Review: 6-5 The Long Decline of Rome

Review: 6-5 The Long Decline of Rome • Vocabulary • Historical Figures • Key Concepts

Vocabulary Review • Pax Romana Latin for Roman Peace. The term refers to the 200 year span (27 B.C.- 180 A.D.) that began when Augustus took power and ended with the reign of Marcus Aurelius. This was a time of peace, prosperity, and unity in Rome. • Mercenary A foreign soldier serving for pay.

Vocabulary Review (Cont.) • Aqueducts Bridge type stone structures that carried water from the hills into Roman cities. • Republic Government in which officials are chosen by the people. • Patricians Members of the land owning upper class.

Vocabulary Review (Cont.) • Plebians Bulk of the Roman population. This group was made up of farmers, merchants, artisans, traders, etc. • Legion Basic unit of the Roman army. The legion was made up of approximately 5,000 men.

Historical Figures: Diocletian • Diocletian • Became emperor in 284 A.D • In an attempt to make the empire easier to rule, he split Rome into two parts. He kept control over the eastern half and appointed a co-emperor to rule over the western half.

Diocletian (cont.) 3. Also took steps to end the empire’s growing economic problems. He fixed prices for goods and services in order to slow inflation. He also enacted laws to force farmers to stay on the land as well as laws that dictated that in cities, a son would have to enter the same occupation as his father.

Historical Figures: Constantine • Constantine • General who rose to the throne in 312 A.D. • Known for two reforms of great importance • Granted Toleration to Christians. • Built a new capital called Constantinople in the eastern portion of the empire.

Historical Figures: Attila the Hun • Attila • Called the “scourge of God” by Christians who believed his attacks were punishment for the sins of humankind. • Began a campaign of conquest across much of Europe in 434 A.D. • Although much of the Hun empire collapsed with Attila’s death in 453 A.D., the invasion had the long term effect of sending an increasing number of Germanic peoples fleeing into the Roman empire.

Key Concept: Fall of Rome • What caused this eventual downfall? • Some historians have claimed that there is one main factor that caused collapse, while others have claimed that it was a combination of factors. Some of the causes suggested by out textbook include:

Decline of Rome (cont.) • Military Causes Rome faced an increasing number of Germanic invasions. At the same time, the Roman army was not as well prepared for battle as it had been in the past. In order to meet the need for more soldiers, Rome was forced to hire mercenaries who felt little loyalty to Rome. • Political Causes As the government became more authoritarian and oppressive, it lost the support of the people.

Decline of Rome (cont.) • Economic Causes As the government and military bureaucracy grew, higher taxes were needed to support these institutions. These taxes became a huge burden. As farmers abandoned their land, land became more concentrated in the hands of a few. In addition, a good deal of social unrest erupted as large numbers of disillusioned, unemployed people left their homes to find work in cities.

Decline of Rome (cont.) • Social Causes War and epidemics served to reduce the actual population of Rome. Also, the upper class, which had traditionally provided leaders for the empire, began devoting itself to self-interest and luxury. Romans began to decry the loss of patriotism, discipline, and devotion.

WebQuest • Definition: A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet (http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec596/about_webquests.html)

Introduction • We have spent time discussing some of the theories associated with the fall of Rome. Some historians point to a single cause, while other historians suggest that the decline of Rome was the result of a combination of factors. Now, you are going to have the opportunity to do some research and develop a theory of your own.

Task • Imagine that you are a historian studying the decline of the Roman Empire. It is your job to investigate the cause(s) underlying the collapse and develop a comprehensive theory that explains the fall of Rome. You want your theory to be persuasive to your fellow historians, so be sure to provide evidence and support for your findings.

Process • Investigate the following websites and outline at least five causes for the fall of Rome that you find in these sources. Please look for factors that were not mentioned in the textbook. • http://killeenroos.com/1/Romefall.htm • http://www.acs.ohio-state.edu/history/isthmia/teg/Hist111H/issues/rome1.html • http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa061599.htm?rnk=r&terms=fall+of+rome • http://mars.acnet.wnec.edu/~grempel/courses/wc1/lectures/14romefell.html

Process (cont.) • Once you have researched these factors, please outline YOUR theory as to why Rome collapsed. Use your research and the information we have discussed from the textbook to support your idea. • Give a brief oral report to your fellow classmates detailing the highlights of your theory.

Evaluation • You will be handing in your outline. Again, this outline should contain information on five factors that have been suggested to have caused the fall of Rome, as well as the overview of your theory as to why this collapse occurred.

Review: 6-5 The Long Decline of Rome