This is a map of the Roman Empire under the emperor Constantine around 324 C. E. As you can see, Constantine had a problem. His empire was too big to control from one central location.
He decided, for several reasons, to build a new capital to the east. This new capital was named Constantinople.
Think Back: What were some of the causes of the decline and eventual fall of the Western Roman Empire? Share with a partner and type them onto a Google Doc. Try to come up with all ten.
LEARNING TARGET: I can describe how Germanic invasions helped to break up the Roman Empire and start the Byzantine Empire.
Directions: Read the information on the timeline below. Write an article for History Magazine of at least 2 paragraphs (4-6 sentences each) explaining how Germanic invasions helped break up the Roman Empire. Put into the dropbox on Schoology when complete.
He decided, for several reasons, to build a new capital to the east. This new capital was named Constantinople.
Think Back: What were some of the causes of the decline and eventual fall of the Western Roman Empire? Share with a partner and type them onto a Google Doc. Try to come up with all ten.
LEARNING TARGET: I can describe how Germanic invasions helped to break up the Roman Empire and start the Byzantine Empire.
Directions: Read the information on the timeline below. Write an article for History Magazine of at least 2 paragraphs (4-6 sentences each) explaining how Germanic invasions helped break up the Roman Empire. Put into the dropbox on Schoology when complete.
184 AD - Marcus Aurelius, the last of the Good Emperors died and his son Commodus ascended the throne. Marcus Arelius's death came to mark the end of the Pax Romana. As Nero before him, Emperor Commodus squandered much of the treasury on his own pleasure and led it into bankruptcy.
192 AD - Commodus’s troops conspired to assassinate him. He was murdered by his wrestling partner after an unsuccessful poisoning attempt by his mistress, Marcia. An emperor long obsessed with gladiatorial displays, cruelty, and luxury, this was not the first attempt on Commodus’s life. In 183 AD, an attempt had been made at the behest of his sister Lucilla.
192 AD to 284 AD - Twenty-eight emperors were put into power by the army legions, but most were killed by these same legions. Rome’s armies fought each other and the defense of the empire suffered. Germanic people continuously and successfully attacked the empire. These included tribes like the Saxons, Goths, Alemanni, and the Franks.
284 AD - General Diocletian, after murdering the killer of his predecessor Emperor Carinus, assumed the position of emperor. He instituted many reforms in an effort to stem the invasions and bring political stability back to Rome.
305-312 AD - Civil wars erupted.
312 AD - Constantine took over as emperor in the east. He tried to reinforce Diocletian’s reforms.
337 AD - Death of Constantine. Again, there was civil war until Theodosius I took Constantine’s place. The same problems continued in the empire and had a greater impact in the western half. Theodosius ruled that the empire be split in two upon his death. He believed this would alleviate the empire’s difficulties.
Late 300s AD - Germanic tribes begin to enter the Roman Empire. Some were in search of wealth, better lands, and a warmer climate; the majority, however, were fleeing ferocious warriors from central Asia known as the Huns. Most tribes comprised numerous warrior groups only loosely connected by language. Roman called these Germanic tribesbarbarians because their speech sounded like nonsensical babbling to them.
378 AD - The Visigoths defeated a substantial Roman force at Adrianople in the Balkan Peninsula. The eastern Roman emperor was killed and to maintain peace, his successor turned land in the Balkans over to the Visigoths.
395 AD -The division of the Roman Empire became final. The eastern empire was called the Byzantine Empire by historians while the western half was referred to as the Roman Empire.
410 AD - Alaric, a Visigoth chief, captured Rome.
451 AD - The Romans joined forces with the Visigoths to stop the Huns in Gaul. A determined Attila turned to Italy looting and ransacking the cities.
453 AD - Attila the Hun died. The Huns withdrew to Eastern Europe but their absence opened the door to nomadic Germans, Slavs, Persians, and Avars on the eastern border.
