Social Studies - 2019-20
WHI.6g - Decline of the Western Roman Empire
The student will apply social science skills to understand ancient Rome from about 700 B.C. (B.C.E.) to 500 A.D. (C.E.) in terms of its impact on Western civilization by
g) evaluating the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the Germanic invasions.
BIG IDEAS
UNDERSTANDING THE STANDARD
Over a 300-year period, the western part of the Roman Empire steadily declined because of internal and external problems.
ESSENTIALS
Causes for the decline of the Western Roman Empire
Geographic size: Difficulty of defense and administration
Economy: The cost of defense and devaluation of Roman currency
Military: Increasing reliance on foreigners to serve in and to lead the Roman army
Declining Roman populations as a result of epidemic diseases
Political problems: Civil conflict and weak administration
Invasion: Germanic migrations and settlement
Division of the Roman Empire
Creation of a second capital by Constantine at Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople
Survival of the Western Roman Empire until 476 A.D. (C.E.), when it ceased to have a Roman emperor
Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire)
KEY VOCABULARY
Terms
Veto (6a)
Checks and balances (6a)
Roman mythology (6b)
Twelve Tables (6b)
Roman Republic (6c,e,f)
Patricians (6c)
Plebeians (6c)
Punic Wars (6d)
Legion (6d)
Representative democracy (6c)
Consuls (6c)
Senate (6c)
Roman Empire (6e-k)
Inflation (6e)
Roman Civil War (6f)
Triumvirate (6f)
Pax Romana (6g)
Messiah (6h)
New Testament (6h)
Pope (6h)
Apostles (6h)
Martyrs (6h)
Aeneid (6j)
Pantheon (6j)
Aqueduct (6j)
Colosseum (6j)
Forum (6j)
People
Hannibal (6d)
Julius Caesar (6e,f)
Augustus Caesar (6e-g)
Marc Anthony (6e,f)
Jesus (6h)
Paul (6h)
Constantine (6i,k)
Diocletian (6i,k)
Virgil (6j)
Ptolemy (6j)
Places
Rome (6a,c-k)
Italian Peninsula (6a,d)
Alps (6a)
Mediterranean Sea (6a)
Gaul (6d)
British Isles (6d)
Carthage (6d)
Western Roman Empire (6k)
Byzantium (6k)
Constantinople (6k)
Eastern Roman Empire (6k)