Matt Reed and Noah Strong

 Territories in Africa and Europe were lost to Germanic tribes and invaders.  Population in the west declined due to Agricultural issues.  Capital of empire shifted from Rome to Byzantium, this ended power in the west.  In the 3 rd century political instability developed within the empire.  Roman citizens became over confident.  Diseases swept through population killing about half of the western empire.

 Divided between west and east.  East was heavily influenced by Hellenistic culture and were more sophisticated. West still spoke Latin and only had main cities protected and not countryside.  Emperor Constantine moved the capital from Rome to Byzantium in the east.  West became the Holy Roman Empire after Romulus Augustus’ rule

 Germanic Tribes ended up controlling much of Italy.  The Visigoths controlled Spain  The Vandals controlled North Africa  Britain was divided in to the Anglo Saxons  Many small tribes became known as the Franks.  Gauls controlled France.

 These invasions of Germanic Tribes was harmful to the Roman empire because they all brought their own culture to the empire causing loss of unity in the empire.  Germanic Tribes wanted to invade the Roman Empire because they appreciated Roman culture more than their own.  Germanic Tribes were mercenaries for Roman military and wanted more military control.

 Made of a combination of two tribes from Northern Germany and Denmark.  Captured most of Britain, and established a Germanic tribal system of government.  Converted to catholic by the end of the 6 th century.  England became a dangerous place to live under Anglo Saxon rule.

 Joined forces with the Romans to defeat the Huns in 451, Battle of Chalons.  From southern Scandinavia  Split in to the Ostrogoths, who remained in southern Russia and the Visigoths, who drove the Romans out of modern day Romania.  Also captured Ravenna, and Rome then continued to settle in southern France and Spain.

 From Germany  Tried to settle in Spain but were expelled by the Visigoths.  Conquered North Africa and sacked Rome in 455 after the Visigoths.  Took the treasures of Rome back to Carthage.  Fell to the Byzantine Empire led by Justinian in 533.

 Byzantine law was based off of Roman law.  Roman nobles inter-married with Germanic upper class.  Social structure of old Rome remained in Spain and southern Gaul, area where romans had fled to.  Things that were influenced were political styles, and Architecture.  Rome remained the largest city in the west and economic center for western Europe.

 Odoacer was the chief of the Germanic mercenaries, he disposed of Romulus Augustus and quickly conquered Italy.  The Germanic tribes established control over Italy for many centuries  Rome was abandoned during the Gothic war in the 6 th century. This caused surrounding cities to fall in to decline.  The Muslim Conquest led to poor trade in the Mediterranean for the Europeans.

 The split of the Roman Empire led to depopulation, de- urbanization, and increased invasions.  The lack of leadership led poor infrastructure within the divided Western Roman Empire.  Trade with other territories collapsed and education suffered.  Early Middle Ages was not a strong time period, everything but the catholic church declined.

 Pope Boniface III became the bishop of Rome in 607 and was given the Pantheon.  Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne, the leader of the franks, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.  This Empire became the new power in the west, making Constantinople its new rival.

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