...| The fall of the Roman Empire | How Christianity played a part in the decline of an Empire | | | | 8/1/2014 | Paper outline 1. Introduction 2. Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire 3. How Christianity played a part in the decline of the Roman Empire 4. The situation after the fall of the Roman Empire 5. The situation in the dark ages 6. Conclusion 7. Bibliography “Why did Rome fall?” still remains one the greatest questions of Western history. Many books have been written about this topic and many theories have been advanced about the reason of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Several reasons are issued for the fall. These reasons are issued to be sequacious and interwoven. For example, one of the most influential modern historians, Edward Gibbon wrote “The Decline and fall of the Roman Empire” in 1776, where he stated that the initiation of Christianity was one of the reasons for the decline. The transition of religions in the Roman Empire, from a polytheistic religion to a monotheistic religion, leads to instability within the Empire. (Gibbon, 1782) How Christianity was a factor in the decline of the Western Roman Empire will be discussed more extensively in this paper. In the beginning, Christianity was not more than an insignificant sect of Judaism and began its spread from Roman Judaea during the life of Jesus, but in only four centuries Christianity had become the state religion of the Roman Empire. The rise...
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...The Fall of the Roman Empire There are adherents to single factors, but more people think Rome fell because of a combination of such factors as Christianity, and economy, and military problems. Even the rise of Islam is proposed as the reason for Rome's fall, by some who think the Fall of Rome happened at Constantinople in the 15th Century. Most people think it occurred during the fifth century, after the western division of the empire. There were several reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire. Many often blame the initiation of Christianity for the decline. Christianity made many Roman citizens into pacifists, making it more difficult to defend against the barbarian attackers. Some say the money used to build churches could have been used to maintain the Roman Empire. Maintaining an army to defend the border of the Empire from barbarian attacks was a constant drain on the government. Military spending left few resources for other vital activities, such as providing public housing and maintaining quality roads and aqueducts. Frustrated Romans lost their desire to defend the Empire. The empire had to begin hiring soldiers recruited from the unemployed city mobs or worse from foreign counties. Such an army was not only unreliable, but very expensive. The emperors were forced to raise taxes frequently which, in turn, led to increased inflation. The Roman economy suffered from inflation (an increase in prices) beginning after the reign of Marcus Aurelius. Once the Romans...
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...Mexico. In the 12th century they extended their wandering to new boundaries and settled in the central basin of Mexico roughly a century later. Refuge was found in 1325 on the islands in Lake Texcoco where the major city Tenochtitlan was founded. What is now modern-day Mexico, this city quickly flourished and was inferior to only Paris and Constantinople in population size. The fall of the Aztec empire created ripples throughout history. What was once the most prominent and powerful empire, suddenly ceased to exist, in only two years time. The tactics of Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes, the religious affiliation with the invasion, cultural sacrifices, and the disease and natural disaster that was brought upon the Aztecs, contributed greatly to the rapid downfall of a major world superpower. Sacrifice It is widely believed that the religious rituals of sacrifice the Aztecs participated in contributed to the decline, in multiple ways. The killing of thousands of people is detrimental to society, never beneficial. The population took a drastic hit and the civilizations established around the Aztec empire never allied because of the violent measures they took. Tlaxcala is a prime example. Many of their people had been killed and they inevitably joined the Spaniards to fight against the Aztecs. The speculation is high that if the Aztecs population continued to flourish upon their establishment, instead of plateauing and declining due to extreme rituals, that the numbers would...
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...The Fall of the Mayan Empire Naomi M. Cranfield Prof. Hunsucker Hum 111 February 2, 2013 The Maya civilization was several independent city states which shared a cultural heritage of language, customs, dress, artistic style and material culture. They were located in the Central American continent, to include parts of Belize, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. It was an area of approximately 150,000 square miles. Some of the better known city states were Tikal, Calakmul, Caracol and Dos Pilas. There were several strong kings at those locations, but none of them ever truly conquered the others. The city states traded with one another, and they also warred with one another from time to time. The population has been estimated to have been millions. In the 1600s, the Spanish reported that there were approximately 600,000 people living in the Yucatan peninsula alone. Each of the larger cities probably had populations in excess of 100,000. That doesn't count the rural sectors that supported the larger cities. But what happened to such a large culture that they seemed to have disappeared in such a short span of time? There have been so many concepts as to why the Maya civilization fell, but one of the more interesting and in my opinion more plausible beliefs has to do with a severe change in climate. ("The rise and," 2004) “Tom Sever, NASA's only archeologist, has been using satellites to examine the Mayan ruins. Combining those data with conventional down-in-the-dirt...
