A depiction of the baptism of Constantine as imagined by the students of the famous painter Raphael

Slowly, over a three hundred year period, the western part of the Roman Empire declined because of internal and external problems. While its culture would continue to have a large impact on Europe and it would be important as the center of the Catholic Church, the empire's political strength was severely diminished compared to its glory days when it ruled over much of the Western world. In this topic, you will explore the later years of the Roman Empire. You will also examine the factors that led to the downfall of the Western Roman Empire.

Essential Question

• What led to the decline of the Roman Empire?

 

Warm-Up

You have been studying quite a bit about ancient Rome, and you will learn more about the decline of the Roman Empire in this topic; however, did you know that Rome is still a thriving city today? The modern city of Rome is built in the same location as the ancient city of Rome. The modern architecture of the city is situated around ancient ruins built as far back as the Roman Republic. For more information on modern Rome, read the fun facts below:

• Rome is the modern capital of the country of Italy.
• Rome has a population of more than 2.7 million people.
• The head of the Catholic Church lives in a tiny, internationally-recognized nation in the middle of the city of Rome called the Vatican City.
• In ancient times and today, Rome is known as "The Eternal City" because it is one of the oldest, continuously-occupied cities in the world.