In which year did the Roman Empire fall?
476 AD, after 500 years.
Who was the last Roman Emperor?
Romulus Augustulus
Under which Emperor did Christianity become the official religion of Rome?
Constantine the Great- He signed the Edict of Milan in 313AD
What theory did Edward Gibbons purport for the fall of Rome in 476 AD?
Christianity. The Romans accepted the idea of the afterlife, which Gibbons argued made them ‘lazy’ and less focused on maintaining the empire and achieving glory in this lifetime.
Give a quote from Gibbons which exemplifies the enduring obsession with the fall of Rome.
“Deep within the European psyche lies an anxiety that if ancient Rome could fall, then so too can the proudest of modern civilisations.”
How does Heather dispute Gibbons’ view?
He argues against ‘moral decay’ by saying that the Eastern Empire survived despite being equally as corrupt