Download The Fall of the Roman Empire BP STUDENT

The Fall of the Roman Empire
1. At the height of its rule, Rome was the most _______________ empire in the world. It ruled the entire
area around the Mediterranean Sea and most of Western Europe too.
2. People living in the areas conquered by Rome were able to ___________ freely from one end of the
Roman Empire to the other, spreading new ideas, new technology, and increasing _________ to
improve the economy.
3. Augustus Caesar was in power when the Roman Republic changed to an empire. He tried to preserve
elements of a republic such as, holding free ______________ and taking advice from the Roman
Senate. Not all leaders after Augustus did this. The power ____________ away from the people and
into the hands of the __________.
4. It is believed that the Roman Empire began to decline when Commodus became emperor. He ruled as
an ______________, which means he did not take recommendations from the Senate.
5. Another contributing factor to the decline of Ancient Rome was that there was never a reliable system
for choosing an ______________. As soon as one general came to power, another one would
assassinate him or overthrow him.
6. Fighting generals led to easier ways for _____________to enter Rome. The army was stationed on
Rome’s borders, and when they moved to fight on another for more power, the invaders would sneak
into Rome _______________. The invaders settled in Rome and began to grow in numbers as the
Roman army weakened.
7. Rome also had financial problems. Emperors would _____________soldiers with money to keep their
loyalty. When there wasn’t enough money to pay soldiers, emperors would mint (make) cheaper
coins, causing the value of Roman money to ______________.
8. Emperors also _____________ from the Roman treasury and wasted a lot of money. They had big
parties and festivals for their own enjoyment. There were a lot of food shortages and very high
_____________ among the Romans at this time. Crime and riots also began to break out.
9. Diocletian decided the empire could no longer be ruled as one, and he split it in half. He governed the
_____________half and Maximian governed the western half. Later on, Emperor Constantine declared
Constantinople the ________________ of the Eastern Roman Empire. Constantinople became the new
capital of the Byzantine Empire.
10. The Western Roman Empire could no longer effectively deal with _______________ in all of their
territories or fend off the Germanic tribes coming in from the ______________ and north. Romulus
Augustus finally surrendered to a Germanic leader named Odoacer and Roman rule officially
_______________.
The Fall of the Roman Empire
1. At the height of its rule, Rome was the most _______________ empire in the world. It ruled the entire
area around the Mediterranean Sea and most of Western Europe too.
2. People living in the areas conquered by Rome were able to ___________ freely from one end of the
Roman Empire to the other, spreading new ideas, new technology, and increasing _________ to
improve the economy.
3. Augustus Caesar was in power when the Roman Republic changed to an empire. He tried to preserve
elements of a republic such as, holding free ______________ and taking advice from the Roman
Senate. Not all leaders after Augustus did this. The power ____________ away from the people and
into the hands of the __________.
4. It is believed that the Roman Empire began to decline when Commodus became emperor. He ruled as
an ______________, which means he did not take recommendations from the Senate.
5. Another contributing factor to the decline of Ancient Rome was that there was never a reliable system
for choosing an ______________. As soon as one general came to power, another one would
assassinate him or overthrow him.
6. Fighting generals led to easier ways for _____________to enter Rome. The army was stationed on
Rome’s borders, and when they moved to fight on another for more power, the invaders would sneak
into Rome _______________. The invaders settled in Rome and began to grow in numbers as the
Roman army weakened.
7. Rome also had financial problems. Emperors would _____________soldiers with money to keep their
loyalty. When there wasn’t enough money to pay soldiers, emperors would mint (make) cheaper
coins, causing the value of Roman money to ______________.
8. Emperors also _____________ from the Roman treasury and wasted a lot of money. They had big
parties and festivals for their own enjoyment. There were a lot of food shortages and very high
_____________ among the Romans at this time. Crime and riots also began to break out.
9. Diocletian decided the empire could no longer be ruled as one, and he split it in half. He governed the
_____________half and Maximian governed the western half. Later on, Emperor Constantine declared
Constantinople the ________________ of the Eastern Roman Empire. Constantinople became the new
capital of the Byzantine Empire.
10. The Western Roman Empire could no longer effectively deal with _______________ in all of their
territories or fend off the Germanic tribes coming in from the ______________ and north. Romulus
Augustus finally surrendered to a Germanic leader named Odoacer and Roman rule officially
_______________.