Presentation about the Fall of Rome and the Germanic Peoples.

2. Chronology: 27 BCE – 476 AD
Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire): until 1453.
Political organisation:
Emperor  He concentrated all the powers (head of the Senate, of the Army,
Pontifex maximus, directed foreign policy, established the laws, etc.)
1st emperor – Caesar Augustus (Octavian)
Senate: ratified the decisions of the emperor.
Social organisation:
- Citizens (all rights and privileges): Patricians.
- Non citizens: plebeians (free. No political rights)
Women
Slaves

4. Economy:
Agriculture  Specialised depending on the region.
Trade  Favoured by:
- Pax Romana.
- Single currency.
- Roads.
- Mare Nostrum.
Religion: polytheism.
Emperor: Pontifex maximus.

6. - Political crisis: weaker emperors.
- Social and military revolts  Sack of cities  Insecurity  Migration to the countryside.
- Commerce collapsed because of the insecurity.
- Villas (Country house, large-scale agricultural production)  Almost feudal.
FROM COMMERCE TO AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK FARMING
- Germanic peoples  Cross the borders.
- Late 3rd century  Huns  They pushed the Germanic peoples (Visigoths,
Ostrogoths, Franks, Saxons, etc.) into the Roman Empire.  More instability.
- Religion: 313  Edict of Milan (Constantine the Great)  Freedom of worship.
-380  Theodosius the Great proclaims Christianity official religion.

7. 395 – Theodosius the Great died  Division of the empire.
Western (Capital: Rome)  Until 476.
Eastern (Capital: Constantinople)  Until 1453.  BYZANTINE EMPIRE

8. 3rd-10th centuries  Mass migrations in Europe.
3rd-5th century  Germanic peoples.
From 8th century  Slavs and Magyars from the east, Norsemen (Vikings) from the
north, Muslims from the south.
Causes:
- Demographic changes  Relationship between population and resources.
- Political and/or military weakness.
- Pressure from peoples with greater military power.

9. 3rd-5th century  Germanic peoples
(Barbarians)  From north and east of the
Roman Empire (across the Rhine and Danube
rivers).
3rd century  Settled in the Roman
territory  Pacts: land in exchange
of defending the borders.
5th century  They spread throughout
the Roman empire  Different
groups in different territories  They
formed kingdoms
476  The Ostrogoths conquer
Rome.
Western Roman Empire  Divided into the
different Germanic peoples.

11. Frankish kingdom (France and part of Germany)
Angles and Saxons (England)
Suebis (N-W Iberian Peninsula)
Visigoths (Toulouse kingdom  Iberian Peninsula and southern France)
Burgundian kingdom (Western France, Switzerland, etc.)
Ostrogothic kingdom (Italy, northern Balkans)
Political organisation
Organised into different tribes, led by kings.
Elective monarchy  Political and military role.
Council
Territory divided into counties (ruled by a count)
Social organisation
Hierarchical society  King, noblemen, high clergy, rest of population (peasants)

12. Economic organisation
Ruralisation (3rd century onwards)  Rural society. Agriculture and livestock farming.
Involved in rural economy (livestock farming), and great use of metallurgy.
Religion and culture
They adopted many elements of the
Romans.
First pagans, then Christians.
They adopted Latin as language.
Culture was restricted to monasteries.

13. HIGH ROMAN EMPIRE GERMANIC PEOPLES
Centralised power  Emperor
Organisation in tribes  Division into kingdoms
Conflicts.
PAX ROMANA  Trade
Insecurity  No trade.
Agriculture and livestock farming
Urban life Rural life
Patricians and plebeians. Citizens and non-
citizens
Privileged landowning minority.
Hierarchical organisation.
Polytheism Paganism. Later, Christianity