2. Objectives
• Know the various causes for the decline and fall of the
Roman Empire.
• The economic reasons
• The social reasons
• The political reasons
• The military reasons
3. The Roman empire hits its high water mark in AD 180
with the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius
• It’s all downhill from there.
4. Economic reasons
• The Roman economy was partially based on constant
expansion.
• This brought new land, new money, new treasure,
new slaves, and new taxes.
• Once the empire stopped expanding, that influx of
goods stopped.
• Rome was losing money! High cost of wars and
defense.
• Too much spent on luxury items.
5. • INFLATION!
• The value of coinage was based on how much gold
or silver was in the coin.
• Less gold coming into Empire.
• Less gold being put into coins
• DRASTIC drop in value of money coupled with a rise
in prices.
6. • Grain production also decreased due to over farming
and warfare.
• This meant feeding people became more difficult.
7. • Not keeping up with the times.
• Relied too much on slave labor instead of developing
new technologies to make work easier.
8. Social reasons
• Unemployment.
• Costly to be a government worker, competent people
just didn’t want to do it.
• Morals and work ethic
• Many Romans had become accustomed to the easy
life of bread and circuses.
• These were also done at state expense, which
drained the public treasury.
9. Political reasons
• The problem with political office being undesirable.
• Imperial Succession
• No established rule for succession
• This meant that it was up for grabs.
• Frequent civil war towards end of Empire!
10. The split
• The empire is eventually and officially divided into two
halves: the western and eastern Roman empires.
11. Military reasons
• This is a big cause.
• Long borders-expensive to defend
• Mercenaries-
• Rome also began hiring mercenaries. These guys
worked for cash, not loyalty, and could be highly
unreliable.
• Discipline and Loyalty to Roman Empire collapsed!
12. • Invasion
• Barbarians started invading the empire and the
legions couldn’t stop them.
• Germanic tribes from North and West
• Huns from the East-Attila!
13.
14. • The barbarians proceed to run rampant over Roman
territory.
• Left Rome in CHAOS!
• 476-Romulus Augustulus (14)-LAST emperor of
Rome deposed by Odoacer (German general).
• ROME’S POWER IN THE WESTERN HALF OF THE
EMPIRE HAD DISAPPEARED!
