The Fall of the Roman Empire PDF
Document Details
Uploaded by AdjustableCreativity
Tags
Summary
This document explores the collapse of the Roman Empire, examining internal political struggles and external threats from barbarian groups. It analyzes the factors that led to the fragmentation of the empire and the transition into the Middle Ages.
Full Transcript
What could threaten an empire that was so big and strong? 0 Do you think the threats would come from outside of the Roman Empire, or from inside? ¥¥¥ *☒* :RY ÷④÷¥ tt vocabulary decline = gradual loss of importance and power invader = a person or group that comes into a country by force At this...
What could threaten an empire that was so big and strong? 0 Do you think the threats would come from outside of the Roman Empire, or from inside? ¥¥¥ *☒* :RY ÷④÷¥ tt vocabulary decline = gradual loss of importance and power invader = a person or group that comes into a country by force At this time, Rome was still a vast and powerful empire, but it faced some serious problems. problems Roman generals -8 invaders Roman generals D Powerful generals were fighting each other. -1 Each general wanted to gain enough power to become emperor. __* This conflict was harmful for the health and well-being of the empire. ⇐☒#÷)÷ tÑ÷¥÷*F•:±÷ T y ¥¥¥¥o→!%•?¥ ÷ Why they didn’t work together to help the Roman Empire staying strong, and chose to fight against each other? They were being selfish.They cared more about their own personal power than about what was best for the people of Rome. ¥¥¥&→¥a¥:7E AT Why did the fighting among them make the Roman Empire weak? They spent money and energy fighting each other instead of taking care of the empire. I want to be the emperor! ☐ rs Have you guys ever heard the expression, “All roads lead to Rome.” During the glory days of the Roman Empire, that saying was true! Roman was the center of the empire, and roads from all over Europe led there. The roads helped hold the Roman Empire together, but they also played a role in its decline. Their enemies could use these roads to attack them. Beginning around 200 AD, some non-Roman groups of people started to do this… The Roman Empire grew very weak in the 200s and 300s that it began to attract the attention of various groups to attack. The invasions by non-Roman groups agroups that lived on the edges of the empire I ✓ groups that lived outside its boundaries They used Roman roads to enter the Roman Empire. Rome had conquered some of these groups of people, so Romans sent armies to guard the borders against others. Romans called them “barbarians”, because they spoke different languages and had different cultures than Romans. The Romans looked down on these people and saw them as primitive, uncultured, and inferior. the Romans :☒¥ÉE¥%t :¥ ¥¥!¥☒a%tE spoke Greek and Latin. However, many barbarian groups were not uncivilized. For example, many had skilled metal workers who created beautiful art, jewelry, and coins. The Romans referred to a number of groups as barbarians, such as the Angles, the Saxons, the Huns, the Vandals, and the Goths. Several of these groups of people were Germanic. They lived in northern Europe, and after years they eventually drove the Romans out of England. The Goths and Vandals attacked and finally sacked the city of Rome itself. - ' a- - =¥ ¥E¥Fa&•?E A From the Roman point of view, the Vandals caused so much destruction. Even today, we still use the word vandalism to describe acts of destruction. @ They came from northern Europe and the Asian steppes. nomadic people vandalism = damage of property that is done on purpose However, the barbarians who left the longest memory of fear and destruction were not these Germanic people. They were a nomadic people from central Asia called the Huns. : ÷÷Am•;uM who? The Huns a flat, grassy, treeless area t They lived on the steppe that stretched across nowadays Ukraine, southern Russia, and Kazakhstan. The Huns raised sheep, cattle, and horses on the steep. As the seasons changed, and the available grasses dried up, the groups moved in search of new grazing lands for their livestocks. They were skilled horseman and experts with bows and arrows. As young children, they learned to ride horses. They were so good to the point that there was one Roman historian said, “They are unable to put their feet on the ground. They live and sleep on their horses.” In the 300s, the Huns tired of living on the steppe, began to move westward across Europe. Thanks to their skill in warfare and their excellent horsemanship, the Huns easily conquered other groups of people and moved onto their land. Attila the Hun For about ten years, Attila