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Fall of Rome.

Last updated over 5 years ago
4 questions
Note from the author:
Fall of Rome- and Legacies
The reign of Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus, previously known as Octavian, marked the beginning of a two-century period of peace known as the Pax Romana. By the 100s C.E., the Roman Empire had reached its height. It extended from Britain to Egypt and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mesopotamian region. Romans even referred to the Mediterranean Sea by the Latin term mare nostrum, which means “our lake.” This was the only time in history that the entire Mediterranean region was united as one civilization. Romans built an extensive road network to unite the territories. They also patrolled land and sea routes to ensure safe passage of people and trade goods throughout the empire?
The Romans ruled a multicultural empire that included Egyptians, Greeks, Syrians, Jews, Celts, and Gauls who spoke a variety of languages and practiced dozens of different religions. The center of the large empire was the city of Rome. It had as many as 2 million residents during the Pax Romana. Italy’s central location in the Mediterranean Sea and Rome’s status as the center of the government helped the city become a site of encounter. A site of encounter is a place where different cultures interact and exchange goods, technologies, and ideas.
Romans had access to a variety of foods and goods imported from across the empire, such as grains from Egypt and olive oil from Greece. Wealthier families could afford luxury goods, such as silk from China and medicines and jewels from India.
Christianity was introduced and influenced Rome after the first century C.E. Greek philosophy and literature were respected in Rome. Greek architecture was adapted by Romans to include domes and arches and to produce great structures such as the Colosseum. The Coliseum was used for games and events and aqueducts to transport water. Many Romans embraced the new ideas and innovations, but others, like the Roman poet Juvenal, worried about too many changes. In “Satire 3,” Juvenal tells the story of a friend who leaves Rome for the countryside after deciding life in the city is unbearable.
1

What are three reason Rome A Site of Encounter

A Troubled Empire Guiding Question What problems led to Rome's decline?’ The Pax Romana was a time of peace and progress. Five emperors who ruled during that time were “good emperors.” Marcus Aurelius was the last of the five. When he died, so did the Pax Romana. What followed was almost a century of confusion and violence.
Political Confusion
During this time, Rome's government grew weak and the army became very powerful. Emperors commanded the legions or army. To stay in office, an emperor had to pay increasingly higher wages to the soldiers who supported him. The soldiers turned against the emperor when the payments could not be made. Civil wars broke out as legions fought to put a new emperor on the throne. For 50 years, the leadership of Rome was very unstable. By 284 C.E., Rome had had 22 different emperors. Most were murdered by the army or by their bodyguards.
Roman society also suffered during this period. Many Romans no longer honored the traditional values of duty, courage, and honesty. Dishonest government officials took bribes. Few talented citizens wanted to hold government office. People began losing Interest in supporting education and many wealthy Romans stopped paying taxes. Enslaved laborers now made up a large part of the empire's population.
Economic Weaknesses During the 200s C.E., Rome’s weakened government led to a weakened economy. Roman soldiers and foreign invaders attacked farms and upset trade. These attacks led to food shortages and much higher food prices. People had less money to spend, so they bought fewer goods. The price of wheat from Egypt rose from seven or eight drachmae (DRAYK • muh) per unit to 120,000. Merchants’ profits got smaller, forcing many of them out of business and costing many workers their jobs. To stop this economic decline, the government produced more coins. The government did not have a large supply of gold and silver, so the new coins had less of these metals in them. This reduced the value of the coins. Farmers and merchants wanted to get the same profit for their goods, so they kept raising their prices. These actions led to inflation. Inflation is a steep rise in prices with a matching decline in the value of money. As the value of Roman coins went down, people began exchanging goods instead of money. This practice is called bartering.
Invasions At the same time, Rome struggled to maintain defenses at the empire’s frontier. Germanic tribes raided the western empire. At the same time, Sasanian Persian armies invaded in the east. People built protective walls around their cities. Because it had less money to use, the government found it hard to give the soldiers the wages they demanded. The government began hiring Germanic soldiers. The Germanic soldiers, however, felt no loyalty to the empire.
Who Was Diocletian?In 284 C.E., a general named Diocletian (DY • uh • KLEE • shuhn) became emperor. He introduced reforms, or political changes to make things better. He built forts along the empire’s frontiers to defend it against invasions. He divided the large empire into four parts to rule it more efficiently. Each part had its own ruler, but Diocletian had final authority over all of them. Diocletian also tried to strengthen the economy. To keep prices from rising more, he set maximum prices for wages and goods. To improve production, he ordered workers to stay at the same jobs for life. Diocletian also made local officials themselves responsible for the taxes their communities had to pay. Diocletian's reforms, however, did not solve the problems. Diocletian was not a strong enough emperor to enforce his rules when people ignored them.
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What are the major reasons the Empire was troubled.

