Rome Falls & the Middle Ages Begin
What empire had controlled much of Western Europe before the Middle Ages?
The Roman
What religion became the dominant religion of medieval Western Europe?
Christianity
What term is commonly used for the period of European history between ancient and modern times?
The Middle Ages, or Medieval Period.
Which half of the Roman Empire continued for centuries after the Western Roman Empire fell?
The Eastern Roman Empire/Byzantine Empire.
What year is traditionally used to mark the fall of the Western Roman Empire?
476 AD
Name one problem that contributed to the decline of the Western Roman Empire.
political instability, invasions, economic problems, military weakness, corruption, overexpansion, or division of the empire
Why did the fall of Rome cause political instability in Western Europe?
Rome's centralized government disappeared, leaving many regions under local rulers or competing kingdoms.
What happened to many Roman roads, cities, and public institutions after the Western Empire collapsed?
Many declined or were no longer maintained as effectively.
Why is it misleading to describe the entire Middle Ages simply as the "Dark Ages"?
Learning, religion, government, art, technology, and culture continued to develop even though Western Europe experienced significant political disruption
What institution provided continuity across much of Western Europe after Roman political authority disappeared?
The Christian Church
Explain one major way the fall of Rome helped create the conditions that eventually produced feudalism.
The decline of centralized government made people depend increasingly on local rulers and warriors for protection, encouraging decentralized political relationships based on land, loyalty, and military service.