Fall of Rome - Edl FALL OF ROME Students investigate 7 reasons for Rome’s Collapse! A Student DBQ!...
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THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME THE FALL OF ROME Students investigate 7 reasons for Rome’s Collapse! A Student DBQ! THE FALL OF ROME http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Mr-Educator-A-Social-Studies-Professional
Transcript of Fall of Rome - Edl FALL OF ROME Students investigate 7 reasons for Rome’s Collapse! A Student DBQ!...
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROME
THE FALL OF
ROMEStudents investigate 7 reasons
for Rome’s Collapse!
A Student DBQ!
THE FALL OF
ROME
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Mr-Educator-A-Social-Studies-Professional
THE ROMAN EMPIRE WAS ONCE THE ENVY OF THE WORLD. AT ITS HEIGHT, IN 117 CE, THE EMPIRE STRETCHED FROM WESTERN
EUROPE TO NORTH AFRICA, THROUGHOUT THE MEDITERRANEAN AND INTO WESTERN ASIA. IN THIS INVESTIGATION, YOUR GOAL
IS TO PROVIDE AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION:
WHY EXACTLY DID THE ROMAN EMPIRE FALL?
Name_________________________________________________________________ Period ________
In this DBQ, you are asked to answer the question, “Why exactly did the Roman Empire fall?” To answer this question, you will navigate through the 7 documents included in this packet. All documents have analytical questions associated with them that you should answer, as they will help you understand the importance of each document. Once you analyze all 7 documents, return to the “Final Essay Prep” page to summarize the importance of each document. Be sure to write in complete sentences!
FINAL ESSAY PREP! WHAT SHOULD YOU INCLUDE?
Doc: 1
Doc: 2
Doc: 3
Doc: 4
Doc: 5
Doc: 6
Doc: 7
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
“...very few inhabitants of the empire viewed the old civilization as worthy of
saving...the overwhelming majority of people had been excluded from playing an
active role in their own government. They could not high office and some...could
not serve in the army. Few people saw elections as important so they stopped
participating in elections. Their economic plight became hopeless. As a result,
most people became bound to the soil, simply toiling with little to hope or dream
for, as they slipped further and further into decline...”
According to this source, what were the basic problems facing the Roman Empire? _______________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
“...Rome’s fall was an inevitable effect of its grand size...borders became
difficult to secure and the amount of gold needed to maintain roads and
perform routine maintenance was never enough. It had grown so large it
could not take care or protect itself to the level that was needed.
According to this source, what problems were facing the Roman Empire? _______________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Doc: 1
Doc: 2
© Mr. Educator, 2013
Adapted from The Course of Civilization, 1961
Adapted from The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1778
Emperor Dates in Power Cause of Death
Maximinus 235-38 CE Assassinated
Gordian 238 CE Suicide
Balbinus 238 CE Assassinated
Gordian III 238 - 244 CE Assassinated
Phillip the Arab 244 - 249 CE Killed (Battle)
Decius 249 - 251 CE Killed (Battle)
Hostilian 251 Died of Disease
Gallus 251 - 253 CE Assassinated
Aemilianus 253 CE Assassinated
Valerian 253 - 260 CE Killed (Persians)
Claudius 268 - 270 CE Died of Disease
Quintillus 270 CE Assassinated
Aurelian 270 - 275 CE Assassinated
Tacitus 275 - 276 CE Assassinated
Florianus 276 CE Assassinated
Probus 276 - 282 CE Assassinated
Carus 282 - 283 CE Assassinated
Numerian 283 - 284 CE Assassinated
Carinus 284 - 285 CE Killed (Battle)
Doc: 3
Examine this chart closely. What is happening among the Roman Emperors that may have led to Rome’s decline?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
© Mr. Educator, 2013
Compiled from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_emperors http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roru/hd_roru.htm
“Rome’s prosperity relied heavily on the wealth of the regions they conquered. As new tribes and regions were taken into their empire, their resources made Rome wealthier. All things come to an end, however, and when the empire reached its limits and could not expand further, its economic progress soon ceased. Soon, gold reserves dried up. In order to keep the number of coins in circulation the same, the Roman treasury began using less amounts of gold in each coin. Merchants began to demand more coins for their products, since they wanted to the same amount of gold they previously received. Prices rose drastically as inflation set in. Families saw their savings evaporate over night and a barter economy began to emerge...people started trading fruits, vegetables, and services to basic household items.”
