Download As the Roman Republic grew larger and more populated

The Fall of Rome
As the Roman Republic grew larger and more
populated, the task of maintaining order and stability
became increasingly difficult. Tensions rose and civil
war broke out. Eventually, a powerful general named
Julius Caesar gained control. Fearing he would be
made king, a group of senators assassinated him. A
bloody power struggle broke out, and Octavian, the
adopted son of Julius Caesar emerged as the winner. Octavian had all the senators involved in the
conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar, killed. He became the first emperor of the Roman Empire,
taking the name - Augustus Caesar.
Augustus died in A.D. 14, but his rule began an almost 200 year period of peace and prosperity known
as the Pax Romana, or Roman Peace. It was a time of great growth for Rome as the empire reached its
greatest size and influence. Tied together by 50,000 miles of roads and stretching from modern-day
Spain in the west to Mesopotamia in the east - from Britain in the north to the Sahara Desert in the south,
between 60 and 100 million people lived under Roman rule.
Late in the second century, however, the empire stopped expanding. The end of new conquests meant
an end to new sources of wealth. Officials grew desperate to pay the empire's ever growing expenses,
including the building of public works, and the rising cost of maintaining its large army. Roman officials
raised taxes to cover the expenses. This caused hardships for many ordinary Romans.
Other aspects of Roman society suffered as well. For example, many poor Romans found it harder to
become educated - as the cost of education grew out of reach. In addition, the immense size of the
empire made the distribution of news difficult. As a result, people grew less informed about civic matters.
A decline in agriculture also weakened the empire. Throughout Italy and Western Europe, the soil had
become difficult to farm due to constant warfare and overuse. As a result, harvests became increasingly
weak. The empire would have to look elsewhere for grain, and that would cost more money.
The use of slave labor added to the problem. Like other societies throughout history, the Romans
practiced slavery. In the cities, the use of slaves took jobs away from ordinary Romans, and
unemployment rose. On the farms, the use of slave labor discouraged improvements in technology
that might have improved farming. As Roman agriculture suffered, disease and hunger spread and
the population declined. The use of slave labor enabled the rich to get richer and forced many
ordinary Romans out of jobs and into poverty.
conspiracy: an agreement by a group to do something wrong
civic: citizens' responsibility to their city, state, or nation
immense: very large
poverty: being very poor
Meanwhile, Rome's once powerful military began showing signs of trouble. Over time, Roman soldiers
in general became less disciplined and loyal. They pledged their loyalty not to Rome, but to individual
military leaders. Civil wars broke out among generals who had differing ideas about how the empire
should be run. Constant civil wars disrupted farming and trade. As a result of the population decline, the
Roman military was forced to allow men who lived outside Rome's borders to join the Roman Army. As
good as these foreign soldiers were, they had little loyalty to Rome - they fought because they were paid.
Feelings of loyalty eventually declined among average citizens as well. In the past, Romans eagerly
engaged in civic duties and public affairs. However, as Rome's central government grew weaker, Roman
politics grew increasingly corrupt. Politicians became more interested in their own financial gain than in
public service. As a result, many citizens lost their sense of pride in the government. They no longer
showed a willingness to sacrifice for the good of Rome.
Despite these difficulties, the Roman Empire continued
on for another 200 years. This was due, in part, to two
emperors - Diocletian and Constantine. Diocletian saw
that the empire was too large for one emperor to
govern effectively. He divided it into two and ruled
with a co-emperor named Maximian. This provide
only a temporary fix however. When Diocletian died,
Maximian was not strong enough to hold onto power
and civil war broke out for control of the divided
empire.
Constantine eventually took control and stabilized the empire. He allowed Christians to finally worship
freely, and with Roman protection, Christianity grew into a powerful institution. He also moved the
capital of the empire to the ancient Greek city of Byzantium. He rebuilt and enlarged it, and then named
it Constantinople, or the "City of Constantine."
