Why the Western Roman Empire fell: several causes

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Troubles inside the empire (200s CE)

   Problem	What happened	Effect
   Weak rulers	at least 30 emperors from 235 to 284 CE; most ruled briefly, and many were overthrown by their own soldiers	no steady leadership
   Money troubles	the government put less silver in its coins to pay its soldiers	?
   A huge empire	long frontiers to guard on the Rhine and Danube rivers and in the east	hard to defend and govern
   Attacks from outside	Persians in the east; groups crossing the Rhine and Danube	more spending on armies

   The cell marked ? is blank. Below the chart: historians call 235 to 284 CE the crisis of the third century. Earlier, a disease, the Antonine plague (165 to 180 CE), had spread across the empire. Under Diocletian and Constantine, the empire recovered for a time.

2. 1.

   Jun's chart has a blank: what was the effect of putting less silver in coins?

   • Emperors began to rule longer
   • Prices rose: inflation
   • Prices fell, so goods grew cheap
   • Frontiers grew longer to guard
3. 2.

   Kira's chart has a blank: what did attacks from outside lead to?

   • Fewer emperors in power
   • Less spending on armies
   • Purer coins with more silver
   • More spending on armies

4. Troubles inside the empire (200s CE)

   Problem	What happened	Effect
   Weak rulers	at least 30 emperors from 235 to 284 CE; most ruled briefly, and many were overthrown by their own soldiers	no steady leadership
   Money troubles	the government put less silver in its coins to pay its soldiers	prices rose: inflation
   A huge empire	long frontiers to guard on the Rhine and Danube rivers and in the east	hard to defend and govern
   Attacks from outside	Persians in the east; groups crossing the Rhine and Danube	more spending on armies

   Below the chart: historians call 235 to 284 CE the crisis of the third century. Earlier, a disease, the Antonine plague (165 to 180 CE), had spread across the empire. Under Diocletian and Constantine, the empire recovered for a time.

5. 3.

   Luz reads the word inflation. What does inflation mean?

   • Prices fall, so money buys more
   • A ruler is chosen by vote
   • An army crosses a border
   • Prices rise, so money buys less
6. 4.

   Milo reads the word invasion. What is an invasion?

   • A law passed by the Senate
   • A trade fair between two cities
   • A new coin made of pure silver
   • An army entering a land by force
7. 5.

   Noah reads the word frontier. What is a frontier?

   • A ruler's chosen helper
   • The outer edge of a land
   • A tax paid on salt
   • The middle of a great city
8. 6.

   How many years passed from 235 CE to 284 CE, Pia asks?

   • 519 years
   • 49 years
   • 30 years
   • 59 years
9. 7.

   Which came first, the Antonine plague or the crisis of the third century, Ren asks?

   • The crisis, as 235 is bigger
   • The crisis, from 235 CE
   • The plague, from 165 CE
   • Both began in one year
10. 8.

    Why did the government put less silver in its coins, Zee asks?

    • To end the attacks from outside
    • To make coins worth more
    • People asked for lighter coins
    • To pay its soldiers
11. 9.

    Many emperors were overthrown by their own soldiers. What was the effect, Ari asks?

    • Shorter frontiers to guard
    • Lower prices for goods
    • No steady leadership
    • Calm, peaceful borders
12. 10.

    Bo says inflation had one cause, weak rulers. What is the best reply?

    • Disagree: prices stayed the same
    • Agree: coins came to hold more silver
    • Disagree: army pay and attacks both fed it
    • Agree: weak rulers caused it by themselves