WHY EMPIRES COLLAPSE?1) Poor Leadership.2) Civil War divides the empire-exposing it to

attack from foreign enemies.3) Too large to govern, control, and protect.4) Rule of the rich.5) Religious differences.

INFLATION: What is it?Inflation=a rise in prices caused by a decrease in

the value of money. Example of inflation in Ancient RomeA)Shortage of silver for making coins.B)Coins were made containing less silver.C)Merchants raised prices to acquire the same

amount of silver.D)Result=Money isn’t worth as much and prices

increase.

Chapter 7 section 6 Terms

InflationDiocletianConstantineGothsVandalsHunsAttilaAlaric

Use pages 172-177 to complete the chart

Decline of the Roman Empire

Political/Military Economic Social

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1) POOR LEADERSHIP• Commodus replaces his

father Marcus Aurelius as emperor of Rome in 180 A.D. (Marcus was the last of the 5 Good Emperors).

• Commodus proves to be incompetent and is assassinated in 192 A.D.

• Emperors changed often and fought for the throne until 284 A.D.=created instability and civil war.

2) CIVIL WAR DIVIDES THE EMPIRE-EXPOSING IT TO FOREIGN INVADERS.

• Economy went bad due to lack of wealth coming in from outside the empire.

• Result is inflation=A rise in prices caused by a decrease in the value of money.

• Farmers sold their land to pay their debts.

• Revolts by the Goths(Germans) in 378 A.D.

2) CIVIL WAR CON’T• The Goths defeat the

Roman army at the battle of Adrianople in 378 A.D.

• In 410 A.D. the Visigoth (East German) King Alaric sacks Rome-First time in 800 years it had been done to Rome.

• The Vandals (East German) conquer the province of North Africa in 429 A.D. and sack Rome in 455 A.D.

2) Civil War Con’t.• Attila the Hun (Asia)

attacks Gaul (Germany) in 451 A.D. but are defeated by a combined Roman-Visigoth Army.

• Attila turns South and attacks Italy sacking several Italian cities.

• Attila’s army is defeated only because it is decimated by the plague, however in 476 A.D. he overthrows Romulus Augustus and ends the Roman Empire in the West.

3) TOO LARGE TO GOVERN AND CONTROL

• Diocletian divides the Roman Empire in 284 A.D. to make it easier to govern.

• Diocletian ruled the Eastern Empire.

• Maximian, the co-emperor, ruled the Western Empire.

3) TOO LARGE TO GOVERN AND CONTROL CON’T.

• Reforms under Diocletian:1)Rebuilt the Roman Army and used it to

protect the empire.2)Individual Freedom was given up for

protection and security.3)Kicked out the barbarian tribes of Gaul back

across the Rubicon River.4)Controlled wages and prices to fight against

inflation and improve the economy.

3) TOO LARGE TO GOVERN AND CONTROL CON’T

• Constantine, emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, spread Christianity throughout the Empire.

• Made the Eastern Empire wealthy and powerful.

• The capital of the Eastern Empire became known as Constantinople.

• Eastern Empire remained strong and did not fall until 1453 A.D.

Does your chart look like this?Decline of the Roman EmpirePolitical/Military Economic Social

1) Inadequate government for size of empire.

2) Competition for power.

3) Army interference made government unstable.

4) Dependence on German troops.

1) Expensive to defend and maintain an empire.

2) Heavy taxes.

3) Loss of income.

4) Decline of manufacturing and agriculture.

1) Too many poor people.

2) Loss of patriotism, interest in government, and political honesty.