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The Decline of the Roman Empire

The Decline of the Roman Empire. Crisis of the Third Century. Close to 30 different emperors between 235 AD and 285 AD, some ruling for as little as a few days, and many ruling simultaneously Hyper-inflation Cyprian Plague External Pressures Barracks Emperors.

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The Decline of the Roman Empire

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  1. The Decline of the Roman Empire

  2. Crisis of the Third Century • Close to 30 different emperors between 235 AD and 285 AD, some ruling for as little as a few days, and many ruling simultaneously • Hyper-inflation • Cyprian Plague • External Pressures • Barracks Emperors

  3. Emperor Decius suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Goths at the Battle of Abrittus

  4. Emperor Valerian captured by the Sassanid, Sharpur

  5. Roman Empire breaks apart into three pieces

  6. The Emperor Aurelian • Cavalry commander who was proclaimed emperor by troops and defeated Quintillus (senate-backed emperor) • Defeated several barbarian tribes • Fresh recruits from Germanic tribes • Built the Aurelian Walls • Beginnings of Serfdom

  7. RestitutorOrbis • The Palmyrene Wars against Queen Zenobia • Reunified Gallic Empire • Planning to invade Persia, when killed by misguided assassins.

  8. The Emperor Diocletian and the Tetrarchy • Cavalry commander who was proclaimed emperor by troops and who defeated Carinus, the son of the former emperor • Growing importance of the cavalry • Adopted Maximian as “Caesar”. Diocletian takes on name of Jove, and Maximian, Hercules • Maximian fights tribes in Gaul, Diocletian fights Sassanids • Peace in the East; rebel Carausius in West; Maximian given title of “Augustus”

  9. Creation of the Tetrarchy

  10. Tetrarchy in Action • Constantiusreconquors Britannia from Carausius; Galerius fights resurgent Sassanids • Shrink provinces to lower case-load of governors, create Diocese ran by vicars and “duces” • Dominate? • The Great Persecution • Abdication • Constantine? • Maxentius?

  11. Christianity • Vulgate • Celsus’ remarks (2nd Century AD): “only foolish and low individuals, and persons devoid of perception, and slaves, and women, and children, of whom the teachers of the divine word wish to make converts” • Message of salvation, equality, suffering, sacrifice, giving, judgment, evangelism, and miracle-working

  12. Romans’ reaction to the Christians • Nero’s persecution of Christians • Trajans remarks to Pliny about Christians: They are not to be sought out; if they are denounced and proved guilty, they are to be punished, with this reservation, that whoever denies that he is a Christian and really proves it--that is, by worshiping our gods--even though he was under suspicion in the past, shall obtain pardon through repentance. But anonymously posted accusations ought to have no place in any prosecution. For this is both a dangerous kind of precedent and out of keeping with the spirit of our age. • The Great Persecution of Galerius

  13. The Breakdown of the Tetrarchy

  14. Constantine the Great • Constantine versus Maxentius – Battle of the Milvian Bridge “in hoc signo, vinces”

  15. Issued the Edict of Milan (Religious tolerance towards Christians – against Galerius) • Defeated remainder of his rivals • Defeated barbarian tribes in Central and Northern Europe • Held the Council of Nicaea to dispute Arian and other “heresies” • Rebuilt the City of Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople (exclusively Christian; give me your tired, your poor, your hungry…) • Campaigned against Sassandids

  16. Draconian morality laws • Executed his son Crispus and his wife Fausta • Mother, Helena went on tour of the East as a P.R. campaign - found “relics of the True Cross” in Jerusalem, established birthplace and death site of Jesus, and reinvigorated Christian interest/ pilgrimage to “Holy Land”/ Jerusalem.

  17. Decline and Fall • Book by English historian Edward Gibbon published in 1776. • Roman Empire like a “house” that succumbs to both internal and external pressures • Loss of “Civic Virtues” • Citizens became weak, outsourcing their defense to barbarian mercenaries • Effect of the Praetorian Guard • Christianity focuses people’s attention on the afterlife and not on the present

  18. What causes the breakdown of a multi-ethnic, multi-national empire? • External Pressures, plague, and famine • Military pay and spending; division of military and civilian interests • Massive inflation • Single ruler? • Single religion? • Constant civil war, and breakup of empire • Urban decay; gap between rich and poor; lack of social mobility, slavery • Psychological: limes, terminus, and the invincibility of the army • Alaric the Visigoth sacks Rome in 410 AD, Vandals sack Rome in 455 AD, Odoacer, from a Germanic tribe deposes the last Western Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustus in 476 AD

  19. Did the Roman Empire really die? • Vatican • Eastern/ Byzantine Empire • Legacies

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