If Rome was so Great, why did it fall???

Like any great empire that has come before or after it, the theories surrounding the fall of Rome are many. Since the empire crumbled, all other great empires or nations have been compared to Rome, with many coming up short.

For many, understanding the fall of Rome is the key to the survival of our great nation, the United States. For much of this century, the U.S. has been compared to the Roman Empire in about every conceivable way. There are those who say that we are following the same path to destruction as the ancient Romans.

So, why did Rome fall? Could their fate have been averted, and if so, would the world be different today? The answer lies in what you think after you have looked at all the facts. Let’s examine what we know. We know the great empire known as Rome no longer exists. Now let’s look at what we don’t know:

1. Did plagues reduce the population to the point it could not sustain itself?
2. Did civil wars lessen the strength of the empire and weaken the population?
3. Did the army lose its discipline and thus endanger the empire and cause it to be overrun?
4. Did the citizens of Rome become too satisfied and lazy, allowing the empire to crumble due to neglect?
5. Did the empire bureaucracy become too top heavy, eventually causing the empire to collapse upon itself?
6. Did God turn His favor away from Rome due to its sinful nature?
7. Did it fall as the result of barbarian invasions?
8. Did the empire spend too much of its resources on the poor, thus drawing away precious funds from the empire?
9. Was the Roman Empire just too big, making a collapse inevitable?

WebQuest is Here

You are an Expert Roman Historian and you have been asked to testify before Congress. Congress is concerned that America is going to fall like Rome did. They want to look into the past to see WHY Rome fell. You’re going to tell them!

You will:

1. Select a theory as to why Rome fell!
2. Research it and prepare a presentation for Congress. (This can be done on PowerPoint, or in a prepared written statement.)
3. Once you’re done with your presentation pick two of the three questions to answer as part of your evaluation.
   • What similarities exist between Rome and the United States?
   • Do you feel the United States is in the process of decline as a nation?
   • Assume for the minute that the U.S. is declining in a manner similar to Rome. How would you stop the slide and return the U.S. to its prior greatness?

Thanks to David MacDonald at Fillmore USD for the WebQuest!