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.

Over a 300-year period, the western part of the Roman Empire steadily declined because of internal and external problems.

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)

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)