455 AD - The Vandals sack Rome. Gaul was divided between the Franks and Goths.
476 AD - The emperor Romulus Augustulus was overthrown by a German soldier named Odoacer who declared himself king. Odoacer did not name a new emperor and so this was commonly referred to as the point when the Roman Empire fell. However, as this study guide demonstrates, the Roman Empire had been declining since around 200 AD for a host of reasons.
Dropbox on Schoology
Source: Bright Hub Education
192 AD - Commodus’s troops conspired to assassinate him. He was murdered by his wrestling partner after an unsuccessful poisoning attempt by his mistress, Marcia. An emperor long obsessed with gladiatorial displays, cruelty, and luxury, this was not the first attempt on Commodus’s life. In 183 AD, an attempt had been made at the behest of his sister Lucilla.
- Commodus was portrayed in the movie Gladiator by Joaquin Phoenix. While not entirely historically accurate,Gladiator does reveal some truths about Commodus. For instance, he was known to be handsome, dismissive of the Senate, athletic and prone to entering gladiatorial competitions.
192 AD to 284 AD - Twenty-eight emperors were put into power by the army legions, but most were killed by these same legions. Rome’s armies fought each other and the defense of the empire suffered. Germanic people continuously and successfully attacked the empire. These included tribes like the Saxons, Goths, Alemanni, and the Franks.
284 AD - General Diocletian, after murdering the killer of his predecessor Emperor Carinus, assumed the position of emperor. He instituted many reforms in an effort to stem the invasions and bring political stability back to Rome.
- Increased the number of legions and toured the empire to inspect its defenses.
- Viewing the Roman Empire as too large for one ruler, Diocletian divided it into two. He became co-emperor of the eastern provinces and installed General Maximian as co-emperor of the western provinces.
- Issued the Edict of Prices in an endeavor to control inflation. Emperor Diocletian set a cap on prices and a wage-freeze. A Roman could be put to death for breaking the Edict but, despite this harsh punishment, it failed. Black-markets grew and merchants sold their wares at market prices.
- In an effort to prevent farmers from abandoning their land, he ruled farmers of rented property were never to abandon it.
- Likewise, Romans in heavily taxed occupations were ordered to keep their positions for life.
305-312 AD - Civil wars erupted.
312 AD - Constantine took over as emperor in the east. He tried to reinforce Diocletian’s reforms.
- Made most jobs hereditary, passing from father to son.
- Allowed landowners to actually chain workers to prevent them from leaving.
337 AD - Death of Constantine. Again, there was civil war until Theodosius I took Constantine’s place. The same problems continued in the empire and had a greater impact in the western half. Theodosius ruled that the empire be split in two upon his death. He believed this would alleviate the empire’s difficulties.
Late 300s AD - Germanic tribes begin to enter the Roman Empire. Some were in search of wealth, better lands, and a warmer climate; the majority, however, were fleeing ferocious warriors from central Asia known as the Huns. Most tribes comprised numerous warrior groups only loosely connected by language. Roman called these Germanic tribesbarbarians because their speech sounded like nonsensical babbling to them.
378 AD - The Visigoths defeated a substantial Roman force at Adrianople in the Balkan Peninsula. The eastern Roman emperor was killed and to maintain peace, his successor turned land in the Balkans over to the Visigoths.
395 AD -The division of the Roman Empire became final. The eastern empire was called the Byzantine Empire by historians while the western half was referred to as the Roman Empire.
410 AD - Alaric, a Visigoth chief, captured Rome.
451 AD - The Romans joined forces with the Visigoths to stop the Huns in Gaul. A determined Attila turned to Italy looting and ransacking the cities.
453 AD - Attila the Hun died. The Huns withdrew to Eastern Europe but their absence opened the door to nomadic Germans, Slavs, Persians, and Avars on the eastern border.
455 AD - The Vandals sack Rome. Gaul was divided between the Franks and Goths.
476 AD - The emperor Romulus Augustulus was overthrown by a German soldier named Odoacer who declared himself king. Odoacer did not name a new emperor and so this was commonly referred to as the point when the Roman Empire fell. However, as this study guide demonstrates, the Roman Empire had been declining since around 200 AD for a host of reasons.
Dropbox on Schoology
Source: Bright Hub Education