1. Section 5 Notes

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Roman historian Marcellinus witnessed
declining values and moral decay in Roman
society
The end of Roman greatness did not occur
overnight
Decay had set in centuries before the final fall
A complex combination of problems led to
the decline and fall of the western Roman
empire

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The death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 AD
ended the Pax Romana and for the next 100
years political and economic turmoil rocked
the Roman empire
A disruptive political pattern emerged---a
“revolving door” or rulers
In one 50 year period there were 26 different
emperors
These emperors seized power and ruled for a
few months or years until they themselves
were overthrown or assassinated

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Two major economic problems emerged--High taxes to support the army and the
bureaucracy placed heavy burdens on
business people and small farmers
Farmland that had been overcultivated for too
many years lost its productivity

5. 
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To make the empire easier to govern, Diocletian
divided it into two parts
He kept control of the wealthier eastern part for
himself and appointed a co-emperor to rule the
western provinces
Diocletian tried to increase the prestige of the empire
by surrounding himself with elaborate ceremonies
To slow inflation, he fixed prices for goods and
services
Other laws forced farmers to remain on their land and
for sons to follow their fathers’ occupations
These rules were meant to ensure steady production
of food and other goods

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In 312 AD, Constantine gained the thrown and as
emperor he continued Diocletian’s reforms
He took two steps that changed the course of
European history--He granted toleration to Christians and
encouraged the rapid growth of Christianity with
the empire and guaranteed its future success
He built a new capital, Constantinople, on the
Bosporus thereby making the eastern portion of
the empire the center of power and ensured the
survival of the eastern portion for centuries to
come

7. 
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The reforms of Diocletian and Constantine
had mixed results
They revived the economy
By increasing the power of the
government, they helped hold the empire
together for another century
Still, the reforms failed to stop the long-term
decline
In the end, internal problems combined with
attacks from outside to bring the empire
down

8. 
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The Huns drive into eastern Europe led the
Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and other Germanic
peoples crossing into Roman territory seeking
safety
The weakened Roman legions were hardpressed to stop the invasion from these
people

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In 378 AD, the Roman army was defeated by
the Visigoths at Adrianople
In 410 AD, the Visigoth general Alaric overran
Italy and plundered Rome
Attila the Hun led forces that destroyed Rome
Attila’s nickname was the “Scourge of God”
Finally in 476 AD, Odoacer, a Germanic
leader, ousted the emperor in Rome
Later, historians referred to that event as the
“fall” of Rome

10. 
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Modern historians have identified several
causes for the fall of the Roman empire
Military causes
Political causes
Economic causes
Social causes

11. 
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Roman legions of the late empire were
weakened because they lacked the discipline
and training of past Roman armies
Rome resorted to hiring mercenaries (foreign
soldiers serving for pay) to defend its borders
and these mercenaries felt little loyalty to
Rome
Germanic invasions

12. 
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As the government became more oppressive
and authoritarian, it lost the support of the
people
Growing number of corrupt officials
Frequent civil wars over succession to the
imperial throne
Division of empire into two parts

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Heavier and heavier taxes were required to
support the vast government bureaucracy and
huge military establishment
Reliance on slave labor discouraged exploring
new technologies
Population decline due to war and epidemic
diseases

14. 
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Decline in values such as
patriotism, discipline, and devotion to duty
Upper class devoting themselves to luxury
and self-interest rather than leadership
“Bread and circuses” were costly and
undermined the self-reliance of the masses