Fall of the Western Roman Empire · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Why the Western Roman Empire Fell

History · Ancient Greece & Rome · ages 9-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which empire kept going for almost 1,000 years after the West fell?

    • The Western Roman Empire
    • The Eastern (Byzantine) Empire
    • Neither empire survived

  2. In what year did the Western Roman Empire fall?

    • AD 200
    • AD 476
    • AD 800

  3. The Western Roman Empire fell apart for only one single reason.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. The Western Roman Empire covered a huge area. Why did this make it harder to defend?

    • Soldiers could not reach every border in time
    • The empire had too few people
    • The empire had no roads

  5. Which of these was one real reason the Western Roman Empire grew weak?

    • Attacks from invading peoples
    • Too many years of peace
    • A shortage of farmland

  6. After the Western Roman Empire fell in AD 476, what happened to the Eastern Roman Empire?

    • It fell at the very same time
    • It kept ruling for almost 1,000 more years
    • It joined the invading peoples

  7. A student says: 'The Roman Empire fell because of one big battle that happened in a single afternoon.' What is wrong with this claim?

    • The Roman Empire never fell at all
    • The battle actually lasted a morning, not an afternoon
    • The fall took many years and had several causes, not one battle

  8. The Western Roman Empire fell in AD 476. The Eastern Roman Empire finally fell in AD 1453. About how many years did the Eastern Empire last after the West fell? Round to the nearest hundred.

    Answer: ______________

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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Why the Western Roman Empire Fell W1-mt_H4bLNkDrGJ-s1

  1. The Eastern (Byzantine) Empire · The Eastern Roman Empire, also called the Byzantine Empire, lasted for centuries more.
  2. AD 476 · AD 476 is the year the last Western Roman emperor was removed from power.
  3. False · Many problems combined together, like invasions, weak leaders, and money troubles.
  4. Soldiers could not reach every border in time · Rome could not send enough soldiers everywhere at once, so weak spots opened up along its borders.
  5. Attacks from invading peoples · Groups such as the Goths and Vandals pushed into Roman lands and wore down its defenses.
  6. It kept ruling for almost 1,000 more years · The Eastern half, known as the Byzantine Empire, survived until AD 1453.
  7. The fall took many years and had several causes, not one battle · The decline happened slowly, over many years, from invasions, weak leaders, money troubles, and an empire too large to defend.
  8. 1000 · 1453 minus 476 is 977 years, which rounds to about 1,000 years.
Worksheet · LightMySky