Name-
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L),ttc.
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Historical Context:
In the third century A,[). Rome f a r d m'my problcpnm. !n addition tr, intern~ldcca): tlic invasion by
Gernlanic tribes svcmed to sound the death k ~ ~ efor
l l the W~~stt?rn
Ronian I:mpire. Ilistoriiuis have exarn~nr~:t
hoth the internal conditions that wcakrned the expansive einpirc diid t h c~ternnl
~
f~r.:e of the barbarian i11v.i.;ions and have presented a vnrirtv ~>iexplanations
for the fdll of thc CVtrstcrii Rcrrnan Empire.
Directions: The following question is based on the accompanying documents in Part A. As you
analyze the documents, take into account both the source of the document and the author's point
of view. Be sure to:
1. Carefully read the document-based question. Consider what you already know about this topic.
HOWwould you answer the question if you had no documents to examine?
2. Now, read each document carefully, underlininy key phrases and words That address the
document-based question. You may also wish t o use the margin to make brief notes. Answer
the questions which follow each document.
3. Based on your own knowledge and on the information found in the do:.urnents, formulate
a thesis that directly answers the question.
4. Organize supportive arid relevant information into a brief outline,
5. Write a well-organized essay proving your thesis. The essay should be logically presented and
should incli~deinforrrlation both from the documents and frotri your own knowledge outside
of the documents.
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Question: W t a t causcd tlrc,fall of tile Wcst~nrRornan Empire?
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Part A: The following docurnents addr~ssthe causes for the fall of Rome. Examtne each document
carefully, and answer the questions that follow.
Document 1
This rxccr.pt IS frorn '1 tuxthc~oh.Tlr:. CIII:~.(.
8race anti World, Inc., 1961).
rrf i'ir'ilizritri~rr
by i:;tr'~ycr,(.;;~tzke, and Harhiaon (Harcourt.
Tilt. hasic trouhlr was r111tvery l e a inhnhttnnts i ~ rhc
t ernpirc h~iievcdrhat the [)Id
civiliz.it~onW A S wc~rrli~;IVIII~: . . . :hc ovc~rwhrlniinp,m.iii>riry i)f r l i c popuiilrion h:id hren
systcni;ltic.i!ly t,xcl~tded!rcini political responsil~ilt:tci. Thev CCIIIICI
n i ~ org.ini7.r
t
!o protrctrhernsclvcs; they c ~ i i l dnot servc in rhe army. . . . Thoi- rcononizc plight wns hopelrss. Most
of them were s e r f s lhlund ti) the soil, and the s r n ~ ~url)nn
ll
Kr<nipssow rhcir iiric!s sl~ppinfi
into itnintrrr~tprc~~l
dcciine.
What i v r r e the baztc prohlr,ms t~t.tiigthe Wcslrrii Rontari i;mpire d~,,ord~~i):
I $thest'
,
~~lthorh?
t
nacumenl2
This is an excerpt from Tla. Lhcii~ri,ri~rilF"~,lii~ffliilionin11L'nrpin, by Edward Gibbon
'The drclinaof Romr w:ls rhc nntural a n d inevtrahle effect of in.tm~rdcrnregrrarnctss / l a r g e
size1 . . . T h e i~?tr(rducrirln. . . iri Christianity, h a d s o m e intlucncr o n the d e c l ~ n ra n d fall
of the Roman c n ~ p i r rT. h e clergy u c c r s s f u l I y preached the doctrine of patience; rhc acrivc
virtues ~ r soclery
t
were d i s c o ~ r n ~ ; ~a dn d; t h e 1:isr'renlains of niilitary spirit were h ~ ~ r l in
r dthe
cloister; R 1.1rge portion of public 2nd prlvatr wealth was c o ~ i s r c r a t r dt o rhe . . . d e m a n d s 11t
charity and dcuorir>il.. . .
A c c n r d ~ i ~tog this excerpt inmi C;,hbon, what were two cauces for thc inli'of Rome? pi pin in both.
