1. Politics
A Declining Empire
How long did it take for Rome to come
to its end?
What are the 4 causes for the decline
of the Roman Empire?
• Rome was not built in a day,
and its decline took hundreds
of years.
• There are four causes that
lead to the fall of Rome;
1. Economic
2. Political
3. Social
4. External threats

2. Politics
The Economic Cause
What made the empire increasingly
expensive to run?
How did people respond to higher
taxes?
• The cost of managing the
empire became increasingly
expensive.
• An incredibly expensive military.
• Inflation and plague led more
people seeking for expensive
assistance in the cities.
• Rome passed high taxes to pay
for everything, and this lead to a
disgruntled populace.

3. Politics
The Political Cause
What were the political problems?
• The empire suffered from
really bad leaders.
• Emperor Diocletian split the
empire into two halves to
make the empire easier to
manage.
• This led to increased civil wars
and competing factions.
• Constantine moved capital to
the east – Constantinople.

4. Politics
The Social Cause
What were the social problems?
• Corruption became an
increasingly difficult problem.
• Emperors were frequently
assassinated and replaced by
greedy factions.
• Leaders served their own
interests and not those of the
people or empire.

5. Politics
The External Threat Cause
• The empire was being overrun
by “barbarians” from outside
the empire.
Who was the external threat to Rome?
– Vandals
– Angles / Saxons
– Huns
– Visigoths

7. Politics
The External Threat Cause
• These barbarians lost their
lands and were looking for
new ones in the Roman
Empire.
• These barbarians would
continuously invade and
attack the empire, becoming a
huge drain on Rome’s strength
and resources.

8. Politics
Rome’s Final Demise
When did the Western Roman empire
officially come to an end?
• These 4 causes make the
empire too weak to reform
and correct what was broken.
• Eventually a barbarian by the
name of Odoacer captured
the city of Rome and ended
the line of emperors.
• The Western Roman Empire
officially came to an end.

9. Politics
The Eastern Empire
Why was the city of
Constantinople important?
What was the Byzantine
Empire?
• Constantinople was a major source
of trade, and many important
people followed Constantine from
Rome to the new capital (leaving
Rome weaker).
• When the Western part of the
Roman Empire fell, the Eastern
portion would continue for almost
another 1,000 years called the
Byzantine Empire.

11. Politics
The Eastern Empire
• After Rome fell, Constantinople
continued the legacy of Roman
What important contribution did the
and Greek culture by
Byzantine Empire provide history after
the fall of Rome?
preserving and spreading it.
• Byzantine Emperor Justinian
took Rome’s laws and
What was the Justinian Code?
simplified them – the Justinian
Code. They would have great
influence over the laws of
Europe.

12. Politics
The Eastern Empire
What were a few things the Byzantine
empire produce?
• The Byzantine empire focused
on education to improve
society.
• The empire was deeply
connected to its Christian
identity, and produced mosaics
with brightly colored glass and
impressive churches like Hagia
Sophia.

13. Hagia Sophia:
Holy Wisdom

14. Choose 6 of the 10
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
How long did it take for Rome to come to its end?
What were the economic problems?
What were the political problems?
What were the social problems?
Who was the external threat to Rome?
When did the Western Roman empire officially come to an
end?
7. Why was the city of Constantinople important?
8. What was the Byzantine Empire? What important
contribution did the Byzantine Empire provide history
after the fall of Rome?
9. What was the Justinian Code?
10. What were a few things the Byzantine empire produce?