Famous Roman Names
This emperor moved the capital from Rome to Byzantium in 330 C.E. Who was he, and what did he rename the capital?
Constantine. Constantinople.
Name the three broad problems identified in the lesson as major causes of Rome’s decline.
political instability, Germanic invasions, and a declining economy
These Central Asian warriors entered Eastern Europe and caused several Germanic tribes to migrate toward Roman territory.
The Huns.
The Latin phrase mare nostrum means “our lake.” What body of water were the Romans describing?
The Mediterranean Sea.
This Roman language influenced modern languages such as Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian.
Latin
This emperor divided the enormous empire into four administrative sections and attempted to control prices and wages.
Diocletian
During the years before 284 C.E., Rome experienced political instability. What is an example of this political instability (Hint: emperors).
Rome had 22 emperors within the span of 50 years.
In 378 C.E., the Visigoths defeated the Roman legions at this battle in the eastern part of the empire.
The Battle of Adrianople.
Rome was called a “site of encounter.” What does that term mean in the context of the Roman Empire?
That meant Rome was a place where different cultures would interact and exchange goods, technologies, and ideas.
This Roman epic poem by Virgil remains an influential work of literature.
The Aeneid
This final Western Roman emperor was only 14 years old when the Germanic general Odoacer removed him from power in 476 C.E
Romulus Augustulus
Explain the chain of events that connected attacks on farms and trade routes to rising prices and unemployment.
Attacks disrupted food production and trade, causing shortages and higher prices; people bought fewer goods, merchants lost profits, and workers lost jobs.
Match each event with the correct Germanic group: the _____________ captured Rome in 410 C.E.; the ______________entered Rome in 455 C.E. and sacked the city and destroyed property; and the _____________ killed Odoacer and later established a kingdom in Italy.
the Visigoths, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths
During Rome’s economic crisis, the price of wheat from Egypt rose from approximately 7 or 8 drachmae to what enormous price?
120,000 drachmae per unit
Name the two Roman philosophers associated with influential writings on Stoicism and ethics.
Epictetus and Seneca
Name the last of the five emperors who ruled during the Pax Romana and identify why his reign is historically important.
Marcus Aurelius was the final emperor of the Pax Romana. This is significant because he was the last ruler who brought peace before nearly a century of confusion and violence.
Diocletian attempted to solve Rome’s problems by setting maximum prices, assigning workers to lifelong occupations, and holding local officials responsible for taxes. Why did these reforms fail?
People ignored the rules, and Diocletian lacked the power and authority needed to enforce them effectively.
The Romans initially allowed the Visigoths to settle inside the empire under a protection agreement. What two Roman actions helped turn the Visigoths against Rome?
charging them extremely high prices for food and enslaving some of their people.
Explain how producing coins with less gold and silver contributed to inflation and encouraged barter.
The reduced precious-metal content lowered the coins’ value; merchants raised prices to maintain their profits, and people increasingly exchanged goods directly instead of relying on money.
Identify at least two Roman ideas about law that continue to influence modern legal systems.
equality under the law, the right to legal protections, the presumption of innocence, or fair decisions by judges
Identify the two leaders connected to the final transfer of power in Italy: the general who overthrew Romulus Augustulus and the Ostrogoth leader who later defeated him.
Odoacer. Theodoric.
Synthesize the political, social, and economic causes of Rome’s decline. How did weak government make the other problems worse?
Weak leadership allowed corruption, military conflict, and tax avoidance to grow; civil wars and invasions disrupted farms and trade; the government then weakened the currency, causing inflation and further reducing its ability to pay soldiers or defend the empire
Trace the sequence of power changes in Rome from 476 C.E. through the establishment of the Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy (3 things).
1. Odoacer overthrew Romulus Augustulus in 476 C.E.
2. Odoacer controlled Rome for nearly 15 years
3. The Ostrogoths attacked and fought his forces; Theodoric’s Ostrogoths killed Odoacer and created a new kingdom in Italy
Compare Diocletian’s price controls with the economic conditions that caused him to create them. Why might the policy have been difficult to enforce across the empire?
Diocletian imposed maximum prices because shortages and currency devaluation had made goods unaffordable; however, the empire was enormous, local officials were often corrupt, and merchants and workers could ignore the rules when enforcement was weak or when the controlled prices did not cover their costs.
Explain how Roman political, legal, linguistic, architectural, and religious legacies continued after the Western Roman Empire fell.
Roman ideas about republican government and law influenced later nations; Latin shaped languages and vocabulary; arches, domes, and concrete influenced architecture; and Christianity continued to spread through Roman roads and institutions. In the East, Roman traditions continued through the Byzantine Empire for nearly 1,000 years