What economic issues are identified as causes for decline? ____________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Doc: 4
Doc: 5“Rome is unique in that an outside enemy did not destroy the empire; Rome started to crumble from within. As the number of young men in military declined, the army faced a serious threat. Who was going to protect its borders? In order to maintain the strong force, the Roman government recruited foreigners from the newly conquered territories to serve...At one point, the Roman army was composed almost entirely of those not originally considered to be “Roman.” As one can expect, this “new breed” of Roman soldier had very little loyalty to the empire.”
What does this selection tell us about how the military contributed to the fall of Rome? _____________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
© Mr. Educator, 2013
Adapted from The Uses of the Past, 1967
Adapted from Romans without Laurels, 1962
Doc: 6
This map shows the barbaric invasions of the Roman Empire prior to 476
According to the map above, what caused the Roman Empire to fall? ___________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Why might this sort of attack be more difficult than if there were just one enemy? __________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
© Mr. Educator, 2013
In what ways did Christianity lead to the downfall of the Roman empire? ________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
When things needed repair, is it better to spend your money on the repair or on a new cell phone? Why?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Doc: 7
© Mr. Educator, 2013
“At the time few people would have thought the introduction of Christianity would have had a major impact on Rome...Christians were persecuted and tormented so profusely that most believed the religion was die out. Over time, however, the religion spread and grew. Christianity taught its followers to be pacifists, so many refused to fight and the borders became less secure...People so dedicated their lives to this religion that many top officials chose church life instead of lives dedicated to Rome...Too, as Rome’s infrastructure began to collapse -- roads needed repair, buildings needed restored -- money was instead spent on building churches and monasteries.
Did Rome follow this advice? How do you know? __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Adapted from The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1778
Fall of Rome DBQ
Black and White Version
w / Scaffolding
© Mr. Educator, 2013
THE ROMAN EMPIRE WAS ONCE THE ENVY OF THE WORLD. AT ITS HEIGHT, IN 117 CE, THE EMPIRE STRETCHED FROM WESTERN
EUROPE TO NORTH AFRICA, THROUGHOUT THE MEDITERRANEAN AND INTO WESTERN ASIA. IN THIS INVESTIGATION, YOUR GOAL
IS TO PROVIDE AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION:
WHY EXACTLY DID THE ROMAN EMPIRE FALL?
Name_________________________________________________________________ Period ________
In this DBQ, you are asked to answer the question, “Why exactly did the Roman Empire fall?” To answer this question, you will navigate through the 7 documents included in this packet. All documents have analytical questions associated with them that you should answer, as they will help you understand the importance of each document. Once you analyze all 7 documents, return to the “Final Essay Prep” page to summarize the importance of each document. Be sure to write in complete sentences!
FINAL ESSAY PREP! WHAT SHOULD YOU INCLUDE?
Doc: 1
Doc: 2
Doc: 3
Doc: 4
Doc: 5
Doc: 6
Doc: 7
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
“...very few inhabitants of the empire viewed the old civilization as worthy of
saving...the overwhelming majority of people had been excluded from playing an
active role in their own government. They could not high office and some...could
not serve in the army. Few people saw elections as important so they stopped
participating in elections. Their economic plight became hopeless. As a result,
most people became bound to the soil, simply toiling with little to hope or dream
for, as they slipped further and further into decline...”
According to this source, what were the basic problems facing the Roman Empire? _______________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
“...Rome’s fall was an inevitable effect of its grand size...borders became
difficult to secure and the amount of gold needed to maintain roads and
perform routine maintenance was never enough. It had grown so large it
could not take care or protect itself to the level that was needed.
