170 Chapter 9, Section 2

Chapter 9, Section 2

The Fall of Rome(Pages 317–326)

Setting a Purpose for Reading Think about these questions as you read:• Why was the Roman Empire weakened?• How would our world be different today if the Roman Empire had never

existed?

As you read pages 318–324 in your textbook, complete the diagram to show the

events that led up to the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

Copyright ©

by The M

cGraw

-Hill C

ompanies, Inc.

Fall of the Roman Empire

165-182 JAT-C09-878949 11/9/06 10:34 PM Page 170

Cop

yrig

ht ©

by

The

McG

raw

-Hill

Com

pani

es, I

nc.

Use the chart below to summarize the reforms made byDiocletian and Constantine.

Chapter 9, Section 2 171

plague

inflation

barter

reform

The Decline of Rome (pages 318–320)

Diocletian’s Reforms Constantine’s Reforms

Define or describe the following terms from this lesson.

165-182 JAT-C09-878949 11/9/06 10:34 PM Page 171

Copyright ©

by The M

cGraw

-Hill C

ompanies, Inc.

Briefly describe the following place.

Define these academic vocabulary words from this lesson.

How did Diocletian try to reverse the decline of Rome?

Glance quickly over the reading to find answers to the fol-lowing questions.

1. What happened to the empire in A.D. 395?

2. Why did Germanic groups invade the empire?

172 Chapter 9, Section 2

Constantinople

decline

authority

Rome Falls (pages 322–324)

165-182 JAT-C09-878949 11/9/06 10:34 PM Page 172

Cop

yrig

ht ©

by

The

McG

raw

-Hill

Com

pani

es, I

nc.

3. What happened at the Battle of Adrianople?

4. Who was Alaric?

5. Who was Odoacer?

Explain why this person is important.

Which event usually marks the fall of the Western RomanEmpire?

Chapter 9, Section 2 173

Theodosius

165-182 JAT-C09-878949 11/9/06 10:34 PM Page 173

Copyright ©

by The M

cGraw

-Hill C

ompanies, Inc.

Use the chart below to take notes on the legacies of Rome.Use your completed chart to review key concepts fromyour reading.

174 Chapter 9, Section 2

The Legacy of Rome (pages 325–326)

Define these academic vocabulary words from this lesson.

Use this term that you studied earlier in a sentence thatreflects the term’s meaning.

Government Culture Religion

participate

expand

republic (Chapter 8, Section 1)

The Legacy of Rome

165-182 JAT-C09-878949 11/9/06 10:34 PM Page 174

Cop

yrig

ht ©

by

The

McG

raw

-Hill

Com

pani

es, I

nc.

Which aspects of the Roman Empire are reflected in present-day cultures?

Now that you have read the section, write the answers tothe questions that were included in Setting a Purpose forReading at the beginning of the lesson.

Why was the Roman Empire weakened?

How would our world be different today if the Roman Empire had neverexisted?

Chapter 9, Section 2 175

165-182 JAT-C09-878949 11/9/06 10:34 PM Page 175

61

Cop

yrig

ht ©

by

The

McG

raw

-Hill

Com

pani

es, I

nc.

Name Date Class

The Fall of Rome: Words to Know

VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 9-2

SECT

ION

9-2

Directions: Fill in each blank below with the term or name from the boxthat best completes the sentence. Words may be used more than once.

During the A.D. 200s, Rome’s economy began to fall apart. A disease

called a (1) killed one out of every ten people in the empire.

Because less tax money was coming in, the Roman government began

putting less gold in its coins, which led to (2) , or rapidly

increasing prices. People stopped using money and began to

(3) , or exchange goods without using money.

In A.D. 284 a general named (4) became emperor and

introduced (5) , or political changes, to try to make things

better.

Another general named (6) became emperor in

A.D. 312. He moved the capital from Rome to Byzantium, which became

known as (7) . After Constantine died, fighting broke out,

but a new emperor named (8) gained control and ended the

fighting. After his death, the Roman Empire was divided into two empires.

The Western Roman Empire had its capital at Rome, and the Eastern Roman

Empire had its capital at (9) . In A.D. 410, the Visigoths under

(10) captured Rome. Finally, in A.D. 476, a Germanic general,

(11) , overthrew the western emperor, Romulus Augustus.

Alaric barter Constantine Constantinople Diocletian

inflation Odoacer plague reform Theodosius

Building Academic VocabularyDirections: Read the text above and then circle the letter of the word(s) that has the closest meaning to the boldfaced word in the following sentence.

