Vocabulary
What is an empire?
An empire is a large territory where several groups of people are ruled by a single government or leader.
What country and continent is the city of Rome located in?
Rome is in the country of Italy, on the continent of Europe.
According to the reading, why was the first emperor chosen to be in charge of the empire?
Caesar Augustus ended ended more than 100 years of civil war.
what were 3 reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire?
Political instability, economic and social problems, and a weakening of the frontier/border.
What did the emperor Constantine do that changed the future of the Roman Empire?
He moved the capital from Rome to the city of Byzantium.
What is a civil war?
A civil war is when different groups from the same country or empire fight each other for power.
Between which 2 dates was Rome a powerful empire?
From 27 B.C.E. to 476 C.E.
What were the Praetorian Guards?
The emperor’s private army.
Rome had a huge army. Why was this bad for the people who were not in the army?
The empire had to tax citizens very heavily to pay the army, forcing many people into poverty.
What is the city of Byzantium known as today?
Istanbul.
What does notorious mean?
Notorious means famous for being bad.
Which three regions did the Roman Empire control at its height of power?
Most of Europe, parts of the Middle East (Asia Minor), and most of Northern Africa.
How did the Romans choose their new emperors, and why was this a bad method?
The Praetorian Guard often chose the new emperor based on who would offer them the largest reward, rather than choosing the most qualified person.
Why is it bad for the economy if there are too many poor people?
Poor people cannot buy as many goods, so trade or the economy suffers.
When did the western half of the empire end?
In 476 C.E.
What does assassinate mean?
Assassinate means to murder.
How many people did the Roman Empire control at its height of power?
More than 50 million people.
What did the two bad emperors spend money on?
They wasted huge amounts of money on public works projects like statues, stadiums, and palaces.
Why were people in the Roman Empire ashamed to be citizens?
Because of social problems like corruption, crime, and unemployment.
How long did the Eastern empire last after the fall of the Western empire?
For another 1000 years.
What does political instability mean?
It meant that the people and methods used to lead were not very strong or reliable.
Why were the borders of the empire difficult to defend?
The huge size of the empire made it difficult to defend.
Why were so many different emperors bad for the Empire?
It meant there was not a strong and stable leader to head the empire for an extended period of time.
Who invaded and stole from the Roman Empire?
The Germanic tribes.
What 6 things in modern society were influenced by Roman culture?
Modern government, architecture, art, language, law, and philosophy.