Rome's Decline

• Fall of Rome
• 7th Grade

A Troubled Empire

Guiding Question: What problems led to Rome's decline?

What was the two-century period of peace in Rome called?

1. Pax Romana
2. Romana Pax
3. Paix Roman
4. Rome's Peace

Marcus Aurelius

The last emperor of the Pax Romana

Following his reign there was nearly a century of confusion and violence

Problem 1:

Political Confusion

Rome's government grew weak, while the Roman legions became powerful.

Steps to stay in power:

1. pay increasingly higher wages to the soldiers who support you

2. realize that if you don't have enough money to pay your soldier, they will turn on you.

3. Watch as civil war breaks out between legions as each will try to put their choice for emperor on your throne.

Who's in charge?

In a span of 50 years, ending in 284 C.E., Rome had 22 different emperors.  

Most were murdered by the army or by their bodyguards.

On the next slide...

You'll see a video all about the Roman Emperors.  This is NOT required watching, but if you're interested in seeing the progression of emperors through the years, this is an interesting video to check out!

Why would 22 emperors in a span of 50 years cause Rome to fall?

The collapse of Roman values:

Traditional values were no longer honored after Pax Romana.

Duty, courage, and honesty became less important in society.

Government officials accepted bribes.

Talented and honest citizens no longer wanted to hold government positions.

Suffering society

Interest and support for education declined.

Many wealthy Romans stopped paying taxes.

Enslaved laborers made up a large part of empire's population.

Which element of Political Confusion in Rome do you find the most significant?

Loss of traditional values

Decline of education

Dishonest and corrupt government officials

Civil wars between military legions

Soldiers turning on the emperor

Problem 2:

Economic Weakness

Rome's weakened government led to a weakened economy during the 200s C.E.

What happened?

Roman soldiers and foreign invaders attacked farms and disrupted trade.

Attacks --> food shortages

Food shortages --> food became more expensive +

people went hungry.

Less money to spend = fewer goods bought

Profits declined, many went out of business and lost jobs

Was the government able to help?

They produced more coins.

Value of the coins was low because they were not made of precious metals like before.

farmers and merchants had to raise prices to compensate

Inflation - steep rise in prices with a matching decline in the value of money.

Take a look at the size of Rome's Empire!

What stands out?

What did you notice about the size of Rome's Empire?

Problem 3: Invasions

Due to its size, the empire struggled to maintain defenses at the frontier of the empire.

Germanic tribes invaded the western empire

Persian Sassanian armies invaded the east

Empire had to hire Germanic soldiers to help with protection.

What might be a problem with hiring outsiders to protect your empire?

Video Review

Watch the following video that gives and overall picture of these three major problems, along with a few more, that caused the collapse of the Roman Empire. Then, create a mind map of the most significant issues that stand out to you about why Rome fell.

What are some of the most significant
reasons for the fall of Rome?

Who was the last emperor of the Pax Romana period?

1. Julius Caesar
2. Marcus Aurelius
3. Caesar Augustus
4. Nero

Which of the following was NOT one of Rome's traditional values?

1. duty
2. courage
3. honesty
4. generosity

What was the effect of attacks on farms and trade routes?

1. food shortages
2. inflation
3. decreased spending
4. all of the above

Which group was hired to defend Rome's lands?

1. Frankish soldiers
2. Germanic soldiers
3. Muslim soldiers
4. Attila and the Huns