Decline and Fall of Rome

What kind of government did the Roman Empire have under the Severan rulers?

• a democracy, with an elected senate and president

• a tetrarchy, in which the empire was divided into four part

• a military government

• an agricultural collective

In the third century, the Roman Empire was invaded in the west by Germanic tribes and in the east by __________.

• Huns

• Sassanid Persians

• Visigoths

• Vandals

Why would the Roman army hire Germans to fight as Roman soldiers?

• Because the plague had killed so many people, there were not enough Roman men to satisfy the army's need for soldiers.

• Because Germans were excellent fighters.

• Because Germans understood Roman culture and had great loyalty to the empire.

• Because Roman farms and businesses were so prosperous, Roman men refused to leave them to join the army.

Why did Diocletian divide the Roman Empire into four prefectures?

• Four is considered to be a lucky number in Roman culture.

• He believed the empire had grow too large for a single ruler.

• He did not want too much authority or responsibility.

• He believed that it would help solve the empire's inflation problem.

Why did most jobs become hereditary during the reigns of Diocletian and Constantine?

• During this time, families returned to traditional values, like the tradition that children should work in the same professions as their parents.

• Jobs had always been hereditary in the Roman Empire.

• There were so few jobs the only way to secure a job was through family contacts.

• To ensure the tax base and cope with a labor shortage, the emperors issued edicts that forced workers to stay in their jobs.

The social and political reforms of Diocletian and Constantine ___________.

• led to a new golden age for the Roman Empire

• kept the empire from being invaded by Germanic tribes

• were only temporarily successful

• were a complete disaster

Which of the following statements about Constantinople is true?

• It became one of the great cities of the world.

• It was located in what is now Egypt.

• The Roman emperor never provided the resources that the city needed to grow.

• Its location was chosen for its remarkable natural beauty and not for any military reason.

Who were the Huns?

• a tribe that defeated the Roman army at Adrianople in 378

• German soldiers who had been recruited into the Roman army

• a tribe of nomads from Asia who pushed the Visigoths into Roman territory

• Germanic forces that invaded and sacked Rome in 455

Who was Romulus Augustulus?

• the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire

• the emperor who divided the empire into four prefectures

• the emperor deposed in 476

• the emperor who restored order after a long period of civil war

Who were the Vandals?

• a Persian tribe that invaded the eastern part of the empire

• a Germanic tribe that sacked the city of Constantinople in 455

• a Roman group that tried to overthrow the emperor

• a Germanic tribe that sacked the city of Rome in 455