1. OBJECTIVES:
 Explain reasons for the emergence of Christianity in
Ancient Rome
 Identify the cause of the decline of the Roman
Empire
 Describe the changes made by Diocletian and
Constantine
 Explain how the Western Roman Empire fell
(Cause and Effect)

2. WHAT WAS SO GREAT ABOUT ROME?
 At the time when Jesus was born between 4 and 6
B.C.E.. The Empire of Rome was at it’s peak.
 Romans had made advances in science,
architecture, math, government, and philosophy
 Rome had a representative Senate that was led by
an emperor

3. CHRISTIANITY AND ROME
What impact did Christianity have on Rome?

4. RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE
 The Romans had a law which required Roman
citizens to make a sacrifice to the Emperor because
the Romans believed that he was divine (or a god).
 However, one group was exempt from sacrifice –
The Jews – The Roman government allowed the
Jews to practice their own religion. However, the
Jews did not have political freedom.

5. THE HEBREWS
 The Hebrews or Jews were a group of people who
believed that there was only one God and that
someday they would rule their own homeland.
They also believed that a messiah or divinely
appointed king, would be sent by God to lead them
to freedom.
 Some people believed that Jesus was the Messiah

6. THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS
 Jesus was born between 4
and 6 B.C.E. in Judea, an
area of Palestine.
 What is known about Jesus
was written by his followers
after his death in documents
called “Gospels”.
 When Jesus was 30 years
old he began to teach that
one should love God, one’s
neighbor, and one’s
enemies.
 Jesus’ teachings were
popular among the poor and
spread quickly.

7. JESUS’ BIRTH PLACE
Palestine Judea Province

8. THE GOSPELS
 The Gospels state that Jesus healed a blind man,
healed the sick, and performed other miracles
 Some Jews believed that Jesus was going to lead
an uprising against the Romans. However, Jesus
did not believe in using force to spread his
message
 Jewish and Roman officials became concerned
about the growing influence of Jesus. The Gospels
reported that Jesus was betrayed , arrested,
sentenced by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor,
and crucified.

9. DO NOW:
 Tell a classmate why you think Rome fell.

10. Why did Rome fall?
Too Large to
Maintain
Weak Economy
Dependence on Slavery
Poor
Agriculture
Corrupt
Government
Invasions
Weak Military
Decline in
Education
Rise of Christianity

11. THE FALL OF ROME
 After the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 C.E.
Rome was showing several signs of weakness
 Rome Suffered Economically, Militarily, and Politically
 Agriculture became weak
 Too large to maintain
 Invasions
 Rise of Christianity

12. CONFLICTS BETWEEN ROME AND THE
CHRISTIANS
 Roman government required that everyone treat
the emperor as a god.
 Christian beliefs were dangerous to the well-being
of the Roman Empire.
 Christianity grew in strength and the Roman empire
became weaker.
 The weaker the empire became the more
Christianity was appealing to many people.

13. MILITARY AND POLITICAL PROBLEMS
 The military had severe problems with soldiers
 Soldiers began to express loyalty to individual
military leaders and not the empire as a whole
 Political leaders became more interested in
advancing themselves than performing their duties
in government

14. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DIFFICULTIES
 During the 2nd C. Rome stopped expanding
 No new conquest = no new income = higher taxes=
hardship for Roman citizens
 Less education
 Communication became difficult
 People became less informed about civil matters

15. DECLINE IN AGRICULTURE
 Over farming and
constant warfare
 Slave labor added to
the problem – Romans
were less likely to
invest in farming
technology
 Romans suffered from
disease and hunger
and the population
declined

16. DIOCLETIAN AND THE SPLIT OF THE ROMAN
EMPIRE
 In 284 C.E. Diocletian became emperor
 His policies:
 He believed the empire was too large for one leader to
control and split the Roman Empire into Western and
Eastern sections
 He ruled with unlimited power and with an iron fist and
did not accept opposition to his power
 For example, he declared that no one could leave their job and
children must work at the job of their father

17. CONSTANTINE
 313 C.E. Constantine takes control of the Roman
Empire
 He initiated two significant reforms:
 1- He brought an end to all attacks on Christians –
played a key role in the growth and spread of
Christianity
 2 – Moved the capital from Rome to Byzantium which
signified the switch in power from Western to Eastern
Rome
 After his death the Western part of the empire
declined

19. Invasions!
In 375 The Huns attacked and
terrorized areas of Rome and
Germanic tribes
In 378 The Visigoths began
attacking the Romans. The
Romans counter attacked but were
defeated at the Battle of Adrianople
– Very Significant!! ROME
LOST!!
In 410 the Visigoths attacked and
looted the city of Rome
In 476 A German leader took control
of Rome – this signifies the official
Fall of Rome
In 455 another
German tribe
raided Rome –
The Vandals
In 486 – Clovis, the
leader of the Franks,
invaded the final
territory of Rome,
Gaul, and
established a
Frankish Kingdom

20. Why did Rome fall?
Too Large to
Maintain
Weak Economy
Dependence on Slavery
Poor
Agriculture
Corrupt
Government
Invasions
Weak Military
Decline in
Education
Rise of Christianity