434-453) threatened Rome, were paid off, and then attacked again. The central Asian Huns led by their king Attila (r. Vandals, under Gaiseric (King of the Vandals and Alans between 428–477), attacked northern Africa, cutting off the grain supply to the Romans. This is often a date given for the official Fall of Rome. Visigoths made several successful incursions into Italy beginning in 401, and in the end, under the rule of the Visigoth king Alaric (395–410), sacked Rome. At his death, the empire was divided by his sons, Arcadius, in the East, and Honorius, in the West. He failed and died in the East fighting the Parthians.Įastern Roman Emperor Flavius Julius Valens Augustus, known as Valens (ruled 364–378) fought and was defeated and killed by the Visigoths at the Battle of Adrianople.Īfter Valens' death, Theodosius (ruled 379–395) briefly reunited the Empire, but it didn't last beyond his reign. 360–363 CE) and known as Julian the Apostate attempted to reverse the religious trend to Christianity with a return to paganism supported by the government. During his reign, Constantine established Christianity and created a capital for the Roman Empire in the East, at Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey. Later Constantine defeated the Eastern ruler and became the sole ruler for the entire Roman Empire. 306–312) at the Milvian Bridge and became sole ruler in the West. 280–337) defeated his co-emperor Maxentius (r. When Diocletian and Maximian abdicated their co-rules, civil war broke out.Īcceptance of Christianity (Milvian Bridge) That was followed by nearly fifty years of chaos when military leaders wrestled one another for power, rulers died of unnatural causes, and there were revolts, plagues, fires, and Christian persecutions.ĭiocletian and the Tetrarchy: Between 285 and 293, Diocletian split the Roman Empire into two pieces and added junior emperors to help run them, making a total of four Caesars, called a tetrarchy.

Crisis of the Third Century (Age of Chaos)Īlso known as the period of Military Anarchy or the Imperial Crisis, this period began with the assassination of Severus Alexander (ruled 222–235) by his own troops.

Roman empire timelime