2.   End of Marcus Aurelius’ reign as emperor (A.D. 161- 180) brought about end of Pax Romana. Ruler’s after Marcus Aurelius had no idea how to deal with the giant empire and its problems. A Century in Crisis

3.   Hostile tribes and pirates disrupt trade. Empire at limit of expansion and lacks new sources of gold and silver.  empire raised taxes as a result  empire minted coins with less silver inflation resulted Rome’s Economy Weakens

4.   Agriculture faced serious problems  Harvests were increasingly meager because soil lost fertility.  Years of war destroyed farmland. Serious food shortages, disease, and population decline resulted. Rome’s Economy Weakens

5.   Roman military in disarray  less disciplined soldiers  allegiance to commanders, not to Rome itself  recruiting of mercenaries who were less loyal to Rome  Less loyalty among average citizens  Earlier Romans cared more about the Republic.  Later Romans lose their sense of patriotism. Military and Political Turmoil

6.   Diocletian Reforms the Empire  Becomes emperor in 284.  Severely limits personal freedoms.  Doubles size of Roman army.  Controls inflation by price fixing.  Divides the empire  Greek speaking East (takes for himself)  Latin-speaking West (appoints a co-ruler)  Kept overall control.  Retired in A.D. 305, but civil war broke out.  Four rivals competed for control, including the commander Constantine Emperors Attempt Reform

7.   Constantine Moves the Capital  A.D. 312 Constantine gains control of the western part of the empire.  A.D. 324 he secures the eastern empire and the system of a single ruler.  A.D. 330 Constantine moves the capital from Rome to Byzantium on the Bosporus Strait between Europe and Asia.  The center of power shifts from Rome to the east. Emperors Attempt Reform

8.   Germanic Invasions  A.D. 370 the Huns move into Europe causing the Germanic peoples to flee into Roman territory.  A.D. 410 Germans invade and overrun Rome itself and plunder it for three days. Attila the Hun  In 444 the Huns unite under Attila and terrorize both halves of the empire.  In 452 the Huns advance against Rome, but fail in conquering the city due to famine and disease.  Attila dies in 453. The Western Empire Crumbles

9.   An Empire No More  14-year-old emperor Romulus Augustulus ousted by German by German forces in 426.  Roman power in the western half of the empire ceases to exist.  The eastern half of the empire comes to be called the Byzantine Empire, and flourishes for 1,000 years.  The Byzantine emperors ruled from Constantinople.  The Byzantine emperors saw themselves as heirs to the power of Augustus Caesar. The Western Empire Crumbles