1. Commodus, AD180-192 Freedman Cleander – sold 25 consulships in one day Mistress Marcia selected Praetorian Prefects Renamed Rome ‘Colony of Commodus’ Finally throttled in his bath by a Praetorian Prefect with Marcia’s help Followed by long period of chaos- some emperors tried/others incompetent and killed

2. Autocracy – AD 285-476 Principate – Emperor as the top man in the bureaucracy Autocracy – Emperor as the only man Rome’s transition – monarchy to republic to principate to autocracy (with oriental trimmings

3. Diocletian – AD 284 Autocracy 50 years prior had had 18 emperors Split empire into halves – East & West with tetrarchy in charge of all, 2 Augusti and 2 Caesares RESIGNED in 305 Chaos again….resulting in Constantine

4. Constantine – 1 st Christian emperor 311 won great battle under Christian ensign (in hoc signo vinces) to gain west back Declared Christianity to be the official religion of empire Moved seat of government to Byzantium, renaming it Constantinople Constantine’s rule taken as the terminus of ancient history

5. Post Constantine 13 years of war among successors Julian the Apostate (361) Jovian (8 months) Valentinian I (364-375) Huns incursion into Germany Theodosius I (376-395) outlawed all religions except Christianity – from this point empire is permanently divided

6. From the north and east Alaric, a Visigoth, marched to walls of Rome in 406 450s Attila and Aetius (Roman general) battle 455 Vandals plunder Rome in a sea raid 476 Oadocer, from Danube, took Rome and maintained rule of Italy Western empire taken by invaders

7. Empire of the Huns

8. Why did Rome fall? Political chaos caused decrease in agricultural and industrial productivity Malaria Climate change Dysgenic breeding Social vices Loss of best men in wars Disappearance of aristocracy Economic failures Faults in political structure – centralized power discouraged initiative and creativity Issues of succession to imperial power NEVER solved Overextended – breakdown of army’s loyalty and discipline

9. Roman Emperors