6-4

Key Words: Inflation: A drastic drop in the value of money Mercentaries: Foreign soldiers that fought for money Constantiople: The capital of Rome durning Constantine's rule.

Key People: Diocletian: A strong willed army leader who doubled the size of the army and split the Empire into two parts. Attila: The leader of the Huns who tried to destroy Rome.

Summary:

A Century of Crisis
 * The end of the reign of the emperor Marcus Aurelies marked the end of the Pax Romana, and the rulers after him couldn't deal with such a large city with so many problems.

Rome's economy Weaknesses
 * Rome was having trouble finding gold and silver mines, so the government started minting coins that contained less and less silver, and as a result, inflation ocured.
 * The overworked and war-damagede soil had lost it's fertility, and disease and food shortages spread.

Military and Political Turmoil
 * Roman soldiers in general had become less loyal and displined, and the didn't pledge their allegiance to Rome, but to their commanders. Mercentaries were hired to defend the country, but they didn't feel any loyalty to Rome.
 * Feelings of loyalty declined in the citizens as well, and now, the didn't care about the patriotism of their country.

Emperors Attempt Reform
 * Due to strong leaders and the division of Rome into two parts, Rome survived for another 200 years.

Diocletian Reforms the Empire
 * Diocletian, a strong willed army leader, severely limited personal freedoms, but doubled the size of the military and set fixed prices for goods to control inflation.
 * Diocletian split the empire into two parts, the east and the west, and taking the east for himself (he shared rule with another leader), the east was much wealthier than the west.
 * Due to ill health, Diocletian retired in AD 305, and civil war broke out immediately and many were fighting for power.

Constantine Moves the Capital
 * In AD 312, Constantine gained control of the west, and in 324, he also gained control of the east, and brought back the concept of a single ruler.
 * In AD 330,Constantine moved the capitial from Rome to the Greek city of Byzantium, which was strategically located for trade and defense purposes between cross roads.
 * The new capiial took on a new name: Constantinople, and was protected by great walls.

The Western Empire Collapses
 * The final collapse of the West was due to internal problems, the separation, and outside invaders.

Germanic Invasions
 * Since Julius Caesar, the Germanics were able to coexist peacefully with Rome, but that all changed when Mongol nomads from central asia, called the Huns, invaded.
 * To try and flee from the Huns, the Germanics invaded Rome and pushed into Roman lands, and in 410, hordes of Germanics plundered Rome for three days.

Attila the Hun
 * In 444, the Huns came together under a chieftan named Attila, and invaded the Eastern half of the empire with his 100,000 soldiers, and plundered 70 cities.
 * When Attila tried to conquer the West, famine and disease kept them from reaching their goal. After Attila's death, the Huns were no longer a threat, but the Germanic invasions continued.

An Empire no More
 * In 476, the last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was taken out by German forces, and the western civilization collapsed.
 * The eastern half of the empire, now the Byzantian empire, flourished until it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
 * Even though the Roman civilization is gone, the culture hasn't left this earth.