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...human history there have been empires that have risen, and although many have left their marks on the way the modern world is today, all just the same have fallen. Empires such as the Roman Empire, the Persian Empire, the Mongol Empire, and the Mesopotamian Empire were very successful during their rule; however fell soon after the deaths of their most powerful rulers. Why is it, that it is easier to create an empire than it is to make one last? First, the way empires are created is by one state conquering it’s weaker neighboring states, becoming stronger and more powerful, which allows it to continue to conquer and to continue to grow. However at what point do empires stop becoming a dominant power, which leads to their fall?...
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...The Rise and Fall of the Ottoman Empire The rise of the Ottoman Empire started in Turkey and spread through most of the Middle East. Their military practice and successful transition to the use of gun powder made them one of the most successful ruling bodies in the Middle East. The Ottoman Empire which ruled until modern times had great influence on the Middle Eastern world. Their political and economic abilities astonished the western world. Their religious views and fears were instilled into any non-Muslim and helped the western world to find new trade. The rise of Christianity in the western world provided new ways to preserve the dead and ended the need for frankensence, the main export of the Ottoman Empire. This was a blow to their economy and their inability to change their polocies and find new trade left them behind economically which aided in the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Crusades in Turkey which began in 1097 with the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuks lasted for many years (Pitman III). The Western crusaders took the side of the Byzantine Empire and assured defeats (Pitman III). However these winning streaks would not last for the Byzantine Empire. In the 1140’s Turks revolted and caused great damage to the Byzantine Empire (Pitman III). The French and Italian allies had to step in (Pitman III). Count Baldwin was named as emperor of the Latin Empire by the crusaders in 1204 (Pitman III). In 1261 the Latin Empire was on the run from...
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...The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire Although the Roman Empire experienced many great accomplishments the decline led to many challenges. There were invasions by Barbarian tribes as well as economic troubles. Due to a final crisis, the empire began to crumble. Rome was being attacked by outside forces causing the constant spending. The empire became very dependent of their slaves to farm the land and work as craftsmen. The Roman empire is believed to have taken about a century until it finally failed in 476 A.D. So many negative contributions led to Rome’s Empire falling. Another cause of the fall of the roman empire involved the over-expansion and military overspending. The empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Euphrates River. There was still not enough military to keep outside attackers away. So much money was put into the military that eventually the empire fell into a huge negative financial disparity. With the majority of the money available going into the upkeep of the military many citizens began to lose hope in the empire. The military then transformed and there was no real loyalty to the city of Rome. Christianity is believed to be another reason why the Roman Empire failed. There had been a vast majority of people converting to the Christian faith. Constantine produced The Edict of Milan. This legalized Christianity and allowed religious freedom within the empire. With the rise of Christianity, a large amount of money was put into...
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...RISE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE The invading army touched the boarders of Rome, which had been left totally undefended. In 410 C.E. (common area), the Visigoths, led by Alaric, breached the walls of Rome and ravaged the capital of the Roman Empire. The Visigoths looted, burned, vandalized, and pillaged their way through the city, leaving a trail 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. Constantine and the Beginning of Christianity One of the many factors that contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire was the rise of a new religion, Christianity. The Christian religion, which was monotheistic (to believe in one god), ran counter to the traditional Roman religion, which was polytheistic (many gods). At different times, the Romans persecuted the Christians because of their beliefs, which were popular with the poor. This 16th-century medal depicts Attila the Hun, one of the most vicious and aggressive invaders of all time. In 313 C.E., Roman emperor Constantine the Great ended all persecution and declared toleration for Christianity. Later that century, Christianity became the official religion of the Empire. This extreme change in policy spread this rather new religion to every corner of the Empire. By approving Christianity, the Roman state...
