Rise and Fall of Empires Review

The Roman Republic Rome’s economy was based almost entirely on agriculture, but because the terrain was mountainous, they had to innovate. They did this through two major things: Terraced farming (creating flat surfaces in a slope to make it farmable) Aqueducts (a bridge that transports water from a reservoir to a specific area for human use or irrigation) Rome also established a Republic, where representatives were elected. Rome also had distinct social classes. You had Plebeians, or common people, and Patricians, the wealthy upper class. Men born in Rome were citizens, women were caretakers, boys were educated, girls learned handicrafts and household chores Only the patricians could be elected or hold public office, so they held all political power.

Rome’s rise Rome’s rise from a Republic to an Empire began with the Emperor Octavian, Julius Caesar’s grand-nephew He kept the basic things in place of the Roman Republic, but reorganized the government by having soldiers swear allegiance, setting up governors in Rome’s provinces, and having a census to ensure taxes were paid. Rome also started using a vast system of roads to help trade and the movement of the army. Rome also set up a civil service, which is where workers were paid to work in the government. This reorganization made Rome stable, which led to a period of peace known as… Pax Romana!

Pax Romana For 207 years peace & prosperity existed throughout Rome 90% of Rome were farmers. People had plenty of food. Entire empire used silver coins Huge amount of trade throughout the empire = few economic issues. The peace that Augustus brought to Rome, caused its people to prosper, civilization spread, and cultures mixed. With peace came, increased trade as goods moved freely and safely along trade routes. There were no tariffs, or taxes placed on goods brought into the country. Shipping became a big business, and increased trade meant more business for Romans.

Why was rome successful? There was 200+ years without any wars or major battles Everyone had a job which helped the economy About 90% were farmers which led to surplus food (agriculture) Entertainment kept citizens engaged, not bored Rome had a huge population Used the same coins which helped with trade Had a vast (large) trading network Roads helped their army protect them and helped traders travel They traded with many places due to the Silk Road like China and India

Rome’s fall The Roman Empire became huge. At it’s height, it covered most of Europe, North Africa, and some of Asia

Political Problems Poor leaders weakened the government Frequent fights for power Many officials took bribes Talented people chose not to serve due to dangers of government life These are all examples of political corruption Conflicts? Conflicts: population decline due to violent deaths/chaos, Poor leaders caused people to move away, frequent fights for power made many scared to run for office/ was no set way to elect next official, incompetent leaders who do not consider what people need, since officials were bribed their decision might not be the best one.

Military Problems Military only in it for money (mercenaries) No money to pay military = weak military Constant threat of invaders on empire’s borders Weak military, unable to stop border invasions Conflicts? Conflicts: other empires sense that Rome is weak and invade, soldiers were not loyal, too much land not enough soldiers to protect it, they can’t protect their citizens so they are worried

Social Problems Taxes were too great, many rich people stopped paying People stopped attending school Large number of people enslaved Plague (disease) spread throughout Rome, killing 1 in 10 Famine: There was not enough food to feed people Conflicts? conflicts;: famine= people would fight over food , population decrease b/c disease and famine, no on e smart enough to lead in future b/c no school, farming could decrease b/c slavery/disease, town would be in bad shape b/c rich people stopped paying taxes

Economic Problems Farmers lost land, unable to grow and sell crops, out of work (and famine) People bought fewer goods, shops closed Inflation occurred: Rapidly rising prices. Money lost value because fewer taxes could be paid. Coins lost value: Less gold put in, people found out (caused inflation) Bartering grew: sell goods without using money No taxes, no money Conflicts? People losing money, businesses, and land, no money= can’t survive and town falls apart, no money and people start to get hungry, population can go down b/c no food, people bought less so shop owners may close and now they don’t have jobs, sickness could start b/c of famine, people fighting over money or jobs b/c there weren’t enough

Rome’s fall In order to try and save the empire, Roman Emperor’s try to divide it into East and West, with two separate emperors. But this didn’t always work out for the best. Constantine reunited the empire and made the capital Byzantium (he named it later after himself “Constantinople”) after Rome continued to decline. After his death, the empire split again – Rome the capital in the West, and Constantinople the capital in the East. Unable to fully protect its borders, Rome faced a series of invasions from groups like the Franks and Vandals. When the Roman emperor is defeated in 476, this marks the fall of Rome, and the beginning of the Dark Ages. The Eastern Empire would continue to exist for the next 1,000 years.