Download Topic: The Fall of Rome EQ: Why did the Roman empire end

10/20/15
Topic: The Fall of Rome
EQ: Why did the Roman empire end?
Bellwork: Set up your Cornell notes. Then,
answer the following question:
If you lived in Rome at the age you are
now, what do you think your life would
be like right now? Be prepared to share.
The Fall of Rome
A Century of Crisis
Rome’s economy weakened because of hostile
tribes, pirates, and a lack of sources for more
gold and silver
Farmland was destroyed because of
overworked soil and years of war
Roman soldiers became less disciplined and
loyal
They gave their allegiance to their commanders
rather than the empire
Citizens also felt less loyal to the empire
Emperors Attempt Reform
Diocletian severely limited personal freedoms
He doubled the size of the army, and tried to control
inflation by setting fixed prices for goods
He divided the empire in half (east and west); after
he stepped down as emperor, a civil war broke out
Constantine gained control after the war and
reunited the empire
He moved the capital from Rome to Byzantium and
renamed it Constantinople
After Constantine’s death, the empire was split
again
The Western Empire Crumbles
Around 370 AD, a group of Mongol nomads
from central Asia, the Huns, moved into the area
just north of the Roman Empire and began
destroying everything in their path
The Germanic people (called “barbarians” by
the Romans) who had been living in the region
pushed into Roman lands, trying to flee the
invading Huns
The Barbarians moved through Gaul, Spain and
North Africa and in 410 invaded Rome
The Western Empire Crumbles
The leader of the Huns, Attila, attacked
both the eastern and western empires
In the east, they attacked 70 cities (they
couldn’t break through the walls of
Constantinople), then moved west
In 452 AD, Attila’s forces moved towards
Rome, but they were not able to take the
city
The Western Empire Crumbles
Attila died in 453 AC, but the Germanic
invasions continued
The last emperor, 14-year-old Romulus Agustulus,
was taken out of power by German forces in 476
The eastern empire, renamed the Byzantine
Empire flourished for another 1,000 years until
1453 when it was taken over by the Ottoman
Turks
On Your Own
Turn to page 177 in your textbooks
Read the secondary sources and primary
source, and use them to answer the three
questions at the bottom of the page
With any remaining time, edit your notes, write
your questions, and your summary