Imperium Romanum – The Roman Empire

Under Constantine, those who followed the Christian faith were secure to practise their religion. Constantine continued to use the initials of Jesus on his coins and passed a law saying that Sunday was to be a day of rest. Despite Constantine’s acceptance of other religions, his successors, who maintained the Christian faith, began to dismantle the systems and rituals of other religions. Some would go as far as removing statues of the Roman gods from public spaces. At the end of the third century CE, Emperor Theodosius I passed many laws that restricted and diminished the standing of religions other than Christianity. He decreed that pagan holidays were to be standard workdays; however, the festivities did continue. With backing by the government and Emperor, Christian supporters took it upon themselves to remove as many traces of Rome’s old religion and symbols as they could. They tore down statues and temples, chipped away mosaics, and graffitied temples and walls with the image of the cross.

Fall of the Roman Empire

By the late third century CE, the Western Empire had become a shadow of its former self. Relationships with surrounding kingdoms and tribes were worsening, and the borders of the western territories were constantly under siege, especially from the peoples known as the Goths and Vandals. Conflict between religious groups was still causing problems for the government, and trade and taxation were disrupted due to these conflicts.

This map shows the state of the Roman Empire in the year 400 CE. The western Empire can be seen in yellow outline and the eastern Empire can be seen in red. The map also highlights “Barbarian nations” with blue. This map was printed in 1709 from historical sources. It includes insets of the “modern world” to put the Roman Empire in context.

In 410, a group of Visigoths led an assault on the city of Rome. While the capital of the western Empire had moved to Ravenna two years earlier, Rome was still an important cultural and religious centre. The Visigoths sacked the city. This was the first time in 800 years that the city of Rome had been sacked. In the following decades, Rome would be looted and burned several more times by Goths and Vandals.

In 476 CE, a Germanic chieftain, Odoacer (sometimes written Odovacar), led an attack on Rome and entered the city after a seige, dethroning the Emperor Romulus Augustus and declaring himself King of Italy.

Historians mark 476 as the year in which the western Roman Empire collapsed. This is also generally considered to be the end of the Ancient Era and the beginning of the Medieval Era. Despite the collapse of the western Roman Empire, the eastern Empire continued to thrive for almost another 1000 years, finally falling in 1453 CE.

Activities

• The Roman Empire covered more than 5 million square kilometres at its height.
  • Using a modern political map and a map showing the extent of the Roman Empire, trace the territory of the Roman Empire and the countries of modern Europe that it covered. A list of maps can be found here. 
  • Label major Roman cities and settlements and compare their location to modern centres
• The Romans used many innovations and technologies to make life easier and more efficient. They are well known for their sanitation systems, health care system, roads and aqueducts.
  • Have students investigate what kinds of technology the Romans invented and how they used it.
  • Have students consider the importance of these innovations with regard to running a large empire.
  • Have students consider: how do we know what technologies the ancient Romans had? How do we know how they used them?
  • Do we still use any Roman inventions today, in modern form?
• When an influential power collapses, a power vacuum is created, with others stepping in to take control.
  • Have the students write a creative piece in which they hypothesise what would happen if one day all adults went missing.
    • Have them document how life would change in a day, a week, a month, a year, etc.
    • Have them consider how their lives would change. How would school change? How would their town change? How would the country change?
    • What dangers might there be?

This module supports the follow Achievement Standards for the Australian Curriculum: Year 8 Learning area 

• Students describe the historical significance of the periods between the ancient and modern past.

• They explain the causes and effects of events, developments, turning points or challenges in Medieval, Renaissance, or pre-modern Europe, or in the societies connected to empires or expansions, or the societies of the Asia-Pacific world during these periods.

• They describe the social, religious, cultural, economic, environmental and/or political aspects related to the changes and continuities in a society or a historical period.

• Students describe the role of significant individuals, groups and institutions connected to the societies of these periods and their influences on historical events.

• Students develop questions about the past to inform historical inquiry.

• They sequence events and developments to explain causes and effects, and patterns of continuity and change across societies and time periods.