REORG - Globalizing Empire, continued. (Lesson)

Globalizing Empire, continued.

Reasons the Roman Empire Fell

Reasons the Roman empire fell: Epidemics - There was a great deal of interaction both within the Roman Empire and between the Roman Empire and other places leading to a great deal of germ exchange leading to disastrous consequences on the Roman population - one outbreak (perhaps of small pox) in 165 CE lasted for 15 years and killed 5 million Romans causing there to be a lack of personnel available for the much-needed military that lasted for generations. Internal Strife - The crisis of the third century is the phrase used to describe the civil wars and plentiful assassinations that occurred between the Pax Roman period and Diocletian's rise to power. While Diocletian, and later Constantine, worked to repair the empire. So much damage had been done that whenever a strong emperor was not in place chaos ensued (as seen when Diocletian retired or Constantine died. External Pressure - Early in the 5th century CE Attila the Hun and his people began to push south in Europe, causing the Germanic tribes to run even further south and into the Roman Empire to escape the Huns. The previous border buffers - the Visigoths - pushed deep into the Roman Empire sacking the city of Rome in 410 CE. By 476 CE the last Roman emperor was replaced by a Germanic chief (who had once served as a Roman commander) His name was Odoacer.

And why do we say that the "Roman Empire" fell?   After all, it was still very much alive and booming in the Eastern section. This is a difficult question to really explain. Rome, as the capital of the Roman Empire, did fall. But Constantinople, as a second capital of the Roman Empire, did not. People who considered themselves Romans before the fall of Rome, still considered themselves Romans after—they just looked to the East for direction. And in time, an emperor in Constantinople rose up and attempted, with some success, to regain the territory lost when Rome fell. So, again, why do we say the "Roman Empire" fell? Because the empire was no longer controlled by Rome and the Empire lost a great deal of territory. Constantinople became the ruling metropolis over the "empire." And, since Constantinople was formerly known as Byzantium, historians created a new name for what, essentially, was the Eastern Roman Empire—the Byzantine Empire. What happened to the lands formerly ruled by the Western Roman Empire? They fell into the hands of the various Germanic, Gothic, Frankish and Celt peoples who created "Barbarian" kingdoms throughout Europe.

Mosaic of Justinian

The Byzantine Empire

Long before the final collapse of Rome, Constantinople served the empire as a capital from a very strategic location. Sitting right smack in the middle of trade routes over land from Europe to Asia and trade routes over sea from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, Constantinople was a logical place for economic and political power to shift to from Rome. It wasn't that Constantinople was indestructible—it faced many of the same problems that Rome faced in the form of land-hungry enemies and Death Iconpeople-hungry germs (The Plague of Justinian caused between 25 and 50 million deaths over the two centuries it that kept reappearing. ) But it managed to manage those problems by being a bit more isolated from the "Barbarians" of Western Europe that took over the Western Roman Empire and through the decisions of very capable emperors. Following the takeover of the Western Roman Empire, the successive emperors of the Byzantine Empire convinced the Barbarian tribes to stay in the West and continued to build the economic and political strength of Constantinople.

One of the most memorable of these early Byzantine emperors was Justinian. Known as Justinian I, his reign (527-565 CE) over the Byzantine Empire was known for many accomplishments:

With these foundations in place, the Byzantine Empire "replaced" the Roman Empire as a globalizing empire—existing and evolving over the next 1,000 years.

 

 

Recap Section

Roman Empire Timeline Highlights

Pax Romana - 25 bce -235 ce, period of largest territory but with limits to expansion Crisis of Third Century - 235-284 ce, civil wars, emperor assassinations Tetrarchy - 284-322, division of Roman Empire into 4 parts to be ruled by 4 co-emperorsConstantine - Roman Empire united under one emperor, Constantinople built as 2nd Rome Western Rome Falls - 476 ce, result of hundreds of years of epidemics, internal strife, and foreign invasions Byzantine Empire rises - based out of Constantinople, Justinian accomplishments

Watch the Invasions of the Roman Empire Presentation.

Watch the  Byzantine Empire Presentation

 

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