1. The Pax Romana & The Fall of the Roman Empire
Kennedy Middle School
6th Grade Social Studies
Write down everything in RED!!

2. Pax Romana Under Augustus, Rome began the Pax Romana
For the next 200 years, Rome entered a stage of peace and cultural achievement
Lasted from 27 BC to 180 AD
For the first time in many years, the Romans were not fighting any wars
Arts and architecture flourished

4. Pax Romana During the Pax Romana, Rome became wealthy
They began to export crops like grapes and olives
Rome became the center of trading in the Mediterranean Sea

5. Roman Empire Splits
In 284, the Roman Empire was split into East and West
Constantinople became the capital of the Eastern Empire
Rome remained the capital of the Western Empire

6. Reasons for the split Leadership had become ineffective
Many leaders were quickly assassinated by rival groups once they became emperor
The border was not well protected and the Roman army was not as strong
Inflation- Money lost its value because too much money was being printed by the government

7. Rome is too big…
The emperor of Rome, Diocletian decided that the empire had become too large and the government was not working
He became emperor of the Eastern empire and appointed Maximian as emperor of the Western empire

8. Christianity
Many of those in the Eastern empire converted to Christianity
Including Constantine, the first Christian Roman emperor in 325 C.E.
This new religion clashed with the beliefs of the traditional Roman religion
Monotheism vs. Polytheism
The East and West had different belief systems and were not united

9. Fall of the Western Empire
The Western empire was invaded by Germanic tribes
Eventually, most of the Western Empire was conquered by other groups
These groups are the foundations of the countries that would eventually make Europe

10. Fall of the Western Empire
Rome shrunk to a smaller size and took the shape of modern Italy

11. The Eastern Roman Empire
The Eastern Roman Empire would become known as the Byzantine Empire
They established a capital at Constantinople in modern-day Turkey
This empire would last for the next 1,000 years and became a major power in
Europe

12. Your assignment: Due at the end of the period…
Write a 1 paragraph newspaper article about one of the subjects on the right.
Make it look like a newspaper!
There should be a picture and a headline included with your article!
Do this on a SEPARATE piece of paper, not your notes sheet!
Choose between these two possible topics:
Write it from the perspective of someone living during the Pax Romana and explain why things are peaceful. OR
Write about the fall of Rome and give reasons why the empire failed.
If you finish early, click on the link below to learn some more about the fall of Rome!