Famous Men of Rome · Ch. XXIX · Unit 6: The later Empire and its fall
42. The end of the Western Empire
Goal: Your child can tell how the Western Empire came to an end in 476 A.D., and how the Eastern Empire lasted until 1453.
You'll need
- The book, open to this chapter
- A map of Italy and the Mediterranean (a free online map or a globe)
- Paper and colored pencils
- Your timeline strip (see the tips at the top)
What's in the book
Chapter XXIX: Julian the Apostate tries to bring back the old gods and dies in Persia. The empire is split between an Emperor of the East and an Emperor of the West. Theodosius rules both, but is rebuked by Bishop Ambrose for the massacre at Thessalonica. Goths and Vandals sack Rome, Britain is given up, and in 476 A.D. Odoacer takes the crown from the last Western emperor, Romulus Augustulus. The Eastern Empire lasts until the Turks take Constantinople in 1453.
The lesson, step by step
Set the scene
On the map, draw an imaginary line down through the middle of the empire: the West, with Rome, and the East, with Constantinople. Say: This last chapter tells how the western half fell apart.
Read the chapter
Read Chapter XXIX aloud. It begins:
Most of the Roman emperors after Constantine were either cruel tyrants or very worthless persons, who spent their time in idle pleasure and neglected their duties to the people.
Tell it back
Prompts:
- What did Julian try to do, and what did he cry out when he was dying?
- Why did Bishop Ambrose keep Theodosius out of the church?
- Who captured and plundered Rome?
- What happened to Romulus Augustulus?
Talk it over
Read the book's summing-up:
And so at last the great Roman Empire had crumbled to pieces, and Rome, so long the Mistress of the World, as she was called, had fallen from her proud position of grandeur and power into that of a second or third rate city.
Ask: The first king of Rome was Romulus. The last emperor of the West was called Romulus Augustulus, which means "little Augustus." What do you notice?
What has changed since 1904
SayThe book ends by saying Constantinople became the capital of the Turkish, or Ottoman, Empire. Today that city is called Istanbul, and Rome is the capital of Italy and a great city again.
Remember it
Add to the timeline: "476 A.D. Odoacer becomes king of Italy. End of the Western Empire." and "1453 The Turks take Constantinople."
Then look at the whole timeline, from 753 B.C. to 476 A.D. Say: That is more than twelve hundred years of Roman history.
Look back over the book
Ask your child: Which famous Roman did you admire most, and why? Which one would you least like to have met? Let them tell the story of their favorite one more time.
The book says the story goes on in its companion volume, Famous Men of the Middle Ages.
Tip
The massacre at Thessalonica is told in a few sentences. The point the book makes is that even an emperor could be told he was wrong; you can keep the focus there.
Answers to the book's problems
Julian tried to bring back the worship of the old gods and to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem; dying, he cried, "Thou hast conquered, O Galilean." Ambrose kept Theodosius out until he did penance for having thousands of innocent people killed at Thessalonica. Rome was plundered by the Goths under Alaric and the Vandals under Genseric. Odoacer took Romulus Augustulus prisoner and made him give up the title of emperor. The names show how Rome began and ended with a Romulus, and how small the last emperor's power was.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.