1. Decline of the Roman Empire
p of Prentice Hall World History Connections to Today

2. Causes of the Fall of Rome
Many factors contributed to the decline and fall of
Rome.
Germanic Invasions
Military Causes
Political Causes
Economic Causes
Social Causes

3. Impact of the Huns
To understand the Germanic invasions, you must first
understand a group known as the Huns.
A.D Wars in East Asia caused the Huns, a nomadic people, to migrate west across Central Asia.

4. Impact of the Huns
A.D Huns reach eastern Europe. They were known for their fighting skills. They dislodged the Germanic peoples from their land.
This meant the Germanic peoples came into Roman territory seeking safety.

5. Roman Empire
With the Roman empire already in decline, it was hard for the Roman legions to stop these invading Germanic tribes.
Roman power was fading, and more Germanic peoples were occupying more & more of the western part of the Roman empire.

6. “Fall” of Rome
A.D Odoacer, a Germanic leader, ousted the emperor in Rome.
Later historians referred to that event as the “fall” of Rome.
By then, however, Rome had already lost its many territories & Roman power in the west had ended.
An emperor still ruled the eastern Roman empire known as the Byzantine empire. This part of the empire lasted for another 1,000 years.

7. The Decline and Fall of Rome
Military Causes
Germanic invasions
Weakened Roman legions
Political Causes
Oppressive gov’t.
Corrupt off’ls.
Divided empire
Decline and Fall of Rome
Social Causes
Erosion of trad. Values
Self-serving upper class
“Bread and circuses”
Economic Causes
Heavy taxes
Population decline