HUM 001B Lecture 6: Lecture 6: From Empire to Feudalism
Document Summary
People stopped willing to perform duties = power faded. (machiavelli and. Montesquieu: military obsolescence: horses, cavalry became more sufficient to fight and control a large population. The romans were slow to adapt to this technique: declining birth rate (lead poisoning): wine, water and plumbs were planned with poison. Some high-classes people were found with lead poisoning, whereas the poor people didn"t. Poorly managed economy ( growing inequality): less people with more land. Trade decreased because provinces were rich enough to have their own food. Less communications with trade undermined road works and wealth as a whole. Plague: major catastrophe in which many people died and increased instability. Political division: eastern was the greater wealth because of egypt. Equal in land, but not in wealth = created weakness as a whole: events that lead to the fall of rome: Loss of centers of learning: less educated people.
