The Slow Decline of the Roman Empire 400 years of history in one Powerpoint presentation

Augustus- The Exalted One Friends, Romans and Countrymen lend me your ears HAVE CHILDREN…THE EMPIRE NEEDS THEM LIVE A MORAL LIFE…THOSE WHO DON’T WILL BE SENT ELSEWHERE PRAY TO THE GODS

Augustus (Octavian) Caesar  Built foundation for the Pax Romana (an extended time of peace for Rome)  Eliminated taxes for goods crossing the border between provinces AUGUSTUS

More on Augustus  Monetary Policy- The money supply- The Denarius A Stable money supply makes for a strong nation We need better roads, bridges and aqueducts Lower Taxes! Helped to create the Pax Romana

PAX ROMANA  NOT A CHEESE BUT AN IDEA!!!  When in Rome…  All Roads lead to Rome…  Built up Rome (“Rome was made of bricks when I came, marble when I left…”)

Next!  A little matter of succession…  Who should decide?  Selected by the Senate?  The emperor himself?  Praetorian Guard?  Been there, done that. All of ‘em.

(Drumroll please…) The Good Emperors!  Ruled from 96 A.D. – 180 A.D. (85 years)  Mostly made decisions beneficial to Rome (Including a welfare program for kids)  Mostly military leaders  Absolute monarchs, but known fo tolerance and diplomacy

2 Bad Emperors- Incompetent  Caligula –I hereby name my horse- Co-Consul  Nero –Do you mind if I play my Fiddle??? While Rome Burns???? –Persecuted Christians, Killed the Christian Apostles, Paul and Peter

3 Good Emperors 3 Good Emperors  Trajan 98 AD- 117 –Selected rather than Born into it- –Stabilized the Roman Empire- First non-Roman emperor (Spanish)  Hadrian 120 CE –Rome reaches it Geographic Pinnacle!!! –All the Way from North Africa to Hadrian’s Wall!  Marcus Aurelius CE –The last of the Good Emperors –Tried to secure the Northern Borders against the German Barbarians –Stoic!! Wrote Meditations

What goes up…  By 200 A.D. the empire was in trouble  Pirates, raiders, and barbarians…oh my!  Greedy folks…pouring out money for foreign luxuries (spices, silk, etc)  Say, is there any silver in this coin? (eventually lost 98% of the silver in the money) HUGE INFLATION  Tired dirt

But wait, there is more bad news…  Barbarians at the GATE- Goths (nope, not the type in schools today) beat up the legions on the Danube  Persia captures the Roman emperor Valerian…uses as a permanent foot stool.  Have money? Will fight. (all soldiers mercenaries, some not even Roman)

The descent continues…  Patriotism takes a dive. Nobody cares about the “republic”  Army (armies) have too much influence on government  Praetorian Guard  No one wants to be a politician…too much at stake (if your people don’t give you enough tax money, you have to make up the difference. Gulp.)

Who do you call when your Empire is in Trouble  DIOCLETIAN!!! 284 – 305 CE –A Spanish born Emperor he tries to restore stability  Let’s divide it up!!! Empire is divided into for parts  Secure the Borders  Stop Inflation  Restore the Gods  An Emperor should look like an Emperor

 THE DIVIDED ROME- Eastern and Western Capital

The Capital Moves!!! On to Constantinople  Moves the Capital from Rome to Byzantium which becomes known as “Constantinople”---today its’ Istanbul  Christianizes Rome AD

Christianity becomes the New Religion  Battle of Milvian Bridge

The last Century – 5th  Attila the Hun  not the one in the Disney Movie---on the outskirts of Rome –Pope Leo I makes a deal

Romulus Augustulus to Odoacer  The last Roman Emperor- IN THE WEST –476 CE –Eastern Empire has another 1000 years before it completely collapses –Visigoth ODOACER takes control

Goths and other Barbarians Pants!!!

Western Europe ruled by Barbarians!!! A Sea of Instability

The East Still Lives