According to this source, what problems were facing the Roman Empire? _______________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Doc: 1
Doc: 2
© Mr. Educator, 2013
Adapted from The Course of Civilization, 1961
Adapted from The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1778
Emperor Dates in Power Cause of Death
Maximinus 235-38 CE Assassinated
Gordian 238 CE Suicide
Balbinus 238 CE Assassinated
Gordian III 238 - 244 CE Assassinated
Phillip the Arab 244 - 249 CE Killed (Battle)
Decius 249 - 251 CE Killed (Battle)
Hostilian 251 Died of Disease
Gallus 251 - 253 CE Assassinated
Aemilianus 253 CE Assassinated
Valerian 253 - 260 CE Killed (Persians)
Claudius 268 - 270 CE Died of Disease
Quintillus 270 CE Assassinated
Aurelian 270 - 275 CE Assassinated
Tacitus 275 - 276 CE Assassinated
Florianus 276 CE Assassinated
Probus 276 - 282 CE Assassinated
Carus 282 - 283 CE Assassinated
Numerian 283 - 284 CE Assassinated
Carinus 284 - 285 CE Killed (Battle)
Doc: 3
Examine this chart closely. What is happening among the Roman Emperors that may have led to Rome’s decline?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
© Mr. Educator, 2013
Compiled from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_emperors http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roru/hd_roru.htm
“Rome’s prosperity relied heavily on the wealth of the regions they conquered. As new tribes and regions were taken into their empire, their resources made Rome wealthier. All things come to an end, however, and when the empire reached its limits and could not expand further, its economic progress soon ceased. Soon, gold reserves dried up. In order to keep the number of coins in circulation the same, the Roman treasury began using less amounts of gold in each coin. Merchants began to demand more coins for their products, since they wanted to the same amount of gold they previously received. Prices rose drastically as inflation set in. Families saw their savings evaporate over night and a barter economy began to emerge...people started trading fruits, vegetables, and services to basic household items.”
What economic issues are identified as causes for decline? ____________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Doc: 4
Doc: 5“Rome is unique in that an outside enemy did not destroy the empire; Rome started to crumble from within. As the number of young men in military declined, the army faced a serious threat. Who was going to protect its borders? In order to maintain the strong force, the Roman government recruited foreigners from the newly conquered territories to serve...At one point, the Roman army was composed almost entirely of those not originally considered to be “Roman.” As one can expect, this “new breed” of Roman soldier had very little loyalty to the empire.”
What does this selection tell us about how the military contributed to the fall of Rome? _____________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
© Mr. Educator, 2013
Adapted from The Uses of the Past, 1967
Adapted from Romans without Laurels, 1962
Doc: 6
This map shows the barbaric invasions of the Roman Empire prior to 476
According to the map above, what caused the Roman Empire to fall? ___________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Why might this sort of attack be more difficult than if there were just one enemy? __________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
© Mr. Educator, 2013
In what ways did Christianity lead to the downfall of the Roman empire? ________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
When things needed repair, is it better to spend your money on the repair or on a new cell phone? Why?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Doc: 7
© Mr. Educator, 2013
“At the time few people would have thought the introduction of Christianity would have had a major impact on Rome...Christians were persecuted and tormented so profusely that most believed the religion was die out. Over time, however, the religion spread and grew. Christianity taught its followers to be pacifists, so many refused to fight and the borders became less secure...People so dedicated their lives to this religion that many top officials chose church life instead of lives dedicated to Rome...Too, as Rome’s infrastructure began to collapse -- roads needed repair, buildings needed restored -- money was instead spent on building churches and monasteries.
Did Rome follow this advice? How do you know? __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Adapted from The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1778
Fall of Rome DBQ
Color Version
No Scaffolding
© Mr. Educator, 2013
THE ROMAN EMPIRE WAS ONCE THE ENVY OF THE WORLD. AT ITS HEIGHT, IN 117 CE, THE EMPIRE STRETCHED FROM WESTERN
EUROPE TO NORTH AFRICA, THROUGHOUT THE MEDITERRANEAN AND INTO WESTERN ASIA. IN THIS INVESTIGATION, YOUR GOAL
IS TO PROVIDE AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION:
WHY EXACTLY DID THE ROMAN EMPIRE FALL?
Name_________________________________________________________________ Period ________
In this DBQ, you are asked to answer the question, “Why exactly did the Roman Empire fall?” To answer this question, you will navigate through the 7 documents included in this packet. All documents have analytical questions associated with them that you should answer, as they will help you understand the importance of each document. Once you analyze all 7 documents, return to the “Final Essay Prep” page to summarize the importance of each document. Be sure to write in complete sentences!
FINAL ESSAY PREP! WHAT SHOULD YOU INCLUDE?
