Roman army
• But is was not enough, the Visigoths took Rome
  and the Vandals took N. Africa then moved on to
  Rome

8
Continued

• The Huns, nomadic people from Asia, then took the
  opportunity to move in
• Led by Attila the Huns launched an attack on Gaul
• Attila was defeated by an army of Romans and
  Visigoths but it was too late to save the Western
  Roman Empire
• A barbarian commander overthrew Romulus
  Augustulus, the last Roman emperor in the West

9
Attila
10
Causes of the Decline

• The most obvious cause for the collapse of the
  empire was the German invasions
• But also the Western empire suffered from rapid
  and abundant growth in an age of slow
  transportation
• Rome tried to control this vast area with the
  same government designed to rule a city-state. It
  did not work

11
More Causes of Decline

• Strains on the economy were also a cause for the
  fall of the empire
• Heavy taxes crushed the citizens and the taxes
  still could not provide enough money
• Because the empire was no longer expanding it did
  not have the in-pour of gold and goods that were
  plundered
• As the empire grew so did the number of poor
  citizens and these citizens lost their patriotism

12
Review

• the rise in prices due to devalued money is
  called?
• As this empire became weaker, the eastern empire
  became the center of power and wealth
• What were the German tribes called?
• Who did the Romans fear would lead to an uprising?

13
This is a deep sea Frilled Shark found off the
coast of Japan by a fisherman. Although not a new
discovery they are very rare. It resembles an eel
but because of its gills is classified as a shark.
14
(No Transcript)
15
(No Transcript)