Decline of the Roman Empire

    Today in class we talked more and in more detail about the decline of the Roman empire. My notes are below:

Rise of Christianity

  • Jesus spends 3 years teaching/preaching, killed by Roman leaders
  • Jesus' followers believe he is the Messiah and Savior who has risen from the dead
  • Saul (persecutor) becomes Paul (evangelist) spreading Jesus' message (one true God)
  • Christianity evolves from cult status to established official structure
  • Priests, bishops, pope (Bishop of Rome) 
  • Christians and Jews were monotheistic (believing in one God)
  • This conflicted with Roman beliefs
  • Persecution against both was common 
  • Christianity appealed to the poor, and since there were many poor, their numbers grew
  • The Roman empire and Christianity are now linked in power and influence 
Decline of the Roman Empire
  • AD 180: Rome has problems 
  • economic- trade was risky, food supply was dropping, taxes too high 
  • military- frontiers were hard to patrol, Roman generals fought for control, soldier's loyalty declined and mercenaries appeared. 
  • Diocletian divided the empire into two 
    • Greek-speaking East (had more resources)
    • Latin-speaking West (Rome, tradition)
  • AD 324: Constantine becomes emperor over both halves of the empire
  • moves the capital from Rome to Byzantium (renamed Constantinople) where Asia met Europe (now Turkey)
  • After his death, empire is divided again 
  • This time, "barbarians invaders" (Huns, Vandals, Visigoths, Angles, Saxons, and Franks) overrun the empire's frontiers
  • that's it for the Roman empire (AD 476) 

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