Doc: 1
Doc: 2
Doc: 3
Doc: 4
Doc: 5
Doc: 6
Doc: 7
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Doc: 1
Doc: 2
© Mr. Educator, 2013
“...very few inhabitants of the empire viewed the old civilization as worthy of
saving...the overwhelming majority of people had been excluded from playing an
active role in their own government. They could not high office and some...could
not serve in the army. Few people saw elections as important so they stopped
participating in elections. Their economic plight became hopeless. As a result,
most people became bound to the soil, simply toiling with little to hope or dream
for, as they slipped further and further into decline...”
“...Rome’s fall was an inevitable effect of its grand size...borders became
difficult to secure and the amount of gold needed to maintain roads and
perform routine maintenance was never enough. It had grown so large it
could not take care or protect itself to the level that was needed.
Adapted from The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1778
Adapted from The Course of Civilization, 1961
Emperor Dates in Power Cause of Death
Maximinus 235-38 CE Assassinated
Gordian 238 CE Suicide
Balbinus 238 CE Assassinated
Gordian III 238 - 244 CE Assassinated
Phillip the Arab 244 - 249 CE Killed (Battle)
Decius 249 - 251 CE Killed (Battle)
Hostilian 251 Died of Disease
Gallus 251 - 253 CE Assassinated
Aemilianus 253 CE Assassinated
Valerian 253 - 260 CE Killed (Persians)
Claudius 268 - 270 CE Died of Disease
Quintillus 270 CE Assassinated
Aurelian 270 - 275 CE Assassinated
Tacitus 275 - 276 CE Assassinated
Florianus 276 CE Assassinated
Probus 276 - 282 CE Assassinated
Carus 282 - 283 CE Assassinated
Numerian 283 - 284 CE Assassinated
Carinus 284 - 285 CE Killed (Battle)
Doc: 3
© Mr. Educator, 2013
Compiled from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_emperors http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roru/hd_roru.htm
Doc: 4
Doc: 5
© Mr. Educator, 2013
“Rome’s prosperity relied heavily on the wealth of the regions they conquered. As new tribes and regions were taken into their empire, their resources made Rome wealthier. All things come to an end, however, and when the empire reached its limits and could not expand further, its economic progress soon ceased. Soon, gold reserves dried up. In order to keep the number of coins in circulation the same, the Roman treasury began using less amounts of gold in each coin. Merchants began to demand more coins for their products, since they wanted to the same amount of gold they previously received. Prices rose drastically as inflation set in. Families saw their savings evaporate over night and a barter economy began to emerge...people started trading fruits, vegetables, and services to basic household items.”
“Rome is unique in that an outside enemy did not destroy the empire; Rome started to crumble from within. As the number of young men in military declined, the army faced a serious threat. Who was going to protect its borders? In order to maintain the strong force, the Roman government recruited foreigners from the newly conquered territories to serve...At one point, the Roman army was composed almost entirely of those not originally considered to be “Roman.” As one can expect, this “new breed” of Roman soldier had very little loyalty to the empire.”
Adapted from The Uses of the Past, 1967
Adapted from Romans without Laurels, 1962
Doc: 6
This map shows the barbaric invasions of the Roman Empire prior to 476
Doc: 7
© Mr. Educator, 2013
“At the time few people would have thought the introduction of Christianity would have had a major impact on Rome...Christians were persecuted and tormented so profusely that most believed the religion was die out. Over time, however, the religion spread and grew. Christianity taught its followers to be pacifists, so many refused to fight and the borders became less secure...People so dedicated their lives to this religion that many top officials chose church life instead of lives dedicated to Rome...Too, as Rome’s infrastructure began to collapse -- roads needed repair, buildings needed restored -- money was instead spent on building churches and monasteries.
Adapted from The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1778
Fall of Rome DBQ
Black & White Version
No Scaffolding
© Mr. Educator, 2013
THE ROMAN EMPIRE WAS ONCE THE ENVY OF THE WORLD. AT ITS HEIGHT, IN 117 CE, THE EMPIRE STRETCHED FROM WESTERN
EUROPE TO NORTH AFRICA, THROUGHOUT THE MEDITERRANEAN AND INTO WESTERN ASIA. IN THIS INVESTIGATION, YOUR GOAL
IS TO PROVIDE AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION:
WHY EXACTLY DID THE ROMAN EMPIRE FALL?
