ROME DBQ answers
Document A Chart listing the Roman Emperors from 235-285 CE 22 (count co-emperors) Assassination; 13 Insecure and scared Weak, ready to be invaded, unstable Violence replaced leadership selection process, government is leaderless, no command or respect from people, unstable
Document B 450 CE, primary Book Concerning Military Matters by historian Vegetius 1982, secondary Soldiers not doing drills, didn’t wear armor, ran away from fight so they wouldn’t get hurt Forced military service. Smaller military, can’t defend empire efficiently… Weak government + small army = easy target for invasion
Document C Map of foreign invasions of the Roman Empire Foreign invasion routes and groups Angles, Saxons, Vandals, Huns, Ostrogoths, Visigoths Shows empire being taken over by various barbarian groups No armor, smaller armies = easily defeated and invaded
Document D 1. Roman History 2. Roman historian 3. 380 CE, primary 4. savage, eat roots and raw flesh, without permanent homes or laws, ungovernable, destructive 5. They are invaders of his home! 6. Rome is at the mercy of barbarian groups like the Huns
Document E Roman ambassador 449 CE, primary Severe taxes, lawbreakers not punished if rich, pay for justice, governors ruining state Yes. He’s a Roman, has every reason to defend Rome and make it look good but he’s giving a truthful account even if negative Roman governors were corrupt – rulers from ‘barbarian’ groups were better!
Document F Source is The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon. 1776-1788 secondary Earthquake, deadly flood. Over 50,000 people died. World Civilizations: The Global Experience by Peter Sterns, Michael Adas, Stuart Schwartz, Marc Jason Gilbert 2000 Disease called the plague, reduced Rome’s population from 1M to 250,000 Less population = smaller military, morale of empire weak after disasters