12. During the A.D. 200s, Rome’s economy began to decline.

A. improve B. worsen C. hold steady D. fail

037-065 UN03CH09-878944 11/1/06 10:05 PM Page 61

64

SECTION 9-2

Name Date Class

Copyright ©

by The M

cGraw

-Hill C

ompanies, Inc.

Directions: Answering Questions Reading the section and completingthe questions below will help you learn about the fall of Rome. Refer toyour textbook to answer the questions.

1. Who killed the cruel emperor Commodus?

2. How did the Severan emperors stay in power?

3. Why did Roman coins decrease in value during the A.D. 200s?

4. What was the problem with using Germanic soldiers to fight theinvading Persian armies?

5. What specific reform did Diocletian introduce to make it easier torule the vast empire of Rome?

6. What three orders did Constantine issue in hopes of aiding theeconomy?

7. Constantine’s new capital, Constantinople, was built on the site ofwhat Greek city?

8. What important decision did the emperor Theodosius make in A.D. 395?

9. Name six different Germanic groups.

10. What did the Visigoth leader Alaric do in A.D. 410 that had not beenaccomplished in over 800 years?

The Fall of Rome

GUIDED READING ACTIVITY 9-2

037-065 UN03CH09-878944 11/1/06 10:06 PM Page 64

The Rhine is one of the longest rivers in Europe. From its beginning in the Alps to its mouth at the North Sea, it flows for 820 miles (1,319 km).

For many centuries, the geography of the Rhine has influencedEurope’s history. Its broad width and strong-flowing currents lim-ited the movements of the ancient tribes who settled in northernand central Europe. For more than 400 years it formed much of the northern and eastern boundaries of the Roman Empire.

A Roman BoundaryFollowing the

conquest of Gaul(France), JuliusCaesar made theRhine the boundaryof Roman territory.Fortifications werebuilt on the highhills overlookingthe river. Soldiersposted there keptwatch on the move-ments of tribesacross the river. Inlater years, castleswere built on anumber of thesehills, and many ofthose castles stillstand today.

Caesar alsoordered a bridge to be built across the Rhine that would allow his army to enter Germany. After subduing the tribes in thatregion, he crossed back over the river. Then he ordered the bridge destroyed.

The Rhine remained a border of the Roman Empire for the nextfour centuries. Around A.D. 9, during the reign of Caesar Augustus,a Roman army crossed the Rhine. The Romans suffered a majordefeat at the hands of German tribes and were forced to retreatback across the river. In the early A.D. 400S, tribes crossed the Rhinewhen it froze. They invaded the Roman Empire and eventuallyhelped cause the empire’s collapse.

43

CHAP

TER

9

Cop

yrig

ht ©

by

The

McG

raw

-Hill

Com

pani

es, I

nc.

Name Date Class

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY ACTIVITY 9

The Rhine River

N

S

W E

Rh

ine

Riv

er

BELGIUM

NETHERLANDS

LUXEMBOURG

SWITZERLAND

LIECHTENSTEIN

BELGIUM

NETHERLANDS

LUXEMBOURG

FRANCE

GERMANY

SWITZERLAND

LIECHTENSTEIN

ITALY

NorthSea

NorthSea

0

0 100 kilometers

100 miles

Rh

ine

Riv

er

The Rhine River

037-065 UN03CH09-878944 11/1/06 9:47 PM Page 43

44

CHAPTER 9

Name Date Class

Copyright ©

by The M

cGraw

-Hill C

ompanies, Inc.

The Beginnings of River CommerceTrade along the river by ship had its beginnings during Roman

times. The first trade along the Rhine involved the Roman navy. Itsupplied the needs of the soldiers stationed there. As time wenton, the Rhine developed into a major avenue for transportingproducts. Because much of Europe was heavily forested, it wasdifficult to move goods by land.

Later in European history, powerful nobles also took advantageof the Rhine’s geography. They took control of portions of the val-ley and built castles on the hills overlooking the river and its keytributaries. From these strongholds they collected tolls on boats sail-ing through their lands, allowing the nobles to control trade in thearea. Today the Rhine remains an important route for moving rawmaterials and manufactured goods.

Directions: Answer the following questions in the spaces provided.

1. What characteristics of the Rhine limited the movements oftribes in northern and central Europe?

2. Why did the Rhine become a Roman boundary?

3. When and why did trade by ship begin along the Rhine?

4. In which direction does the Rhine flow?

5. In which countries does the Rhine begin and end?

6. Predicting How might European history have changed if the Rhine was a narrower river with a weaker current?

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY ACTIVITY 9 (continued)

The Rhine River

037-065 UN03CH09-878944 11/1/06 9:47 PM Page 44