Collapse of the Roman Empire.

Acceptance of Christianity

306 BCE

(306-337) 312 BC Roman emperor Constantine declared toleration for Christianity. Later that century, Christianity became the official state religion of the Empire. By approving Christianity, the Roman state directly undermined its religious traditions. Finally, by this time, Romans considered their emperor a god. But the Christian belief in one god — who was not the emperor — weakened the authority and credibility of the emperor.

Crisis of the Third Century

235 BCE

235-284. The crisis began with the assassination of Emperor Severus Alexander by his own troops in 235, initiating a 50-year period during which there were at least 26 claimants to the title of emperor, mostly prominent Roman army generals, who assumed imperial power over all or part of the Empire.The crisis resulted in such profound changes in the empire's institutions, society, economic life and, eventually, religion.

Roman Empire began

117 BCE

Rome was then the capital city of Italy. 2,000 years ago it was the center of the Roman Empire. Building started in 753 BC.Rome was the most extensive political and social structure in western civilization. Rome was founded by Romulus. Romulus was the first of the seven Roman kings. The original name of Rome was Roma.

Political and military difficulties

3

It didn't help matters that political amateurs were in control of Rome in the years leading up to its fall. Army generals dominated the emperor-ship, and corruption was rampant on the third century A. D. . Over time, the military was transformed into a mercenary army with no real loyalty to Rome.By the end, these armies were defending Rome against their fellow Germanic tribesmen. Under these circumstances, the sack of Rome came as no surprise.

The arrival of the Huns and the migration of the Barbarian tribes

4

The Barbarian attacks on Rome partially stemmed from a mass migration caused by the Huns’ invasion of Europe in the late fourth century. When these Eurasian warriors rampaged through northern Europe, they drove many Germanic tribes to the borders of the Roman Empire. The Romans grudgingly allowed members of the Visigoth tribe to cross south of the Danube and into the safety of Roman territory, but they treated them with extreme cruelty.

Economic problems

54

(54-68) Constant wars and overspending had significantly lightened imperial coffers, and oppressive taxation and inflation had widened the gap between rich and poor. Even as Rome was under attack from outside forces, it was also crumbling from within thanks to a severe financial crisis. In the hope of avoiding the taxman, many members of the wealthy classes had even fled to the countryside and set up independent fiefdoms. At the same time, the empire was rocked by a labor deficit.

East - West Split

285

Consists of the western provinces of the Roman Empire at any one time during which they were administered by a separate independent Imperial court, coequal with that administering the eastern half. Both "Western Roman Empire" and "Eastern Roman Empire"are modern terms describing the factor independent entities; however, at no point did the Romans consider the Empire split into two, but rather considered it a single state governed by two separate Imperial courts out of administrative expediency

The Visigoths sack Rome

410

In 410 C.E., the Visigoths, led by Alaric, breached the walls of Rome and sacked the capital of the Roman Empire. The Visigoths looted, burned, and pillaged their way through the city, leaving a wake of destruction wherever they went. The plundering continued for three days. For the first time in nearly a millennium, the city of Rome was in the hands of someone other than the Romans. This was the first time that the city of Rome was sacked, but by no means the last.

Weakening of the Roman legions

476

Rome’s military was the envy of the ancient world. But during the decline, the makeup of legions began to change. Unable to recruit enough soldiers from the Roman citizenry, emperors like Diocletian and Constantine began hiring foreign mercenaries. They also had little or no loyalty to the empire, and their power-hungry officers often turned against their Roman employers. In fact, many of the barbarians had earned their military stripes while serving in the Roman legions.

End of the Western Roman Empire and the fall of Ancient Rome

476

In 476 C.E. Romulus, the last of the Roman emperors in the west, was overthrown by the Germanic leader Odoacer, who became the first Barbarian to rule in Rome. The order that the Roman Empire had brought to western Europe for 1000 years was no more. This is the start of the Dark Ages in Europe.