First t h r rcononllc t.tc:c>r . . . \X'iilIc rlir empire w a s c x p n d i i l g , its pr(laperiry w:tr :cd IT?
plundel.ed wcalrh a n d hy llew n l ; ~ r k e r \ill t!lr sc-nii-hnrharic pr!witi;e\. W h e n the einpirc
ceased ro e x p a n d , howrv~.i,r c o n o n ~ i cprogrrs.: \eon ce;iseJ. . . .
T'l~i. ahuridance of sla\,c\ icd t o the g r < > w t ht r i the iorifu?rdid. the cre;ir t,starr\ rll.ir. . . s a m e
to domini~tt,: i g r i c ~ ~ I r uilkid
w I F U I I ~thy t r w i,)/<,t11/ f : ~ r t i ~ e rwh11
s l dritrcd I < > r h r cicie>. 1 1 1 . I ~ L ! t c ~
rhe ?~nemplo)mt:nttheir. The ;ihur~d:~iri.e
< t i sluvc.; likcwiac kept v.;~gcs lc>w.
What ecnn(>niicissue, does M u l l e r identify as causes
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H ~ l wwaa sia\;t,ry
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Jt.cIinr? Explnin.
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cauce for ihc derlinc, of thc i:onian Emprt.'
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101.
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Date>-
This ixrerpt, front TIICNPzc, Dc~ali n O!d K ~ : i i i i ,b\. tlcnrv i~I,s~krll.
hlnmvr
taxation rt.qnirt.rt to suppcrrt the fiovernmt:nt'h rxperrsc.:.
t h c dt..c,lineon
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~
.
t l ~ chi,a,.':
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. . . Parr of thr. trioliry went ilito . . . rhc maitirenancr iif d l ~nrniv
,
and of t h r vasr hurc::~:.
required by a cenrrnlized government :. . t h e expense irti 1.0 ~trnnj;lingtaxation. . . .
The hcarr way taker1 our of enterprising inen . . . tenants fled fro n r h e ~ rfarms a n d husi~trsinlcn nnci workmen from their occupatio11s. l'rivarc rnrerprlse w a i crus1red;i~d'cRi.-7;f;it'eGtT
forced t o rake ovec- many kinds o i husincss I,) krrp t h e niaciiirir running. Peoplc lrarncd
10 expect something tor norhing. The old Roman virrues of ~rlf-rellanerand i n i t ~ a t ~ vwe r e
lost in thar part of the p o p u l a t ~ o non relief [wrltnrel, . . . T h r cent1.:3I 1:overnment i ~ n d e r rook such far-renchirlg resl,onsihil~t~
i t 1 affairs that the fiher of rhc c i t ~ z c n sweakened.
cracv
Why did the Roman government have large expenses.7
.
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What was t h ~effrct
,
of high !axation cin the people?
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What cficct d ~ the
d t.~tnblishmentof a gnverncncntal wt,llarv 5 v z t r r n h . 1 on
~ the ~n~ople'
Document 5
.ll\~sexcerpt, Iron1 l ! ~ r i r ~ ~ M
r r 't ~, ~: I i ~ iLr ~a f~ ~ r r ihy
. ; In<lrt,Morrtant.lli, hl.1mc.i
ipecihciill! th.rt (>t hie milit,~ry.
/
1
t i i c h ~ l Ic,n
'iilterna~drcci),"
Fornc, Ickc all jirc,ii c~,ipirc\,w;\s nor <~vrrrliri,wnhy zxrern.11 ccic~iiirslxlt undrrniiiieci it,,
1
intcrn:~lclecny. . . . T h e mil;rary crlsls w:;lr thc rrstrlt o f . . . prrtr~dtiltl ;~rist(icracy's. . . \ l l o r r - ;
age of children. li:onscqoentlyl foreig~irrsp ~ ~ r i r rint:i
i l tlii.; . . . w i d /luck of soldiersl. T h e
1I
Roman nr-niy Jw;tsJccl~npitsetlentirely of (;rrni,rn\.
Whclt doc.: this iluthor identify a? the cause rrl problems in tha rnil~tarv? .
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Name
Date
Document 6
This map shows the barbarian invasions of the Roman Empire prior to 476.
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ANGLO-SAXONS
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NORTHMEN
According to the map above, what was the cause of the fall of the Roman Emp?re?
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Was this a unified attack? Part &Essay
What caused the fall of t l ~ eWestern Roman Empire?
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