In addition to internal difficulties, however, the Romans faced another major problem. In the late 300s,
foreign groups, which the Romans called barbarians, began pushing into Roman lands. A small trickle of
"invaders" eventually turned into a flood, overwhelming Rome's ability to keep them out. By the end of
the 5th century, the western part of the Roman Empire had collapsed under the weight of its own internal
problems and the external problem of these invasions. The eastern part of the empire, however, would
survive for another 1,000 years and later become known as the Byzantine Empire.
corrupt: dishonest, more interested in financial gain than public service
trickle: a small flow
political: related to the government or public affairs of a nation
factions: conflicting groups
There are many reasons for the Fall of Rome
Here are some - in random order:
 A weak central government
 High taxes
 Barbarian invasions
 The use of slave labor to replace many Roman jobs - causing joblessness
 A divided empire
 The weakening of trade and farming due to almost constant civil war
 Corrupt government officials
 The rising cost of education
 The inability of the government to distribute information quickly
 The immense (large) size of the empire
 A Roman army partially made up of foreign-born soldiers who have little loyalty to Rome
 Constant civil wars between Roman military leaders and political factions
 The end of expansion leads to the end of treasure from that expansion
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Now that you are familiar with the reasons for the Fall of Rome, which three do you think
are the most important ?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Name______________________________________________________ Date______________ Period_____
The Fall of Rome - Quiz
Directions: circle the letter of the correct answer:
1.
As the Roman Republic grew larger and more populated, the task of maintaining order and stability
became increasingly difficult. Eventually, civil war broke out in the Republic with the victor being:
a. Julius Caesar
b. Constantine
c. Diocletian
2.
Augustus Caesar became the first Emperor of the new Roman Empire. What was the 200 year period
of peace and prosperity that he began, known as ?
a. Civis Romanus
b. Latina Pace
c. Pax Romana
3.
What was responsible for the Fall of the Western Roman Empire ?
a. corrupt officials
b. the use of slave labor
c. high taxes
d. barbarian invasions
e. all of the above and more
4.
What was Diocletian's solution to the problems that arose because the Roman Empire
had grown to an immense size ?
a.
b.
c.
d.
5.
He gave citizenship to all free men in the empire
He divided the empire in two
He gave certain regions their freedom
all of the above.
After Diocletian died, Constantine eventually took control of the empire. He then:
a. allowed Christians to finally worship freely and gave Christianity Roman protection.
b. moved the capital to the ancient Greek city of Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople.
c. both of the above.
6.
Due to its internal difficulties and the external problem of barbarian invasions, the Western Roman Empire
collapsed in the late 5th century. The Eastern Roman Empire, however, would survive. Later, it would
become known as the:
a. Eastern Empire
b. Empire of Constantine
c. Byzantine Empire
Name____________________KEY_______________________________ Date______________ Period_____
The Fall of Rome - Quiz
Directions: circle the letter of the correct answer:
1.
As the Roman Republic grew larger and more populated, the task of maintaining order and stability
became increasingly difficult. Eventually, civil war broke out in the Republic with the victor being:
a. Julius Caesar
b. Constantine
c. Diocletian
2.
Augustus Caesar became the first Emperor of the new Roman Empire. What was the 200 year period
of peace and prosperity that he began, known as ?
a. Civis Romanus
b. Latina Pace
c. Pax Romana
3.
What was responsible for the Fall of the Western Roman Empire ?
a. corrupt officials
b. the use of slave labor
c. high taxes
d. barbarian invasions
e. all of the above and more
4.
What was Diocletian's solution to the problems that arose because the Roman Empire
had grown to an immense size ?
a.
b.
c.
d.
5.
He gave citizenship to all free men in the empire
He divided the empire in two
He gave certain regions their freedom
all of the above.
After Diocletian died, Constantine eventually took control of the empire. He then:
a. allowed Christians to finally worship freely and gave Christianity Roman protection.
b. moved the capital to the ancient Greek city of Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople.
c. both of the above.
6.
