The Fall of Rome

The Fall of the Roman Empire

• The Roman Empire lasted from 27 BC until 476 AD, when it was conquered by a Germanic warlord named Odoacer.
• The empire began a long period of decline before the 5th century AD.
• Major events leading to the collapse of the Roman Empire include the split into 4 administrative areas by Diocletian in 293 AD and the move of the capital to Constantinople by Constantine in 330 AD.
• Rome was sacked by the Visigoths in 410 AD, by the Vandals in 455 AD, and finally by Odoacer in 476 AD.
• Internal corruption and bad governance, leading to inflation, starvation, and excessive taxation, contributed to the fall of the empire.
• The tetrarchy, established by Diocletian in 293 AD, divided the empire into four administrative units, and Constantine's move led to the creation of two independent states: the Eastern and Western Roman Empires.
• Invasions by Germanic tribes in the 4th and 5th centuries weakened the empire, with Rome suffering major sacks in 410 AD, 455 AD, and 476 AD.
• Odoacer, a Germanic warlord, deposed the last emperor of Rome in 476 AD, marking the end of the Western Roman Empire and the beginning of the Early Middle Ages in Europe.
• The role of Christianity in the fall of the Roman Empire is controversial, with some historians linking the adoption of Christianity as the official religion in 380 AD to the empire's fall.
• The spread of Christianity may have contributed to the fall due to its emphasis on the afterlife rather than living for the present.
• The fall of the Roman Empire is traditionally dated to 476 AD, although the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) continued until 1453 AD when it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks.
• The Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire, continued until 1453 AD when it was finally conquered by the Ottoman Turks.