Decline of Roman Empire

A.D. 235

235

When the last Sevran ruler died in A.D. 235, Rome’s government became very weak. For almost 50 years, army leaders fought each other for the throne. During this time, Rome had 22 different emperors.

284 A.D.

284

In A.D. 284 a general named Diocletian became emperor. To stop the empire’s decline, he introduced reforms, or political changes to make things better. Because the empire was too large for one person to rule, Diocletian divided it into four parts. He named officials to rule these areas but kept authority over all.

312. A.D.

312

Another general named Constantine became emperor in A.D. 312. To aid the economy, Constantine issued several orders. The sons of workers had to follow their fathers’ trades, the sons of farmers had to work the land their fathers worked, and the sons of soldiers had to serve in the army.

337

337

Constantine was the first Roman Emperor to become a Christian, although he was not baptized until near his death in A.D. 337

378

378

In A.D. 378 they defeated Roman legions at the Battle of Adrianople. After that defeat, Rome was forced to surrender land to the Visigoths.

395 A.D.

395

In A.D. 395, the Roman Empire split into two separate empires. One was the Western Roman Empire, with its capital at Rome. The other was the Eastern Roman Empire, with its capital at Constantinople.

406 A.D.

406

In the winter of A.D. 406, the Rhine River in Western Europe froze. Germanic groups crossed the frozen river and entered Gaul, which is today France. The Romans were too weak to force them back across the border.

410 A.D.

410

In A.D. 410 the Visigoth leader Alaric and his soldiers captured Rome itself. They burned records and looted the treasury. Rome’s capture by Alaric was a great shock to the empire’s people. It was the first time Rome had been conquered in 800 years.

455 A.B.

455

In A.D. 455 they entered Rome. They spent 12 days stripping build- ings of everything valuable and burning them. From these attacks came the English word vandalism, which means “the willful destruction of property.”

476 A.D.

476

In A.D. 476 a Germanic general named Odoacer took control, overthrowing the western emperor, a 14-year-old boy named Romulus Augustulus .After Romulus Augustulus, no emperor ever again ruled from Rome. Historians often use this event to mark the end of the Western Roman Empire.

550

550

By A.D. 550, the Western Roman Empire had faded away. Many Roman beliefs and practices remained in use, however. For example, Europe’s new Germanic rulers adopted the Latin language, Roman laws, and Christianity. Although the Western Roman Empire fell to Germanic invaders, the Eastern Roman Empire prospered. It became known as the Byzantine Empire and lasted nearly 1,000 more years.