Due to its internal difficulties and the external problem of barbarian invasions, the Western Roman Empire
collapsed in the late 5th century. The Eastern Roman Empire, however, would survive. Later, it would
become known as the:
a. Eastern Empire
b. Empire of Constantine
c. Byzantine Empire
The Fall of Rome
As the Roman Republic grew larger and more
populated, the task of maintaining order and stability
became increasingly difficult. Tensions rose and civil
war broke out. Eventually, a powerful general named
Julius Caesar gained control. Fearing he would be
made king, a group of senators assassinated him. A
bloody power struggle broke out, and Octavian, the
adopted son of Julius Caesar emerged as the winner. Octavian had all the senators involved in the
conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar, killed. He became the first emperor of the Roman Empire,
taking the name - Augustus Caesar.
Augustus died in A.D. 14, but his rule began an almost 200 year period of peace and prosperity known
as the Pax Romana, or Roman Peace. It was a time of great growth for Rome as the empire reached its
greatest size and influence. Tied together by 50,000 miles of roads and stretching from modern-day
Spain in the west to Mesopotamia in the east - from Britain in the north to the Sahara Desert in the south,
between 60 and 100 million people lived under Roman rule.
Late in the second century, however, the empire stopped expanding. The end of new conquests meant
an end to new sources of wealth. Officials grew desperate to pay the empire's ever growing expenses,
including the building of public works, and the rising cost of maintaining its large army. Roman officials
raised taxes to cover the expenses. This caused hardships for many ordinary Romans.
Other aspects of Roman society suffered as well. For example, many poor Romans found it harder to
become educated - as the cost of education grew out of reach. In addition, the immense size of the
empire made the distribution of news difficult. As a result, people grew less informed about civic matters.
A decline in agriculture also weakened the empire. Throughout Italy and Western Europe, the soil had
become difficult to farm due to constant warfare and overuse. As a result, harvests became increasingly
weak. The empire would have to look elsewhere for grain, and that would cost more money.
The use of slave labor added to the problem. Like other societies throughout history, the Romans
practiced slavery. In the cities, the use of slaves took jobs away from ordinary Romans, and
unemployment rose. On the farms, the use of slave labor discouraged improvements in technology
that might have improved farming. As Roman agriculture suffered, disease and hunger spread and
the population declined. The use of slave labor enabled the rich to get richer and forced many
ordinary Romans out of jobs and into poverty.
conspiracy: an agreement by a group to do something wrong
civic: citizens' responsibility to their city, state, or nation
immense: very large
poverty: being very poor
Meanwhile, Rome's once powerful military began showing signs of trouble. Over time, Roman soldiers
in general became less disciplined and loyal. They pledged their loyalty not to Rome, but to individual
military leaders. Civil wars broke out among generals who had differing ideas about how the empire
should be run. Constant civil wars disrupted farming and trade. As a result of the population decline, the
Roman military was forced to allow men who lived outside Rome's borders to join the Roman Army . As
good as these foreign soldiers were, they had little loyalty to Rome - they fought because they were paid.
Feelings of loyalty eventually declined among average citizens as well. In the past, Romans eagerly
engaged in civic duties and public affairs. However, as Rome's central government grew weaker, Roman
politics grew increasingly corrupt. Politicians became more interested in their own financial gain than in
public service. As a result, many citizens lost their sense of pride in the government. They no longer
showed a willingness to sacrifice for the good of Rome.
Despite these difficulties, the Roman Empire
continued on for another 200 years. This was due, in
part, to two emperors - Diocletian and Constantine.
Diocletian saw that the empire was too large for one
emperor to govern effectively. He divided it into
two and ruled with a co-emperor named Maximian.
This provide only a temporary fix however. When
Diocletian died, Maximian was not strong enough to
hold onto power and civil war broke out for control
of the divided empire.
Constantine eventually took control and stabilized
the empire. He allowed Christians to finally worship freely, and with Roman protection, Christianity grew
into a powerful institution. He also moved the capital of the empire to the ancient Greek city of
Byzantium. He rebuilt and enlarged it, and then named it Constantinople, or the "City of Constantine."
