DBQ Quiz 2: Fall of the Western Roman Empire – Flashcards
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Document 1: What were the basic problems facing the Western Roman Empire according to these authors?
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*They were slowly going economically bankrupt. *There were few that believed that the Roman Empire was worth Saving. - because, even plight was hopeless.
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Document 3: 1) What economic issues does Muller identify as causes for decline? Explain. 2) How was slavery a cause for the decline of the Roman Empire?
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1) The empire ceased to expand, however, economic progress soon ceased. This was deadly to their economy 2) The abundance of slaves led to the growth of the latifundia, the great estates that came to dominate agriculture and ruin the free coloni (farmers) who drifted to the cities, to add to the unemployment there. The abundance of slaves likewise kept wages low.
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Document 4: 1) Why did the Roman government: have large expenses? 2) What was the effect of high taxation on the people? 3) What effect did the establishment of a government welfare system have on the people?
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1) Part of the money went into the maintenance of the army and the vast bureaucracy required by a centralized government. Both things were very expensive. 2) High taxation, people lost interest in business. 3) The old Roman virtues of self-reliance and initiative were lost in that part of the population on relief (welfare).
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Document 2: 1) According to this excerpt from Gibbon, what were two causes for the fall of Rome? Explain Both.
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1) *The first cause was the natural and inevitable effect of immoderate greatness (large size). The introduction of Christianity, had some influence on the decline and fall of the Roman empire. This was the second cause. *Blaming Christianity, for the fall of the Roman Empire *Blaming Rome for being too large. *76 AD ------ 476 AD Start of End of Rome Rome
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What does this author identify as the cause of problems in the military?
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Proud old aristocracy's (Rich Romans), Short age of children, and because the lack of soldiers, The Roman army (was) composed entirely of Germans.
