 After ruling the area of the Mediterranean for hundreds of years Roman Empire faced threats from in and outside the Empire  With the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180, the golden age of the Pax Romana ended  In the following years there was much turmoil and economic and political hardships

 During the 3rd century a violent disruptive political pattern emerged  Hostile tribes and pirates on the Mediterranean Sea disrupted trade  To pay for debts and expenses the empire for the empire the government raised taxes  Began to mint coins that contained less silver in order to create more money = inflation  Inflation - drop in the value of money coupled with the rise of prices

 Farmland was overworked and lost its productivity  Cheap slave labor decreased the need for newer technologies  Serious food shortages  Disease eventually spread and population decreased

 For centuries, Germanic tribes attacked Rome  Persians also posed a threat to Roman territory in Syria and Anatolia  Within the army discipline and loyalty collapsed  To defend against the increasing threat to empire the government recruited mercenaries  Mercenaries - foreign soldier who fought for money

 Citizens began to lose their feeling of patriotism for the empire  At one time holding political office was an honor  By 200 AD local officials lost money because they had to pay for public evens and baths with their own money  As a result few people choose to participate in government

 In 284 AD a strong army leader, Diocletian became the new emperor  Restored order and increased strength  Governed as an absolute ruler and limited personal freedoms  Doubled the size of Roman armies, drafted prisoners of war and hired mercenaries  Set fixed prices for goods to control inflation  Claimed he was a descendent from ancient Roman gods  Viewed Christianity as a threat

 Believed empire became too big and complex, divided into two  East- Greece, Anatolia, Syria, Egypt  West- Italy, Gaul, Britannia, Spain  Took the eastern half for himself and appointed co- ruler General Maximian the Western half  Eastern half was more wealthy  Each also chose a successor  Diocletian’s eastern half contained most of the great cities and trading centers

 Reforms slowed the decline of the empire with border becoming safe once again  Retired in AD 305  Succession failed and civil war broke out  By 311 four rivals were competing for power

 Constantine was an ambitious commander  Gained control of the western part of the empire in AD 312  Continued many of the economic and political policies of Diocletian  Granted tolerance to Christians

 By 324 he gained control of the eastern half of the empire  In AD 300 he moved the capital from Rome to the Greek city of Byzantium (modern day Turkey)  New capital laid along the Bosporus, good for trade and defense purposes  Power shifted from Rome to the east  New capital was called Constantinople  After Constantine’s death the empire would be divided with survival of the east and the fall of the west

 West’s collapse was a result of internal conflict, division from the East, outside invaders  Germanic peoples lived along the Northern borders of the empire  Some adopted Roman ways and lived peacefully  Huge numbers of Germanic tribes began to move into the Roman Empire including the Visigoths, Angles and Saxons  Overtime they would overwhelm Roman society

 Main reason for the Germanic invasion was because of the Huns  Fierce Mongolian nomads from central Asia  As they moved in Rome they destroyed everything in their path pushed other invaders into Rome as well  Franks and Vandals fled the invading Huns and entered Roman Territory  At the time Rome was vulnerable to attack  Visigoths laid seige to Rome and plundered it for three days

 Huns untied under Attila, powerful chieftain  With 100,000 soldiers Attila invaded both parts of the empire  In their advance towards Rome they weakened due to famine and disease  Pop Leo I was able to negotiate their withdrawl

 Roman emperor in the West became powerless  Germanic tribes fought one another for western half  Last Roman emperor was Romulus Augustulus 14 yrs. old  After his exile no emperor ruled Rome and the western provinces  Eastern half survived and came to be called the Byzantine Empire  Byzantine Empire flourished and preserved the Greek and Roman culture  Empire lasted until 1453 when it fell to the Ottoman Turks