Download Chapter 6 Reading Questions

Chapter 6 – Reading Questions
1. Section 1 – The Roman Republic
a. Why do you think the myth of the twins has endured for so long?
b. How was early Rome a multicultural society?
c. What were the differences and similarities between Rome’s patricians and plebeians?
d. What was the advantage to writing down the laws?
e. What were some advantages and disadvantages of the time limits on Roman
government service?
f. Why do you think the Romans gave full citizenship to conquered people living close
to Rome?
g. How did Scipio use Hannibal’s love for Carthage as a weapon?
2. Section 2 – The Roman Empire
a. How would limiting the size of Roman estates help the poor?
b. Which do you think threatened Caesar’s rivals more, his power or his popularity?
Explain your decision.
c. How did Augustus’s rule set the stage for the Pax Romana? What does this suggest
about the relative importance of an individual leader?
d. What effect did the system of roads have on the Roman Empire?
e. Examine the qualities of gravitas. Why were they so valued in the Roman world?
f. What aspects of Roman life might signal future problems for the empire?
3. Section 3 – The Rise of Christianity
a. How were Jesus’ teachings at odds with Roman values and religious ideas?
b. Why might both the Romans and the chief Jewish priests have felt threatened by
Jesus?
c. Why was the apostle Paul so important to the spread of Christianity?
d. Why do you think Christian persecution rose as the Pax Romana crumbled?
e. Why do you think church leaders could not agree about the new religion?
f. Explain how establishing a church structure helped Christianity spread.
4. Section 4 – The Fall of the Roman Empire
a. Which is likely to be more important in the decline of the Roman Empire, the
economy or the military?
b. How might soldiers with limited loyalty behave in a military crisis?
c. Why did the empire continue to fail despite Diocletian’s reforms and effective rule?
d. How does control of Byzantium offer trade and defensive advantage to cultures on
the Black Sea?
e. Why do you think the Western Empire was unable to field an army to stop the
Germans from invading?
f. How does uniting a force such as the Huns make it stronger?
5. Section 5 – Rome and the Roots of Western Civilization
a. What did Horace mean when he said, “Greece, once overcome, overcame her wild
conqueror”?
b. How does Stoicism fit with other Roman ideals?
c. Why does Latin continue to be taught in many schools?
d. Why is law considered the most lasting of Roman contributions?