Study Guides

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils examine the changing nature of the state that became the Roman Empire. They learn about its origins and kings, its period as a republic and its imperial history, ending with its division and decline. Throughout, pupils analyse how the idea of 'being a Roman' changed over time.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain what happened to the Roman Empire when it was split in two.

Key Notes

• The Emperor Diocletian thought that the Roman Empire had too many problems and that it should be split in two.
• Emperor Constantine fought to reunite the empire; he created a new capital called Constantinople in 330 CE.
• The reunited Roman Empire was only temporary and it separated permanently in 395 CE.
• The Western Roman Empire fell in 476 CE; the Eastern Roman Empire became the Byzantine Empire.
• The Byzantine Empire was still thought of as Roman but over time the culture and traditions changed.

Vocabulary To Learn

• legacy: a legacy is something from the past that affected history and left a lasting impact on the world
• Constantinople: Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire
• temporary: temporary means something that will disappear over time
• Byzantine Empire: the Byzantine Empire is the name given by historians to the eastern half of the Roman Empire
• permanent: when something lasts a long time or forever, it is permanent

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• People in Byzantine times never called themselves Byzantium.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Roman kings Study Guide
• The fall of the Western Roman Empire Study Guide
• The rise of the Emperors Study Guide
• The Roman Republic Study Guide
• What it meant to be a Roman Study Guide