Fall of RomeFall of Rome

EQ: What caused the fall of the Roman Empire?

Political CausesPolitical Causes

►A divided empire (E&W) becomes A divided empire (E&W) becomes weakweak

►Gov’t becomes too strictGov’t becomes too strict►Many corrupt officialsMany corrupt officials

People stop supporting the gov’tPeople stop supporting the gov’t

Economic CausesEconomic Causes

►Romans use too much slave laborRomans use too much slave labor►Heavy taxesHeavy taxes

Required to support gov’tRequired to support gov’t

►Farmers leave their landFarmers leave their land►Middle class disappearsMiddle class disappears

Military CausesMilitary Causes

►Visigoths & Germanic tribes invade the Visigoths & Germanic tribes invade the empireempire

►Roman army starts to lack training and Roman army starts to lack training and disciplinediscipline

►Romans forced to hire foreign soldiers Romans forced to hire foreign soldiers to defend extensive bordersto defend extensive borders

Social CausesSocial Causes

►The people become more and more The people become more and more selfish and lazyselfish and lazy

►Population declinesPopulation declines WarWar diseasedisease

Exit TicketExit Ticket

►Pick the cause that you think Pick the cause that you think contributed the most to the fall of the contributed the most to the fall of the Roman Empire and illustrate this Roman Empire and illustrate this cause on a ½ sheet of paper.cause on a ½ sheet of paper.