Crisis and Recovery of 3Rd Century

4/12/2012

The Fall of Rome?

Crisis and Recovery of 3rd Century Civil War (238-53 CE) Aurelian (270-5 CE) Invasions (267-9 CE) • builds walls around Rome – Carpians and Vandals (Rhine) Diocletian (284-305 CE) – Goths and Alamanni (Danube) • Tetrarchy (293 CE) • Athens sacked • Revolt in Britain • Battle of Nessus (268) • Battle of Naissus (270) • Persian Invasion – Sassanids (East) • Military and Financial Empire splits reforms • Gallic Empire (259-73 CE) Constantine (307-37 CE) • Palmyrene Empire (267-74 • founds Constantinople CE) • moves seat of govt. – Finally reunited by Aurelian

258 CE Gallic Empire • Britannia • Gallia • Hispania

Milan

Aegyptus  Syria  Palestine  Palmyrene Empire 260 CE

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debasement of Roman Coinage

Eight-fold rise in prices from 267-274

Emperor Aurelian (270-5 CE)

• Right-hand man (dux) of Gallienus – helped defeat the Alamanni – cavalry defeated Goths at Naissus • participated in the assassination of Gallienus – Supported Claudius II to throne – brother was declared Emperor by Senate – legions refused him and chose Aurelian instead • Reunified the Empire – Palmyra (272/3) – Gallic Empire (274) • Built walls around Rome • Revalued the coinage

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Porta Appia (San Sabastiano)

6.5 meters high 3.5 meters thick square tower every 30 meters

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Reforms of Diocletian (284-305)

• divides empire into four administrative districts – Tetrarchy • Strengthens Roman military – discipline in army • persecutes Christians

The Four Tetrarchs

• Porphyry marble (Egypt) – ca. 300 CE – St. Marks Cathedral, Venice • previously on top of a column in Constantinople – paludamentum (cloak) – military belt • shift in artistic style seen in Late Antique Period

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The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer, Jean-Léon Gérôme (1883)

Flavius Valerius Constantinus Constantine the Great (306-337)

Battle of Milvian Bridge Oct. 312 “In hoc signus vincus”

Constantine Reunites the Empire Religious Reform 313 Edict of Milan • officially marks end of persecution • restoration of Church properties 325 Council of Nicaea

Political and Economic Reform • Unifies Empire 324-330 Relocates Capital to Byzantium

Military Reform • Uses Tetrarchy prefectures for military command • Creates magister peditum and magister equitum

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Constantine relocates the Capital of Empire 330 CE Constantine moves capital of Roman Empire to Byzantium and renames it Constantinople • builds a massive fortification structure 408 CE Theodosius II builds more elaborate defensive system 1453 CE Suleiman I “the Magnificent” builds cannons specifically to batter gates and sacks Constantinople

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Fortification system of Constantinople designed and built by Theodosius II (408 CE)

Gothic Armies

• migrated to Danube region • Divided into West (Visi) and East (Ostro) branches – most powerful of tribes • tribal leadership based on aristocratic structure – comites and dux w/a 100 years of fighting for the Romans – 15,000 warriors • spatha sword and fransica battle-ax

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Battle of Adrianople 378 CE 372 CE Western Goths having settled south of Danube (Bulgaria) go to Constantinople to ask for permission to settle. • They are paid off every year, but then a change in “barbarian” policy 378 CE Emperor Valens assembles an army and is defeated at Adrianople – New Emperor Theodosius pays them to relocate and police Noricum in Western half of Empire (foedus) 401 CE They ask Ravenna for payoff 401-2 first invasion turned back by Stilicho 410 ALARIC SACKS ROME

Visigoths Move Towards Italy

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The Fall of Rome ?

Germanic Kingdoms (West)

Byzantine Empire East