Guiding Question
What effect did Germanic invaders have on the Roman Empire?
Diocletian ceased being emperor in 305 C.E. Once again conflict broke out in the empire. The fighting did not end until 312 C.E. when a general named Constantine (KAHN • stuhn • TEEN) became emperor.
Constantine's Rule
Constantine wanted to improve the economy. To that end, he issued several orders to Diocletian’s rules. Constantine also wanted a stable workforce and military. For example, he reinforced orders that the sons of workers had to follow their fathers' trades. The sons of farmers had to work their fathers' lands. The sons of soldiers had to serve in the army
Constantine's reforms, however, did not stop the empire from becoming weaker. Rome continued to decline. In 330 C.E., Constantine moved the capital from Rome to a new city in the east, the Greek city of Byzantium (buh • ZAN • tee • uhm) in present-day Turkey. Byzantium became known as Constantinople (kahn • stan • tuh • NOH • puhl). Constantine died a few years later. A new emperor, Theodosius, (THEE • uh • DOH • shuhs) took power in Constantinople.
After taking power, Theodosius found the empire difficult to govern. It covered a very large area. In addition, it faced threats from both inside and outside its borders. Theodosius realized the empire was too large to control from one seat of government. He decided the eastern and western parts should become separate empires after he died. The division took place in 395 C.E. One empire was the Western Roman Empire. Rome remained its capital. The other empire was the Eastern Roman Empire. Its capital was Constantinople.
Germanic Invaders
During the late 300s and 400s C.E., many Germanic tribes migrated from northern Europe. The tribes fought to expand their hold over Roman territory. Some were looking for better land to farm and raise livestock. Many, however, were running away from the Huns. The Huns were a fierce group of warriors from Mongolia in Asia.
The Huns entered Eastern Europe in the late 300s C.E. A Germanic tribe called the Visigoths (VIH • zuh • gahths) were afraid the Huns would attack. They asked the Roman government for protection. The Romans let them settle just inside the empire's border. There, the Roman army could protect them. In return, the Visigoths promised to be loyal to the empire. They promised not to attack the empire from the inside.
The Romans, however, treated the Visigoths badly. They charged them high prices for food and enslaved some of their people. The Visigoths got tired of Roman demands and rebelled. In 378 C.E., they fought the Roman legions at Adrianople (AY • dree • uh • NOH • puhl). The Romans lost the battle.
The Visigoths' victory brought more attacks on Roman lands. Soon, Germanic tribes invaded Gaul, which today is France. In 410 C.E., a Visigoth leader named Alaric (A • luh • rihk) led his people into Italy. Alaric’s forces captured Rome. The Visigoths looted the city's government buildings and private homes. Many Romans believed that the empire would last forever. Alaric’s conquest of Rome made it clear that it would not.
Another Germanic group called the Vandals attacked Roman lands in Spain and northern Africa. Then, they sailed to Italy. In 455 C.E, they entered Rome. They overpowered the Romans living there. The Vandals spent almost two weeks seizing valuables and burning buildings. The English word vandalism comes from the Vandals’ actions. It means "the willful destruction of property." The Germanic people had entered every part of Rome's organization. By the mid- 400s C.E., Germanic soldiers had been working for the Roman government for centuries.
Roman Emperor Forced Out A number of Germanic leaders held high posts in Rome's government and army. A Germanic general named Odoacer (OH • duh • WAY • suhr) had a lot of support from soldiers. As a result, in 476 C.E., he was able to overthrow the 14-year-old western emperor, Romulus Augustulus (RAHM • yuh • luhs aw • GUHS • chah • luhs).Romulus Augustulus was the last Roman emperor to ever rule from Rome. From then on, foreign powers ruled what had been the Roman Empire. Historians often use the fall of Rome to mark the end of the Western Roman Empire. It was a major turning point in history.
Odoacer controlled Rome for almost 15 years. During that time, the Germanic peoples continued to fight with each other. A group of Visigoths attacked and seized the city of Rome during Odoacer's rule. They also killed Odoacer. They set up their new kingdom in Italy under their leader, Theodoric (thee • AH • duh • rihk). Other Germanic kingdoms arose and came to power in other parts of Europe.
The Western Roman Empire was no longer. Pope Gregory I wrote about the fall of Rome. He told how the fall affected people who had lived within its borders. "We see on all sides sorrows; We hear on all sides groans. Cities are destroyed, fortifications razed [forts destroyed] to the ground, fields devastated [left in ruin], land reduced to solitude. No husbandman [farmer] is left in the fields, few inhabitants remain in the cities. . . . What Rome herself, once deemed [regarded as] the Mistress of the World, has now become, we see—wasted away with . . . the loss of citizens, the assaults of enemies, the frequent fall of ruined buildings."
—from Homiliarum in Ezechielem, by Pope Gregory I
By 550 C.E., a group of Germanic-ruled territories had replaced the Western Roman Empire. Roman
culture did not disappear completely. Western Europe's new Germanic rulers adopted the Latin language and Roman laws. They also adopted Christianity. In the eastern Mediterranean, the Eastern Roman Empire thrived. It became known as the Byzantine Empire. It lasted nearly 1,000 more years.
1

