Entendiendo Historia 5.1

5.1 The Fall of the Roman Empire

• Historian often call the time between 27 BC and AD 180 the golden years of the Roman Empire.

BARBARIANS AND CIVIL WAR

•From about AD 190, barbarian tribes such as the Goths and Vandals started to raid the Empire.
• As soon as one army did this, another would start a civil war toput its own emperor into power.
• There were 23 'soldier-emperors' between AD 211 and 284; 20 of them were killed by rivals.
• In AD 284 Diocletian realized thatsomething had to be done or the Empire would break down.
• Diocletian divided the Empire into two so that it was easier to defend and introduced a new system ofchoosing emperors.

CONSTANTINE DIVIDES THE EMPIRE.
• When Diocletian stopped being emperor, a civil war broke out again. Then in AD 307 Constantine became the firstChristian emperor.
• The Huns, a fierce tribe from Asia, were moving westwards and fighting the other barbarian tribes.
• In AD 395 Alaric the Visigoth realizedthat Rome was there for the taking. He gradually moved southwards capturing land and in AD 410 seized Rome itself.
• Finally in AD 476 Odovacar the Goth threw thelast emperor in West out of power.

5.2 THE INFLUENCE OF THE ROMANS

• The barbarian tribes who came to live in the territory of the old Western Roman Empirefollowed the ways of the Romans.
• The Dark Ages had begun. It was only the strength of the Christian Church which kept the ideas of the Greeks and Roman alive.
•The Roman Empire in the East lasted longer.
• Centuries later there was interest in ideas and achievements of the Greeks and Romans. This is called the Renaissance.