In 3–5 sentences, explain how the lines from this poem applied to the decline and fall of the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty. Use historical examples to justify your reasoning.(4 points)

Answer 1

The poem, "Things fall apart; the center cannot hold," can be applied to the decline and fall of both the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty. In the case of the Roman Empire, the empire faced numerous internal conflicts and power struggles, leading to a diminished central authority. This can be exemplified by the Year of the Four Emperors in 69 AD, when four different emperors ruled within a year. Similarly, the Han Dynasty experienced decline due to peasant uprisings and rebellions, such as the Yellow Turban Rebellion which weakened the central government's control over the empire. All of these examples demonstrate the loss of a strong central authority, leading to the unraveling of the empires.