and his brother Bleda shared the throne as rulers of the Huns. But Attila wanted to rule by himself. He killed his brother and became the sole king and leader of the Huns. Attila became known as a brilliant but cruel general. He led the Huns westward, conquering other groups and leaving a trail of destruction. The Huns crossed the Danube River and crushed a Roman army in eastern Europe. Then they invaded what is presentday France. At one point, a Roman army joined with another barbarian group, the Visigoths, to defeat the Huns in a bloody battle in Gaul (present-day France). However, this incident didn’t stop Attila. It was actually his only defeat. Next, Attila turned his attention to Rome itself. In 452, he started to attack the Roman Empire. In an attempt to save Rome, Pope Leo l, the bishop of Rome, went to meet with Attila. What happened during the meeting? The legend says that in this face-to-face meeting, Attila saw a halo above the pope’s head. The Church believed that Attila retreated because he feared this holy man. However, modern historians think that Attila’s forces were very weak at this point! Painting of the meeting of Pope Leo and Attila created in 1514 by Raphael halo = a bright circle that is often shown above or around the head of people who are being protected by God or related to God https://historycollection.com/ ten-things-not-know-attilahun/4/ Attila also knew that Roman armies were approaching from the east. Therefore, he decided not to attack Rome. Soon after this meeting, Attila became sick and died. Without their leader, and weakened by disease, the Huns retreated into eastern Europe. Rome was divided into two empires in 286. an Eastern Roman Empire a Western Roman Empire -8 Greece present-day countries France present-day countries Italy Turkey England Belgium Austria Spain parts of Germany parts of northern Africa Finally, in 476, a German king named Odoacer attacked Rome and killed the emperor. Since no new emperor was named, the date 476 is sometimes used to mark the end of the Western Roman Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire, which was not conquered, lasted for almost another thousand years. - - - - Today, people usually think that the Middle Ages began in 476, when the western half of the Roman Empire collapsed. However, to the people of the time, especially those who lived outside the Roman capital, there were probably wasn’t any difference between life in 475 and 477. 476 AD The fall of the Roman Empire. Rome had ruled much of Europe. Now much of the land would fall into confusion as local kings and rulers tried to grab power. This is the start of the Dark Ages. ?⃝ The Middle Ages or Medieval Times, in Europe was a long period of history from 500 AD to 1500 AD. %aa oaqm.am 1000 years! It covers the time from the fall of the Roman Empire to the rise of the Ottoman Empire. This was a time of castles and peasants, guilds and monasteries, cathedrals and crusades. There were also several important events that had happened throughout this period of time such as the Black Plague and the rise of Islam. Term - Middle Ages = Medieval Times - Dark Ages = the first half of the Middle Ages from 500 to 1000 AD ii.? After the fall of the Roman Empire, a lot of the Roman culture and knowledge was lost. This included art, technology, engineering, and history. Then why we know so much about Europe during the Roman Empire? It was because the Romans kept excellent records of all that happened. However, the time after the Romans is “dark” to historians because there was no central government recording events. This is why people call this time the Dark Ages. ÷ ••¥¥ Many Roman roads and aqueducts that were used to carry people, goods, and water began to fall apart. Although there were many local governments, there was no longer a central government with money to fix the roads. Even if a ruler in one region decided to repair the roads that crossed his land, there was no guarantee that the roads in the neighboring regions would be fixed, too. In the years following the fall of Rome, nations that would greatly influence a changing Europe were slowly being created. Remember Visigoths who sacked Rome? They continued to move westward, into nowadays France. Then they moved into Spain and Portugal, where they settled into a life of farming. The Ostrogoths moved into the area of central Europe that is now the Czech Republic and Hungary. The Huns were absorbed by other ethnic groups. The Angles and Saxons moved across the sea to England. In these years, the groups of people who brought down the Roman Empire began the process of creating a new and different Europe.