Notes on notes on notes on notes

AD: 180 Rome Had problems

• economic problems - trade became risky, taxes were high, food supply was dropping
• military problems- frontiers were hard to patrol, Roman generals fought for control, soldiers loyalty declines and mercenaries appeared.

Diocletian divided into two

• Greek-speaking East ) had more resources)
• Latin-speaking West (Rome, tradition)

Diocletian

• born in Illyria - a territory to the south of the middle stretch of the Danube
• became the main recruiting ground for the empire's overstretched armies
• Named emperor by his own men
• Son of freed slave
• At the end of his reign, he persecuted the Christians

• AD 324 - Constantine becomes emperor over both halves of the empire
• moves the capital from Rome to Byzantium (renamed to Constantinople), where Asia met Europe ( now Turkey)
• after his death, empire is divided again
• this time "barbarian invaders" (Huns, Vandals, Visigoths, Angles, Saxons, Franks) overrun the empires frontiers
• that's it for the Roman Empire (AD 476)

Rome Fades Away

Two Emperors

- Diocletian

• rules 284-303
• its cool to persecute Christians
• Rome needs a big army (400,00 strong)
• Rome needs a big government (20,000)

Constantine

• rules from 306-337
• its cool to BE a christian
• conversion to Christianity via a cross in the sky (conquer by this)
• 313 - his Edict of Milan proclaims freedom of worship
• built new capital in the East
• Byzantium, soon to be known as Constantinople

Edict of Milan

• the ending of persecution to Christians, claims that Christianity is good

struggle of the peasants

• life in the fourth century
• country dwellers are getting bankrupted by endless tax collection
• new farming system: peasants work for elite landlords on large farms
• peasants can avoid pating taxes, but they are getting hit to hard by landlords
• paying of debts and being "allowed" to live on the land, in exchange for endless back breaking work
• landowners hold local power as counts and bishops, wielding more real power than the faraway empire
• foreshadowing feudalism

the western empire crumbles

• Romes power is decreasing, while nomadic barbarians gain power
• Western Empire is too poor, neglected
• Huns migrate from China to eastern Europe
• Visigoths take over Spain, and even capture and loot Rome itself in 410
• Vandals control Carthage and the western Mediterranean
• Other barbarian tribes
• Ostrogoths in Italy
• Franks in Gaul
• Angles and Saxons in Britain

  End of an era

From the beginings...

• 500 BC - the monarchy is aboloshed
• 450 BC- twelve tables are established

through the glory days....

• 44 BC - end of the line for Julius Caesar
• 27 BC-180 AD - the Roman Peace (Pax Romana)

to the bitter end...

• constant fifth century invasions by barbarian tribes left the western Roman Empire shattered and crumbling
• the last emperor was a teenage boy installed in 475 by his father
• barbarians deposed Romulus Augustulus without bothering to kill him