Early Roman empire

• Legates were appointed military leaders
• Client Kingdoms were vassals or clients of the Roman empire who retained a small degree of autonomy, serving as buffers between the central Roman empire and surrounding enemies
• Roman law was based on jurisprudence rather than legislation, constantly reinterpreted based on the needs of the empire; a common code applied to all, stating that all men were equal before the law
• Key aspects of Roman law:

  • Innocent until proven guilty
  • Right to appeal
  • Right to face accusers
• The Forum in Roman cities was similar to the Greek agora, serving as a marketplace, assembly place, and voting location
• Roman society was predominantly urban, with rigid class distinctions based on wealth; opportunities and status of the Plebeian class declined, leading to a large number of unemployed individuals
• Slavery in Rome was found in all occupations, including the professional class like lawyers and doctors; it began to decline as serfdom rose
• The economy: Eastern provinces became an economic part of the empire due to proximity to eastern markets, while the western provinces depended on imported food; taxes remained low until the latter part of the second century
• Roman Empire had no laws of succession, practiced adoption and inauguration for a period of time
• Pompeii, a city destroyed by a volcano eruption, shows everyday Roman life including public baths and streets remnants
• Praetorian Guard, a legion assigned as the bodyguard for the emperor, became so powerful that they needed gifts to protect the king, leading to political problems
• PAX ROMANA means "Roman peace" - 200 years of peace and prosperity in Rome
• Civil War during the Year of 4 Emperors displayed the fatal flaw of the Roman Empire, with 4 different generals placed on the throne due to the power and influence of their legions and alliances
• The Crisis of the 3rd Century saw 25 different emperors in Rome, leading to increased government instability and the rise of the Barracks emperors
• Roman emperors contended with constant war with the Sassanid Empire of Persia, with the capture of Roman emperor Valerian in battle
• Visigoths were a barbarian tribe that asked the Roman emperor for permission to settle on Roman territory
• Attila goes to Italy

  Stops at the Po river and never invades
• Federate were nomadic tribes inside the Roman empire that could live freely within the Roman territory in exchange for protecting the Roman frontier and serving in the Roman army when needed
• Huns


  • Led by Attila
  • Skilled in doing anything on horseback
• Huns were powerful Asiatic nomadic tribes on the outside of the Roman empire
• Theodosius became the emperor of Rome and was the last emperor of unified Rome
• After the death of Stilicho, the Romans were unable to defend themselves, leading to the sacking of Rome by Alaric and the Visigoths
• When the Roman Empire falls, it is not replaced by anything, leading into the Dark Ages
• Barbaric tribes eventually become farmers and traders
• Romulus Augustulus was deposed as the last Roman emperor in the west and replaced by Odovacar, a German barbarian
• Roman forces led by Aetius


  Stopped Attila's entry into Europe
• Adrianople was the first time Roman legions were defeated on Roman soil by Germanic tribes
• After Theodosius's death, Rome split
• Stilicho

  A vandal, last effective Roman general capable of defeating the onrushing Germanic tribes
• Visigoths couldn't pay the demanded payments to the Romans, leading to some Visigoths selling their kids into slavery
• Results of the fall of the Roman Empire: German Barbarians ruled Italy, Italy would not be united again until the 19th century, East remained independent for another 1000 years
• Vandals under Gaiseric invaded Italy and sacked Rome with great savagery
• there was no humanitarian effort to end slavery, was because people couldn’t keep/afford slaves
• Decline of slavery due to a lack of freshly supplied slaves due to lack of wars and frequent freeing of slaves
• Manumission is voluntarily freeing a slave by a slaveholder
• Caesar Augustus who established the praetorian guard
• • Edict of Caracalla made all free subjects of the Roman empire full Roman citizens, Citizenship was exclusive to certain regions. 
• • The key of the Edict of Caracalla was that citizens now must pay taxes (Tax yield), this revamps the old inefficient system of collecting taxes and increases state revenues (Needed to pay for the army),
• • Price edict: set maximum prices and wages for commodities and jobs and is designed to stop inflation
• • Edict of Mallan: Universal and religious toleration, mostly for Christianity