Name_________________________________________________________________ Period ________
In this DBQ, you are asked to answer the question, “Why exactly did the Roman Empire fall?” To answer this question, you will navigate through the 7 documents included in this packet. All documents have analytical questions associated with them that you should answer, as they will help you understand the importance of each document. Once you analyze all 7 documents, return to the “Final Essay Prep” page to summarize the importance of each document. Be sure to write in complete sentences!
FINAL ESSAY PREP! WHAT SHOULD YOU INCLUDE?
Doc: 1
Doc: 2
Doc: 3
Doc: 4
Doc: 5
Doc: 6
Doc: 7
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
In what ways can this document be used to support your answer the overarching question?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Doc: 1
Doc: 2
© Mr. Educator, 2013
“...very few inhabitants of the empire viewed the old civilization as worthy of
saving...the overwhelming majority of people had been excluded from playing an
active role in their own government. They could not high office and some...could
not serve in the army. Few people saw elections as important so they stopped
participating in elections. Their economic plight became hopeless. As a result,
most people became bound to the soil, simply toiling with little to hope or dream
for, as they slipped further and further into decline...”
“...Rome’s fall was an inevitable effect of its grand size...borders became
difficult to secure and the amount of gold needed to maintain roads and
perform routine maintenance was never enough. It had grown so large it
could not take care or protect itself to the level that was needed.
Adapted from The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1778
Adapted from The Course of Civilization, 1961
Emperor Dates in Power Cause of Death
Maximinus 235-38 CE Assassinated
Gordian 238 CE Suicide
Balbinus 238 CE Assassinated
Gordian III 238 - 244 CE Assassinated
Phillip the Arab 244 - 249 CE Killed (Battle)
Decius 249 - 251 CE Killed (Battle)
Hostilian 251 Died of Disease
Gallus 251 - 253 CE Assassinated
Aemilianus 253 CE Assassinated
Valerian 253 - 260 CE Killed (Persians)
Claudius 268 - 270 CE Died of Disease
Quintillus 270 CE Assassinated
Aurelian 270 - 275 CE Assassinated
Tacitus 275 - 276 CE Assassinated
Florianus 276 CE Assassinated
Probus 276 - 282 CE Assassinated
Carus 282 - 283 CE Assassinated
Numerian 283 - 284 CE Assassinated
Carinus 284 - 285 CE Killed (Battle)
Doc: 3
© Mr. Educator, 2013
Compiled from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_emperors http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roru/hd_roru.htm
Doc: 4
Doc: 5
© Mr. Educator, 2013
“Rome’s prosperity relied heavily on the wealth of the regions they conquered. As new tribes and regions were taken into their empire, their resources made Rome wealthier. All things come to an end, however, and when the empire reached its limits and could not expand further, its economic progress soon ceased. Soon, gold reserves dried up. In order to keep the number of coins in circulation the same, the Roman treasury began using less amounts of gold in each coin. Merchants began to demand more coins for their products, since they wanted to the same amount of gold they previously received. Prices rose drastically as inflation set in. Families saw their savings evaporate over night and a barter economy began to emerge...people started trading fruits, vegetables, and services to basic household items.”
“Rome is unique in that an outside enemy did not destroy the empire; Rome started to crumble from within. As the number of young men in military declined, the army faced a serious threat. Who was going to protect its borders? In order to maintain the strong force, the Roman government recruited foreigners from the newly conquered territories to serve...At one point, the Roman army was composed almost entirely of those not originally considered to be “Roman.” As one can expect, this “new breed” of Roman soldier had very little loyalty to the empire.”
Adapted from The Uses of the Past, 1967
Adapted from Romans without Laurels, 1962
Doc: 6
This map shows the barbaric invasions of the Roman Empire prior to 476
Doc: 7
© Mr. Educator, 2013
“At the time few people would have thought the introduction of Christianity would have had a major impact on Rome...Christians were persecuted and tormented so profusely that most believed the religion was die out. Over time, however, the religion spread and grew. Christianity taught its followers to be pacifists, so many refused to fight and the borders became less secure...People so dedicated their lives to this religion that many top officials chose church life instead of lives dedicated to Rome...Too, as Rome’s infrastructure began to collapse -- roads needed repair, buildings needed restored -- money was instead spent on building churches and monasteries.
Adapted from The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1778
