Directions: For each reason for the end of the Roman Empire, determine whether you think it is Political, Military, Economic, or Social in the box to the left. Then, complete the questions at the end.

Question

Category
Reason
Political
Bad emperors after Marcus Aurelius (180 C.E.)
social
Creative energy of Rome was destroyed because the empire was so unified (everyone doing the same thing)
military
Army made smaller to the point that it could not hold off Barbarian invasions
social
Christianity blamed for ruining the civic and moral spirit of Rome
economic
Food shortages because of climate changes
economic
Most land owned by a few rich people (patricians) after the Punic Wars (the latifundia, when wealthy Romans seized smaller farms and formed large farms under one owner)
economic
Rome needed goods from its provinces (controlled lands)
instead of being self-sufficient
economic

Rome did not produce anything to trade to other areas of the world
political
The cities declined because they were more concerned
with controlling far off lands than making goods
political
Civil wars, general instability and pirates after 180 C.E.
economic
Government spent more money than it had leading to inflation
political
Wealthy Senators didn’t pay taxes
economic
High taxes on the urban middle class
military
Mercenary armies not very loyal to Rome
military
Roman citizens avoiding military service
political
Bribery, corruption and too much bureaucracy (government)
military
Deaths because of warfare, famine, and disease
social
Use of slave labor led to revolts
political
Government capital moved from Rome to Constantinople
social
Widening gap between the rich patricians and poor plebeians

Analysis Questions

Which category has the most reasons in it?

What is the MOST important category? (Note: this may not be the one with the most reasons in it!) EXPLAIN why you think so.

What is the LEAST important category? EXPLAIN why you think so.

What is the MOST important reason for the end of the (western) Roman Empire? EXPLAIN why you think so.

What is the LEAST important reason for the end of the (western) Roman Empire? EXPLAIN why you think so.

Answer 1

The category with the most reasons in it is Economic, with 7 reasons.

The most important category is Political. This is because the political instability, bad emperors, civil wars, corruption, and move of the government capital all contributed to weakened leadership and governance of the Roman Empire. Without effective political leadership and stability, it would have been difficult to address and overcome the other issues.

The least important category is Military. This is because although military factors like the size of the army, mercenary loyalty, and citizen avoidance of military service played a role, they were not as significant as the political and economic issues. The military strength of Rome was ultimately dependent on the political and economic stability of the empire.

The most important reason for the end of the (western) Roman Empire is the bad emperors after Marcus Aurelius. As political leaders, emperors held significant power and influence over the empire. The decline in capable and effective leadership, characterized by bad emperors, contributed to the political instability and weakened governance of Rome, leading to its eventual downfall.

The least important reason for the end of the (western) Roman Empire is the move of the government capital from Rome to Constantinople. Although this move symbolized a shift in power and influence within the empire, it was not the primary cause or factor that led to the collapse of the western Roman Empire. The decline and end of the empire was driven by a combination of political, economic, military, and social factors, of which the capital move was just one aspect.