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...According to many history books found at school, the fall of the Roman Empire can be attributed to one thing – the demise of the capitol of the Empire, carried out by the Visigoths from Germany. Roman soldiers were pulled back from a defense post in the Rhine-Danube frontier, where they held back the barbarians, to fight in Italy, leaving an open Roman border to attack. The Visigoths looted, burned, and ransacked their way through the entire capitol city, Rome, for three whole days. This was considered a major event back in its day because much of the western part of the Empire had already fallen, making Rome an exaggerated center for the existing parts of the Empire. In 476 A.D., the Germanic general Odacer inevitably overthrew Augustus and Romulus, the last of the Roman Emperors. Roads and bridges were left in disrepair, agriculture never picked back up, and pirates made travel very unsafe, officially signaling the total fall of the Roman Empire. Although most agree that this was the ultimate demise of the Empire, this was not the reason that the Empire became so weak, in order for it to be taken over so easily. Rome, considered, the ‘mighty city’ by many, could not have fallen so easily to barbarians without some external and internal conflicts, eventually weakening the whole Empire into both economic and physical decay....
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...At its territorial height in the first and second century CE, the Roman Empire may have contained between 45 million and 120 million people. The Roman military can be viewed as one of the greatest armies in world history. Historian Edward Gibbon estimated that "the size of the Roman army most probably formed a standing force of three hundred and seventy-five thousand men, at the Empire's territorial peak in the time of the Emperor Hadrian." The Roman population slowly decreased because many barbaric tribes settled along the borders of the Empire and began sacking cities and attacking villages. By the end of the fourth and the beginning of the fifth century, the Roman military began to decay into tons of problems. Many factors contributed to the military decline of the Roman Empire, including a lack of discipline, financial problems, and poor military tactics and decisions by the empire. In result of these factors, barbarians were able to attack the walls of the empire with more ease because of the lack of defense. These barbarian attacks helped prone the efficiency of the army's defenses and tactics which impart the major downfall of the empire. A change in military tactics during the third and fourth century CE was central in the decline of the Roman Army. This left commanders and soldiers confused, this resulted as well in casualties and loses in war. Because of a controversial change in tactics and weapons, the Romans were virtually useless against these barbaric...
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...There are many people who have heard about the Aztecs and their empire, but are they aware what truly brought the Aztec civilization to a screeching halt? Among other things the Conquistadors had the largest influence in the downfall of the Aztec Empire. According to a well-known historical anthropologist by the name of Ross Hassig the conquest to Mexico (which was where the Aztecs lived) has captured historians' interest for centuries and the expedition has undergone relentless investigation. The conquistadors took over the Aztec Empire which became known as Mexico, and later became under Spain's control. Since the Conquistadors were from a different civilized part of the world, they had advanced weaponry to aid them in the great feat. Not only did the Spanish, or better known as conquistadors, bring unknown weapons they also brought unknown diseases which was a detriment to the fall of the Aztec Empire. Spain sent conquistadors to Mexico to expand their empire and Herman Cortes was ultimately considered the Gran Conquistador since it was his expedition that led to the conquest of Mexico and the fall of the Aztecs (Levy, 332). Cortes arrived on the shores of Mexico with an army of conquistadors with the intent to expand the Spanish empire. On his journey he schemed to covert the native inhabitants to Catholicism and carry of a fortune of gold, of course the only thing that stood in his way were the Aztecs. Tenochtitlan, the city in which the Aztecs resided, was where...
