Roman Achievements and the Decline of the Roman Empire: An Overview, Exams of Christianity

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THE DECLINE AND FALL

OF THE

ROMAN

EMPIRE

SWBAT:

1. Analyze how political upheaval, the plague, and dissension within the Empire led to Rome’s decline.
2. Examine the consequences of building your empire too big that leaders are unable to control the actions of their people.

Do Now

Describe two reasons that would bring about the decline and eventual fall of a civilization.

The Roman Republic & Empire: A Brief Overview

Rome began as a

city-state that was

heavily influenced

by Greek culture

The Roman Republic

During the Republic,

Rome expanded by

defeating Carthage in

the Punic Wars and

later under generals

like Julius Caesar

The Roman Republic

The Republic weakened

due to corruption, civil

wars, and the

assassination of Julius

Caesar in 44 B.C.E.

The Roman Empire

Pax Romana

Under Augustus,

Rome entered an era

of peace and

prosperity known as

the Pax Romana

The Roman Empire

Pax Romana Era of decline

After 207 years of

prosperity during

the Pax Romana,

the Empire began

to decline and was

conquered in 476 A.D.

Rome’s Internal Problems POLITICAL and SOCIAL The empire was too large for one emperor to control

Emperors after the Pax Romana were weak Rome’s Internal Problems POLITICAL and SOCIAL

Rome’s Internal Problems ECONOMIC Outside groups disrupted trade Poor harvests led to food shortages

Rome’s Internal Problems ECONOMIC The government raised taxes and minted new coins which led to inflation The economic decline left many Romans very poor Rome had a trade imbalance (they bought more than they produced)

Rome’s Internal Problems MILITARY The Roman military was growing ineffective due to poor leadership : generals had their own interests and were challenging the authority of the emperors

Rome’s Internal Problems MILITARY To save money, Romans found it cheaper to hire foreign soldiers instead of employing more Romans; these “mercenaries” were not truly loyal to Rome