Barbarians Invade the Roman Empire the Roman Empire Rises This Meant They Were Constantly Searching and Falls for New Land
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Geography and History Adivity
Barbarians Invade the Roman Empire The Roman Empire Rises This meant they were constantly searching and Falls for new land. Scientists believe the climate changed in northern Europe, becoming In 509 B.C., the Romans established a colder and damper. Food crops had a republic in central Italy. Surrounded by shorter growing season, and the northern enemies, the city was engaged in almost tribes had to move south for food. At first, continual warfare for 200 years. By 260 B.C., they also wanted to ally themselves with the Romans had conquered almost all of the Roman Empire and its vast military Italy, and within 130 years Rome was mas might because the Goths' lands were being ter of the entire Mediterranean Sea. The overrun by the fiercest of enemies-the Roman Empire reached its height around Huns from Asia. Once secure in Rome, A.D. 180, stretching from Britain in the however, the Goths turned on the Romans north to Arabia in the east to North Africa and fought for control of the empire. In and Egypt in the south. A.D. 410, the Visigoths sacked and looted By A.D. 200, however, the once power Rome. ful Roman Empire began to weaken. Civil wars, a labor shortage caused by plague, The Vandals and attacks on the outer borders occurred. People were taxed heavily to pay for more The next wave of barbarians to invade soldiers. The empire had become too large Roman territory-the Vandals-had been to protect. It was divided into the West forced out of northern Germany by the ern Roman Empire, with its capital still Huns as well. The Vandals conquered in Rome, and the Eastern Roman Empire, much of the Roman lands in Spain and with a new capital at Constantinople. northern Africa. Then they crossed into Italy and in A.D. 455, they too sacked vl Q) The Barbarians Rome. Today the word vandal means '§ To the Romans, anyone who was not "someone who willfully destroys someone oS- else's property." u from their culture was known as a barbar- ~ ian, a term we now use to mean "someone ~ who is brutal and destructive." Early Europe's Conquered Lands c) in the A.D. 400s, waves of barbarians, or Eventually, the Germanic invaders set ~ ' migrant tribes, began to cross the northern tled in various parts of the now-collapsed ~ Roman borders-the rivers of Germany Western Roman Empire. Some tribes gave ~ and Gaul (France). The Roman army was their names to the lands they conquered. ~ stretched thin. The first barbarians to take The Vandals settled in Spain, which they called [V]Andalusia. The Germanic peo §"~ advantage of Rome's weakness were two u German tribes-the Visigoths (west Goths) ples known as Franks settled in France. and the Ostrogoths (east Goths). The Burgundians took over the Burgundy As nomads, the Goths depleted the region of France, and the Angles crossed land around them and then moved on. the North Sea to conquer England.
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Geography and History Activity continued
The Barbarian Invasions
KEY o Imperial capital
~ Eastern Roman Empire o 300 kilometers D Western Roman Empire ~ o 300 miles
f(/ Applying Geography to History 4. Naming What was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire? Directions: Read the information about the barbarian invasion of the Roman Empire and study the map above. Then answer the questions below. 5. Identifying Which city was attacked by the Visigoths, the Vandals, and the 1. Naming Who was a "barbarian" to Ostrogoths? the Romans?
6. Identifying Which group of invaders 2. Locating Where did the first wave pushed the others into Roman territory? of invading barbarians come from? Who was their leader?
3. Specifying For what reasons did the Goths move into Roman territory?
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