1. Is expansion a good or bad thing or both? What are some problems that an empire or country might have by being stretched out too far?

3.  Empire covered most of Europe, North Africa, and some of Asia

4.  180 AD: Marcus Aurelius dies  Poor leaders weakened the government  Frequent fights for power  Many officials took bribes  Talented people chose not to serve

5.  Taxes too high  Many people stopped paying  Decline in education  1/3 pop is slaves  Plague spread in Rome, killing 1 in 10  Famine  “Bread and Circuses”  Extravagant lifestyles  No longer care about important issues

6.  Farmers lost land  Lose jobs  Famine  People bought fewer goods, shops closed  Inflation occurred:  Rapidly rising prices  Money lost value  No money = no taxes

7.  Mercenaries hired  only in it for money  No loyalty  No money to pay military = weak military  Constant threat of invaders at borders  Unable to stop border invasions

8.  284 CE, Diocletian became emperor  Tried reforms (political changes)  Divides Empire  Thought this could save empire  Western and Eastern Empires  Western Empire: Europe/ North Africa and city of Rome  Eastern Empire: Turkey/ Asia and city of Byzantium  Two emperors

9.  Diocletian retires, Constantine takes over  First Christian emperor  Attempted reforms  Moves the capital from Rome to city of Byzantium  Changes name to Constantinople (today is Istanbul)

11.  Constantine died in 337 CE, replaced by Theodosius  Establishes two capitals  Western Roman Empire in Rome  Eastern Rome Empire in Constantinople

12.  “Barbarians” around Rome  Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks, Vandals, Saxons  Want warmer area, Roman riches, and to flee the Huns  Attack the boundaries  Rome allow the Visigoths to live inside of Rome  Treated Visigoths badly  Rebelled and defeated Romans  Alaric captured Rome in 410 CE

13.  Vandals followed Visigoths  Sack Rome for 12 days (vandalism)  More German invaders followed  Odoacer defeats emperor Romulus Augustulus in 476 CE (14 years old, little Augustus)  Often dated as “Fall of Rome”  Western Empire divided  Small kingdoms  Keep customs of Rome

15.  Eastern Roman Empire continued to prosper for 1,000 more years  Became known as the Byzantine Empire

16. …or is it?

17. Government Responsibility