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...Oscar Villanueva Why the Roman Republic Decayed and Became the Roman Empire The rise and subsequent fall of the city of Rome was a significant historical event, characterized by the dramatic decline of the republic, to her transformation into an empire. Originally a small provincial town, Rome rose to prominence and produced astounding strengths, which was then lost when Rome became incapable of defending its governing structures of the republic. It is the purpose of this study to highlight these events, giving reasons that led to the decay of the Roman Republic, and the rise of the Roman Empire. The prominence of Rome Rome was a small province town which after many wars became the focus and command center of the vast empire of Rome. However, history tells us that it took hundreds of years and a combat of many wars to rise to this prominence. It gained influence over a significant portion of southern Europe, northern Africa, and Middle East. Rome conquered nearly all the surrounding territories going beyond the Mediterranean Sea. It was this military dominance in the region that helped the Roman republic rise and became a formidable force of influence. The republic had appeasing methods of keeping her citizens happy and content. In this endeavor, Rome respected and protected the people’s local cultures with the sole purpose of keeping the people pacified. The Romans in their quest for improved stability, offered a healthier way of life to...
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...Humanities 101-03 10-30-13 George Orwell’s 1984 In the book 1984 has a futuristic setting from when it was wrote. Oceania is the super state where Winston Smith lives; he is the main character of the novel. Outside the streets are covered in trash and buildings are run down. The whole place just looks like a war zone. You can hear bombs and gunshots going off when Winston is just standing in his apartment. Winston’s job is changing the newspaper to make the paper seem more appealing. The government is not like ours, it is like Joseph Stalin with his fascism regime. But instead of pictures of Joseph Stalin it is a picture that looks like a mixture between Stalin, Franco, and Hitler. The picture is all over the place on these telescreens. Not only is the picture of Big Brother on these screens everywhere even in every house, but also they can see you threw the screen and watch the population. The government even tries to dumb down or depress it’s people. They push alcohol and cigarettes to keep the people drunk and dumb. They do not want the people talking and try to over throw the government. The people in this super state all wear blue overalls to make them the same. Men and women are not aloud to have sex for fun only to reproduce, that’s it. Men call women sister and women call men brother. It is the most ridicules society ever imaginable, it is one hundred percent controlled by the government and helicopters and tanks come by to check on the people and make sure they know...
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...the most powerful empire Europe has ever seen- collapsed. The Roman Empire was very powerful, having borders as far North as Scotland, extending as far south into Northern Africa. Consisting of 2.3 million square miles, with a population of 80 million people. With each opportunity to conquer lands, the empire took it. Gaining power with each conquest, perhaps becoming too powerful. Correspondingly, the rise and fall of Rome began with it’s establishment, emperors, and actions. Moreover, the Roman Empire’s rise began with the establishment of Rome. Roman origins began during 1000-500 BCE, its earliest settlements on Palatine Hill. These settlements then turned into a republic, forming during 509-31 BCE. As a result of the Battle of Actium, the republic ended beginning the Roman Empire. Likewise, within the empire, there were two classes of people, the plebeians and patricians. Yet within these two classes of people order was needed. Laws, also known as the Twelve Tables, were written. Furthermore, along with a “new collection” of laws, the Roman empire gained control...
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...KEY POINTS LEADING TO THE SPANISH EMPIRE’S DECLINE AND FALL IN THE SEVENTEETH CENTURY CHRISTINE NILSON 24 December 2011 1 KEY POINTS LEADING TO THE SPANISH EMPIRE’S DECLINE AND FALL IN THE SEVENTEETH CENTURY The Spanish Empire of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries has a story of irresponsible, selfish and foolish policies. The major problems revolved around their failure to build their internal economy, the ever increasing unsolved debts, and dependence on colonial silver. These problems were aggravated by other world events that they could not control. The empire best period was called Spain’s Golden Age. This occurred approximately between 1516 and 16591, although historians frequently list various time spans. Spain’s monarchs in this period claimed God had chosen them to rule over all decisions. Generally they ignored the country’s constitution that could limit their power. Other governing bodies existed, but the king had the final say.2 The empire controlled lands in areas of north and south central Europe from the Netherlands to the islands at the tip of Italy. They controlled colonies in many parts of America including Peru, Central America, various islands and Mexico.3 Eventually, they took over Portugal and its African and Asian colonies along with their trade routes.2 One kings just before the decline, Charles V, had the title of Holy Roman Emperor.4 Spain had little internal means to produce income. The general population took a light view of seeking...
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