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	?	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

   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.

   Esme's chart has a blank: what happened to emperors from 235 to 284 CE?

   • At least 30 ruled, most for a short time
   • One emperor ruled the whole 49 years
   • Coins had less silver put in them
   • Persians attacked lands in the east
3. 2.

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

   • Emperors began to rule longer
   • Prices rose: inflation
   • Frontiers grew longer to guard
   • Prices fell, so goods grew cheap
4. 3.

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

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

5. 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.

6. 4.

   Luz reads the word inflation. What does inflation mean?

   • An army crosses a border
   • Prices rise, so money buys less
   • A ruler is chosen by vote
   • Prices fall, so money buys more
7. 5.

   Milo reads the word invasion. What is an invasion?

   • A trade fair between two cities
   • A new coin made of pure silver
   • A law passed by the Senate
   • An army entering a land by force
8. 6.

   Noah reads the word frontier. What is a frontier?

   • A ruler's chosen helper
   • A tax paid on salt
   • The middle of a great city
   • The outer edge of a land
9. 7.

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

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

    How many years passed from the plague's start in 165 CE to the crisis in 235 CE, Tala asks?

    • 49 years
    • 70 years
    • 80 years
    • 400 years
11. 9.

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

    • To end the attacks from outside
    • To pay its soldiers
    • To make coins worth more
    • People asked for lighter coins
12. 10.

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

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