Western Europe
Rome known as “The Mother of the World” was, in as early as the third century AD, crumbling due partly because of a series of inept leaders and civil wars. It was spread throughout a fifty year period and two dozen emperors had been killed. In 323, Constantine became emperor after a civil war and established his capital at Byzantium. The inept leaders and civil wars was part of the reason Rome crumpled.
(Dark Ages Movie. N.d. History Channel.) ("The Fall Of Rome." About.com Ancient / Classical History. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. <http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/fallofrome/a/Dorrington.htm>.)
Another reason Rome crumbled was because of the Visigoths. In 410, the empire fell due to the violent and horrible Visigoths. The leader of the Visigoths was a man named Alaric. Alaric surrounded Rome, besieged it, and took control of its supply lines and imported gain. The Romans had soon started starving. Although, their chariot races were continued. The citizens are so hungry, that when the gladiators died they wanted to eat their meat. The Romans reverted to cannibalism within the city. The city gate had opened and the Visigoths plunder the city. There was no food and Alaric moved on. Rome crumbled due partly to these Visigoths.
(Dark Ages Movie. N.d. History Channel.)
Starting in 1346 and recurring different times throughout the early part of the eighteenth century was the Plague. By the time of the first wave of the plague, somewhere between one-third and one-half of Europe’s population had died. During this era many had believed that the end of the world was near. “For it calls to mind the remembrance of that most fatal plague, so terrible yet in the memories of us all...” This quote is from Giovanni Boccaccio in The Decameron. In this quote, Giovanni Boccaccio tells how the plague was a terrible time in Rome’s history. The plague was a very important reason for why Rome crumbled.
(N.d. Giovanni Boccaccio, TheDecameron, or Ten Days Entertainment of Boccaccio, W. K. Kelley, tr., (London: Chatto & Windus, 1872), pp. 29-40)
(Dark Ages Movie. N.d. History Channel.) ("The Fall Of Rome." About.com Ancient / Classical History. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. <http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/fallofrome/a/Dorrington.htm>.)
Another reason Rome crumbled was because of the Visigoths. In 410, the empire fell due to the violent and horrible Visigoths. The leader of the Visigoths was a man named Alaric. Alaric surrounded Rome, besieged it, and took control of its supply lines and imported gain. The Romans had soon started starving. Although, their chariot races were continued. The citizens are so hungry, that when the gladiators died they wanted to eat their meat. The Romans reverted to cannibalism within the city. The city gate had opened and the Visigoths plunder the city. There was no food and Alaric moved on. Rome crumbled due partly to these Visigoths.
(Dark Ages Movie. N.d. History Channel.)
Starting in 1346 and recurring different times throughout the early part of the eighteenth century was the Plague. By the time of the first wave of the plague, somewhere between one-third and one-half of Europe’s population had died. During this era many had believed that the end of the world was near. “For it calls to mind the remembrance of that most fatal plague, so terrible yet in the memories of us all...” This quote is from Giovanni Boccaccio in The Decameron. In this quote, Giovanni Boccaccio tells how the plague was a terrible time in Rome’s history. The plague was a very important reason for why Rome crumbled.
(N.d. Giovanni Boccaccio, TheDecameron, or Ten Days Entertainment of Boccaccio, W. K. Kelley, tr., (London: Chatto & Windus, 1872), pp. 29-40)