In the third century after Christ the crisis exploded.
After the Pax Romana, the wars in the East begin; the enormous expenses to maintain the army, favor an economic crisis; the government tries to stop it by raising taxes, a rather risky move.
A terrible epidemic explodes that depopulates the countryside.
All this turmoil is faced with determination by Diocletian, who ascended the throne in 284 AD.
He strengthens the borders threatened by the barbarians and imposes a series of innovative reforms which then turn out to be ineffective.
Instead, Constantine's behavior is opposite. He converts to Christianity, now widespread everywhere and recognizes the right of worship to Christians with the edict of Milan of 313 AD.
Theodosius, successor of Constantine, with the edict of Thessalonica, imposed Christianity as the state religion, in 380 AD.
Theodosius dies in 395, leaving power to his sons, Honorius receives the West and Rome as the capital and which will soon collapse, while Arcadius, the East with Constantinople as its capital, lasts for another thousand years.
Economic crisis, corruption, bad administration, inefficiency, invasions… These are the main causes of the fall of the Roman Empire.
Subsequently, in 476 A.D., the very young and last emperor, Romulus (called Augustulus out of contempt), was finally overthrown by Odoacer, a barbarian general;
Thus ends the Western Roman Empire.
YOU ARE READING
Living in ancient Rome
Historical FictionMarta finds a strange contraption in the attic. It's a time machine built by his grandfather! Will it work or will it just be a prototype? Let's find out together by reading her adventures.
