Rome Declines Roman Empire begins its decline at the end of the reign of Marcus Aurelius.

Hostile tribes outside the boundaries of the empire disrupt trade.

Spending drains the Roman economy.

Marcus Aurelius Commmodus

Decline ContinuesDesperate to pay its mounting expenses, the government raised taxes.

Inflation.Over worked and war torn soil led to agricultural problems.

Repeated attacks.Lack of patriotism. Mercenaries.

Attempts to Reform Under DiocletianDiocletian doubles the size of the Roman army.

Controls inflation by setting fixed prices on goods.

Divides the Empire into the Greek speaking East and the Latin speaking West.

Borders become safe.

Diocletian Declared himself the son of Jupiter and was presented to the public in a godlike manner.

Limited the freedoms of Romans.Passed a decree to persecute Christians.

Prestige of the emperor is restored, however.

Diocletian

Map of the Eastern and Western Roman Empire

Civil War and Constantine

By A.D. 311, civil war breaks out.Four rivals battle for control of the empire.

Gains control of the West in 312 and the East in 324.

Restores the concept of a single ruler.

Moves the capital to Byzantium.

Constantine Byzantium

Invaders Overrun the Western Empire

The decline of the Empire took place over many years.

From A.D. 376 to 476, Germanic tribes poured into Roman territory.

The main reason behind this invasion by the Germanic tribes was the movement of the Huns in Europe.

Huns Fierce Mongol nomads from central Asia.

Reason for them leaving the area is unknown.

In A.D. 444, the Huns unite under Attila and terrorized both the East and West.

Alaric Attila

Huns Decline and Rome's Last Emperor

Huns were weaken by disease and famine.

Death of Attila in A.D. 453.Germanic invasions continue.Roman population drops.Germanic tribes take Spain, North Africa, Gaul, Britannia, and Italy.

Gaiseric Odoacer

Rome FallsThe last Roman emperor was a fourteen year old boy-Romulus Augustulus.

Augustulus is sent into exile.Roman power in the western half end.

Eastern half of the Empire will be known as the Byzantine Empire.

Greco- Roman CivilizationGreco-Roman culture is a mix of Greek, Roman, and Hellenistic culture. Classical civilization.

Adopted Greek and Hellenistic models and created a style of their own.

Greco-Roman ArtsDeveloped a type of sculpture, bas-relief, that told stories and represent crowds of people.

Mosaics were designs or pictures by setting small pieces of glass, stone or tile on a serface.

Frescoes or murals is art painted directly on walls.

Bas-Relief Mosaic

Learning and LiteratureRoman developed most of their philosophy from the Greeks.

Stoicism was very influential.In literature, Romans were influenced by the Greeks.

Used Roman themes and ideas while following Greek forms and models.

Virgil Ovid

Livy Tacitus

Roman Advances

The Roman language, Latin, was adopted by different peoples and developed into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian.

Romance languages.Aqueducts carried water into cities.Arch, domes, and concrete.

Colosseum, Aqueducts, Roads

Thomas Jefferson Montgomery

Roman System of LawRome's lasting and widespread contribution was its law.

Romans believed laws should be fair and apply to all people.

Equal treatment under the law, innocent until proven guilty, punished for actions, not thoughts, and burden of proof rest with the accuser, not the accused.