What are the four reasons Rome fell? Please list the four reasons. Use the paragraphs heading and subheading along with the details to help guide you to the main ideas.

Rome's Legacies
Guiding Question What are the key achievements and contributions of Roman civilization? The ancient Romans’ influence is strong even today. Its influence lives on in our system of laws and government. The peace and order Romans created helped the Christian religion grow quickly and spread.
Rome's Influence on Law and Government
Many beliefs about law and justice in the American legal system come from Roman ideas. Like the Romans, we believe everyone is equal under the law. We believe a person is considered innocent until proven guilty. We also require our judges to decide cases fairly. The republican form of government was developed in ancient Rome. Citizenship was an essential part of Roman life. Citizens in a republic elected their leaders. Emperors granted citizenship to help gain support for Roman rule. They made many people in the provinces citizens for their service to the empire. Today, a number of countries, including the United States, are democratic republics. We believe that a republic works best if all adult citizens vote, participate in government, and help to improve their communities.
Rome's Cultural Impact Rome was influenced by Greece. Still, Roman culture was distinct. It had its own impact on society. Roman art was more realistic than Greek art. Roman statues had wrinkles, warts, and other less attractive features. Romans borrowed and altered the Greek philosophy of Stoicism. Romans were encouraged to live in a practical way. The Roman philosophers Epictetus and Seneca produced powerful works on Stoicism and ethics.
Many Western countries use the Latin alphabet. The Latin alphabet started with 22 letters and now has 26. Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian are rooted in the Romans’ Latin language. Many English words have Latin roots as well. Scientists, doctors, and lawyers use Latin phrases.
The Romans also still influence the literature we read and enjoy. Great Roman writers such as Pliny the Elder, Plutarch, and Virgil are still admired and studied. So are Roman writers Horace, Livy, and Tacitus. Virgil’s Aeneid, for example, still is an influential work of literature and history today. Architecture and construction owe much to the ancient Romans. Roman-inspired domes and arches are used in government buildings in Washington, D.C., and other state capitals. Concrete remains an important building material today.
Ancient Rome and Christianity Today Christianity is a major world religion. It began in the eastern part of the Roman Empire. Rome's emperors adopted it in the 300s C.E. They helped it to grow and spread. The Roman road system helped early Christians travel safely and quickly throughout the empire. As a result, Christian ideas were easily shared with other groups of people. Christianity continued to attract new believers even after the Western Roman Empire fell.
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Draw at least two examples of some of Rome's legacies