Spend a day in the roman empire and well tell you if you can survive it.jpg

Roman Empire later years from 285-476

By Trevor204
  • Period: 285 to 305

    Creation of the eastern and western empire

    Emperor Diocletian splits empire into east and west with co emperors to produce stability and allow easier ruling. He steps down in 305 and decreed that successors must be chosen and approved from the outset of an individual's rule. Two of these successors were the generals Maxentius and Constantine.
  • Period: 285 to 476

    Main contributions to the empires fall

    • Political instability due to size of the empire
    • The self-interest of the two halves of the empire
    • Invasion of barbarian tribes
    • Government corruption
    • Mercenary armies
  • Period: 285 to 476

    Differences between the East and West Empire

    In the West, Latin Christianity dominated religious tradition while in the East, Orthodoxy emerged as the primary religious faith tradition. The east contained large amounts of wealth and population while the west began to decline and was prone to barbaric invasions. Both considered themselves romans, but most historians consider the fall of west as the end of the true roman empire.
  • Period: 306 to 337

    Constantine the Great

    He defeated Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge and became sole emperor (ruling from 306-337 CE but holding supreme power 324-307 CE). Becomes emperor of both east and west. After his death, his sons inherited the empire and, fairly quickly, embarked on a series of conflicts with each other which threatened to undo all that Constantine had accomplished.
  • 313

    Religions

    Toleration of all religions began in the Roman Empire and persecution of Christians come to an end. With Christianity becoming the empires religion.
  • 323

    Relocation of Captial

    Constantine relocated the imperial capital from Rome to Byzantium (which was renamed Constantinople). This move was meant to be a strategic and economic benefit that would helped reinvigorate the state for some time. The empire gained stability during this time
  • Period: 337 to 363

    Constantine's legacy

    His three sons, Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans divided the Roman Empire between them and soon turned to fighting each other and undoing what their father had done. This further weakened and separated the empire.
  • 378

    Further contribution to the fall of the Empire

    Roman Emperor Valens was defeated at the Battle of Adrianople and the empire grew increasingly weaker.
  • Period: 379 to 395

    Theodosius I

    Theodosius I was the last emperor to rule both east and west together.
  • Period: 395 to 476

    The East and West separate forever

    In 395 after the death of Theodosius I, the empire was divided between his sons and stayed separate until the fall of the west. Both the east and west continued to grow apart during this time.
  • 410

    Sack of Rome

    Rome is invaded fallen for the first time in over 800 years. This is seen as the point of no return for the Western Roman Empire
  • 476

    The fall of the west

    The Western Roman Empire officially falls when Emperor Romulus Augustulus was deposed. The eastern Roman empire having not been affected by the fall of the west continued on till the year 1453.