1. Warm Up 10/19
Read the two accounts of the same battle and answer questions below
Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC)
According to Herodotus, Greek
(writing 430 BC)
Greek Soldiers: 5200
Persian Soldiers: 2,124,000
Result: Heroic defeat for the Greeks. So many Persians died that they lost the taste for war and would soon abandon their invasion of Greece.
Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC)
According to George B Grundy, British
(writing 1901 AD)
Greek Soldiers: 7000
Persian Soldiers: 120,000
Result: defeat for the Greeks. Large numbers of Persians died but they were able to continue their invasion until defeated at the naval Battle of Salamis later that year.
Which historian’s account do you believe more?
Why?

2. Quiz Monday
Topics:
Vocab: Empire, state, country, nation, pacification, assimilation, conquest.
Rome basics: how long did it last? Where was it?
Roman Pacification: bread and games, material benefits, roman citizenship.
Roman Treatment of Conquered Peoples
The Fall of Rome: basics + vague reasons

3. Historical Perspectives
Historians do not agree on many things.
Some like conservative estimates, some liberal.
Some like social explanations, some economic, some political.

4. Making Sense of Perspectives
When looking at 2 conflicting perspectives:
What specifically do they disagree over?
Is there a middle ground?
Does one seem to have more support?

5. Notes: The Fall of Rome Crises of the 3rd Century
Rome faced numerous disasters between AD
Plague, economic depression, numerous revolts, widespread political corruption.
Rome was the most powerful state on earth in 220 AD
By 300, it was deeply flawed

6. Notes: The Fall of Rome
Starting 282 AD, the Empire was divided in two pieces.
Rome ruled the West, Constantinople ruled the East.

7. Notes: The Fall of Rome
Bad winters and invasion drove German Tribes across Rome’s borders in the early 400s.
The empire was gobbled up by German Kingdoms.
Rome herself was finally conquered in 476, when her last emperor surrendered his throne to the German Odoacer

8. Task We’re going to be walking around the room.
You’ll be looking at 5 different perspectives on the Fall of Rome.
Your job for each:
What’s the writer’s claim?
Create a list of the support the author provides for their claim.
Identify which other claims this author specifically disagrees with

9. Final Task Prompt: Why did the Western Roman Empire Collapse?
Create an explanation that uses one or two of the perspectives.
Choose one perspective you do not agree with. Why?