1. History of the Ancient and Medieval World “ The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire ” Edward Gibbon (1776*) Walsingham Academy Mrs. McArthur Room 107 *"Another damned, thick, square, book! Always scribble, scribble, scribble! Eh! Mr. Gibbon?" (William Henry, Duke of Gloucester, upon receiving the second volume from the author, 1781)

2. Decadence and Disease Size and complexity Role of the “Other” (barbarians everywhere) Christianity: Being Number One Imperial Overstretch “The Decline”: Problems of Success (and the theories) “The Decline”: Problems of Success (and the theories)

3. Decadence and Disease The problems of wealth: luxury, escapism, pleasure seeking Fewer Romans: Falling birth rate Ill Romans: e.g. lead poisoning, epidemics.

4. Size and Complexity Maintaining far-flung infra-structure (roads, aqueducts) Problems of communication and coordination Imperfect Solution = Division (Diocletian) late 3 rd century AD

5. “The Other”: Barbarians in our midst Were all barbarians the same? What impact did they have? Can we manage without them? “Rome did not fall, it was transformed.” Atilla

6. Barbarian Invaders

9. 4 th Century: Triumph of Christianity (from 5 to 30 million believers) The Price of Success: Controversies and Heresies Christianity: Being Number One

10. Can cultures become exhausted? What happens when many are “bored?” When things come unstuck: retreat and division Retreat from Britain (407 A.D.) Portions of empire lost to Roman control What happens when there seems to be a loss: of will, of confidence, of shared vision? Imperial Overstretch

11. 410 A.D. Barbarian, Alaric, sacks Rome 476 A.D. Barbarian (Odoacer) deposes last “Roman” Emperor “The Fall”: Defining Moments (in the West!*) “The Fall”: Defining Moments (in the West!*) *The Roman Empire lives on for another 1000 years in the East! It is known as the Byzantine Empire. *The Roman Empire lives on for another 1000 years in the East! It is known as the Byzantine Empire.

12. By the 5 th century, something big and centralized had indeed broken up in the West. But Rome’s culture and many of its images lived on-in religion, languages, customs, law. Conclusion: Did Rome “fall?” Rome did not “fall;” it morphed into a new world order in western Europe. Rome did not “fall;” it morphed into a new world order in western Europe.

13. Assignment 1 Read text, pp. 149 and 151 Based on your reading and the viewing (notes) of the lecture, answer the 10 questions (photocopy.) Reminder: Multimedia Project due 1/14 –Electronic and hardcopy (covers) –1-page letter, hardcopy

14. Assignment 2 Prepare to write an in-class essay: A synthesis of the different explanations for Rome’s fate in the period of Late Antiquity. Reminder: Multimedia Project due 1/14 –Electronic and hardcopy (covers) –1-page letter, hardcopy