Name: ________________________________________ Class Period: _______ Date: _____________
Guided Notes
Fall of Rome
From Republic to Empire
Marcus Aurelius, the last of the five good emperors, died in 180, and a series of civil wars
followed.
I.
II.
From 196 to 284, the throne was occupied by ________________________________________.
III.
During this 88 year period, there were __________________, ___________________________
_________________ (list of Roman Emperors).
IV.
Also during this time the Empire was troubled by invasions by the Persians in the east, and
_________________________________________________________________________.
Notes:
V.
As if _______________________ were not enough, ___________________________________
________________ came close to causing the Empire to collapse.
VI.
A ______________________________, which ______________________________________,
farms were ravaged by invaders and Roman armies, and as a result there was a _____________
____________________.
VII.
The Empire began to have to rely on hiring ________________________ to fight under Roman
commanders.
VIII.
These mercenaries did not understand Roman traditions, and had ________________________.
Notes:
A New Lease On Life
In 284, Emperor Diocletian, realizing that ___________________________________________,
he ________________________________________, each with its own ruler.
I.
II.
Caesars, junior emperors, would rule over subdivisions, and each would be subordinate to their
respective Augustus, senior emperor.
III.
Diocletian, and later __________________, would strengthened the governmental bureaucracy,
enlarged the army, which included German troops, and make economic reforms.
Notes:
IV.
_________________________________ and ensure tax revenue, edicts were passed that _____
_________________________________________________________.
V.
Basic jobs, such as bakers, became hereditary, and free tenant farmers found themselves ______
________________ of large landowners.
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VI.
In 306 AD, ________________ began his reign as an Augustus, but his jealous rival Maxentius,
son of a former Emperor, seized the throne.
VII.
For a period of time Constantine supported Maxentius, and Constantine was supported by
Maxentius.
Notes:
VIII.
However, Maxentius’ rule was insecure, and he went to war with his rivals to secure power, and
312 AD, he and Constantine met in battle.
IX.
The night before the battle, it is said that Constantine had a dream in which he was told "to mark
the heavenly sign of God on the shields of his soldiers.”
The next day his army broke the ranks of Maxentius’ army, which fled to the Tiber.
X.
XI.
Maxentius fled with his troops, and attempted to cross the Tiber River with them, but he was
pushed by the mass of his fleeing soldiers into the river, and drowned.
Notes:
XII.
Maxentius' body was fished out of the Tiber River, his body was decapitated, and his head was
paraded through the streets for all to see.
XIII.
Constantine issued decrees that there would be no revenge against Maxentius' supporters,
property lost under Maxentius would be returned, he recalled political exiles, and released
Maxentius' imprisoned opponents.
XIV.
Constantine then consolidated power and established a ________________________________
_________, and named it ____________, meaning ____________.
Notes:
The Rule of Constantine
Constantine’s new capital had an excellent strategic location, and he enriched the city by
building a forum, palace, and amphitheater.
I.
II.
The city was renamed _________________, which in Latin means the ____________________.
III.
In 313, Constantine had jointly developed the E_______________________________________
____________________________________, removed penalties for professing Christianity, and
returned confiscated Church property.
Notes:
IV.
The edict not only protected Christians from religious persecution, _______________________
______________________________________________.
V.
In 325, Constantine summoned the ___________________, which instituted the ____________
and dealt with Arianism.
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VI.
The Arian concept of Christ was that the Son of God did not always exist, but was created by
God, and is therefore separate from God.
This belief is grounded in the Gospel of John passage, “You heard me say, ‘I am going away
and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father,
for the Father is greater than I.“
VII.
Notes:
VIII.
The Arian Belief was in conflict with those who believed Jesus was divine, which was in
conflict with the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me.”
IX.
The ________________________________________________________ through an assembly
representing all of _________________.
X.
The council developed the _______________________________________________________,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
XI.
Constantine had new laws passed regarding Jews, who were forbidden to own Christian slaves
or to circumcise their slaves.
Notes:
XII.
Throughout his rule, Constantine supported the Church financially, built ___________, granted
privileges to the clergy, promoted Christians to high office, however, he was over 40 before he
converted to Christianity, and he was not baptized until the end of his life.
XIII.
During the reign of Theodosius I, 379 to 395, policies against paganism were intensified, and
eventually paganism was outlawed and _____________________________________________
_________.
Notes:
The Barbarian Invasions
Theodosius I was last emperor to rule over both the western and eastern halves of the Roman
Empire.
I.
II.
III.
In 378, _________________________, fleeing the ___________________, entered the Balkans,
defeated a large Roman army, and were allowed to settle within the Empire.
In 406, a mixed group of Germanic tribes, crossed the frozen Rhine River, ravaged Gaul, and
moved on to the regions of Hispania and Africa, resulting in the Empire losing control over
these lands.
Notes:
IV.
V.
The Visigoths, after being mistreated by local Roman administrators, rebelled, raided Greece,
invaded Italy, and _____________________.
They then left Italy and founded the Visigoth Kingdom in southern Gaul and Hispania.
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VI.
From 434 to 453, __________, _________________, raided the Balkans, Gaul, and Italy, and
threatened both Constantinople and Rome.
Attila was known as the “__________________.”
VII.
VIII.
Th__________________________________________________________________________.
IX.
Another group, _________________, moved through Gaul, into Hispania, then _____________
___________, and then in 455, sacked Rome.
Notes:
X.
It is from this the ________________________.
XI.
In 476 AD, the Western Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustus, was deposed by a rival who then
proclaimed himself ruler of Italy and asked the Eastern Emperor to be the Emperor of both
empires.
XII.
The Emperor agreed, but then shortly after incited the Ostrogoths, another Germanic tribe, to
take back Italy for him.
XIII.
The Ostrogoths did this, but then founded an independent kingdom of their own, and _________
________________________.
Notes:
The Fall
There are several factors that contributed to the decline and eventual fall of Rome.
I.
II.
______________________________________.
III.
Rome ________________________________ because of its use and _____________________,
there was constant political turmoil, and a __________________________________.
IV.
__________________________________ as non-Italians gained prominence in the Empire.
V.
Lead poisoning through lead water pipes and cups caused a mental decline in the population.
Notes:
It is even theorized that Christianity contributed by weakened Rome’s militarily values, which
might be considered a contradiction.
VI.
VII.
There is ______________________________.
VIII.
The Roman armies in the west were simply __________________________________________
invading into Gaul and Italy.
IX.
Even though the western half of the Roman Empire would fall, the _______________________
would survive for another thousand years.
Notes:
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