In addition to internal difficulties, however, the Romans faced another major problem. In the late 300s,
foreign groups, which the Romans called barbarians, began pushing into Roman lands. A small trickle of
"invaders" eventually turned into a flood, overwhelming Rome's ability to keep them out. By the end of
the 5th century, the western part of the Roman Empire had collapsed under the weight of its own internal
problems and the external problem of these invasions. The eastern part of the empire, however, would
survive for another 1,000 years and later become known as the Byzantine Empire.
corrupt: dishonest, more interested in financial gain than public service
trickle: a small flow
political: related to the government or public affairs of a nation
factions: conflicting groups
Name______________________________________________________ Date______________ Period_____
The Fall of Rome - Quiz
Directions: circle the letter of the correct answer:
1.
As the Roman Republic grew larger and more populated, the task of maintaining order and stability
became increasingly difficult. Eventually, civil war broke out in the Republic with the victor being:
a. Julius Caesar
b. Constantine
c. Diocletian
2.
Augustus Caesar became the first Emperor of the new Roman Empire. What was the 200 year period
of peace and prosperity that he began, known as ?
a. Civis Romanus
b. Latina Pace
c. Pax Romana
3.
What was responsible for the Fall of the Western Roman Empire ?
a. corrupt officials
b. the use of slave labor
c. high taxes
d. barbarian invasions
e. all of the above and more
4.
What was Diocletian's solution to the problems that arose because the Roman Empire
had grown to an immense size ?
a.
b.
c.
d.
5.
He gave citizenship to all free men in the empire
He divided the empire in two
He gave certain regions their freedom
all of the above.
After Diocletian died, Constantine eventually took control of the empire. He then:
a. allowed Christians to finally worship freely and gave Christianity Roman protection.
b. moved the capital to the ancient Greek city of Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople.
c. both of the above.
6.
Due to its internal difficulties and the external problem of barbarian invasions, the Western Roman Empire
collapsed in the late 5th century. The Eastern Roman Empire, however, would survive. Later, it would
become known as the:
a. Eastern Empire
b. Empire of Constantine
c. Byzantine Empire
There are many reasons for the Fall of Rome
Here are some - in random order:
 A weak central government
 High taxes
 Barbarian invasions
 The use of slave labor to replace many Roman jobs - causing joblessness
 A divided empire
 The weakening of trade and farming due to almost constant civil war
 Corrupt government officials
 The rising cost of education
 The inability of the government to distribute information quickly
 The immense (large) size of the empire
 A Roman army partially made up of foreign-born soldiers who have little loyalty to Rome
 Constant civil wars between Roman military leaders and political factions
 The end of expansion leads to the end of treasure from that expansion
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Now that you are familiar with the reasons for the Fall of Rome, which three do you think
are the most important ?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Now that you have selected the three reasons you think are the most important,
write one paragraph stating that those are the three most important reasons for
the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, give a support sentence for each choice,
and end with a concluding sentence.
Introductory Sentence(s): should list the three reasons that you have chosen as the most important reasons
for the fall of the Roman Empire.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SS Supporting Sentences: give Specific Details that explain the reasons for your claim.
Each SS should include a personal comment on the details. (This proves, shows, demonstrates)
SS1 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SS2 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
SS3 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Concluding Sentence(s): provide(s) a summary or unifies the support sentences that you included in the paragraph.
Can answer the question: So What ?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Scoring Rubric for The Fall of Rome Paragraph
Thesis Sentence(s): (Introduction)
The Introduction introduces the subject of the paragraph and states the main idea
or claim of the paragraph.
4
3
2
1
0
Supporting Sentences: (Body)
The Supporting Sentences give specific details that explain the claim.
These should be followed by a personal comment on the details.
4
3
2
1
0
Concluding sentence(s): (Conclusion)
The Conclusion provides a summary, a concluding thought, or unifies the support details
that have been mentioned in the paragraph.
4
3
2
1
0
Grammar:
The paragraph's grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and/or organization
does not limit the understanding of the paragraph.
4
Total: ____________
3
2
1
0