Use the quote to answer the question.

Question

“A great empire, like a great cake, is most easily diminished at the edges.”
—Benjamin Franklin, “Rules by Which a Great Empire May be Reduced to a Small One,” September 11, 1773

Which of these statements best analyzes how events that led to the fall of the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty supported Franklin’s statement?(1 point)
Responses

Both were fragmented into smaller sections by their imperial rulers.
Both were fragmented into smaller sections by their imperial rulers.

Both were ruled by ineffective emperors who relied on corrupt advisors.
Both were ruled by ineffective emperors who relied on corrupt advisors.

Both collapsed as a result of power struggles within each imperial court.
Both collapsed as a result of power struggles within each imperial court.

Both were invaded by nomadic groups who first attacked regions farthest away from the seats of government.

Answer 1

The statement that best analyzes how events that led to the fall of the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty supported Franklin’s statement is:

Both were invaded by nomadic groups who first attacked regions farthest away from the seats of government.

This response directly relates to Franklin's metaphor about the edges of an empire being the most vulnerable. In both cases, invasions often started at the periphery before affecting the core of the empire, illustrating how the “cake” of the empire could be diminished from the outside.