I. Activating Prior Knowledge
While the Roman Empire did not fall in one giant swoop, its decline and ultimate collapse occurred over a long period of time. As we have studied, the key issues that led to the collapse of the Roman Empire can be categorized into four areas: political issues, social issues, economic issues, and military issues. What were some of the issues that we discussed in class that led to the decline and collapse of the Roman Empire?
II. Setting A Purpose for Reading
In this passage, Salvian is comparing the Romans to the Barbarians. As you read, identify the key groups that made up the "Barbarians." How were the Romans and Barbarians similar? different? Why did many of the Romans flee to the Barbarians?
III. Reading the Text (Read, Re-Read, and Read Again)
Introduction:
Salvian, a Christian priest, writing about 440, undertook in his book Of God's Government to show that the misfortunes of the time were only the divinely inflicted punishments which the people of the Empire had brought upon themselves by their wickedness and corruption. He contends that the Romans, who had once been virtuous and heroic, had lapsed into a degradation which rendered them, in spite of their civilization and advantages, far inferior to the untutored but sturdy barbarian.
STOP! Can you answer this question? If not, go back and re-read the passage.
According to Salvian, why did the Roman Empire come to an end?
Romans & Barbarians - Salvian
In what respects can our customs be preferred to those of the Goths and Vandals, or even compared with them? And first, to speak of affection and mutual charity (which, our Lord teaches, is the chief virtue, saying, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another "), almost all barbarians, at least those who are of one race and kin, love each other, while the Romans persecute each other. For what citizen does not envy his fellow citizen ?
STOP! Can you answer this question? If not, go back and re-read the passage.
Do you agree or disagree with Salvian that the greatest virtue is to "love thy neighbor as thyself"? Why or why not?
What citizen shows to his neighbor full charity? [The Romans oppress each other with exactions] nay, not each other : it would be quite tolerable, if each suffered what he inflicted. It is worse than that ; for the many are oppressed by the few, who regard public exactions (taxes) as their own peculiar right, who carry on private traffic under tile guise of collecting the taxes. And this is done not only by nobles, but by men of lowest rank; not by judges only, but by judges' subordinates. For where is the city even the town or village which has not as many tyrants as it has curials ? . . . What place is there, therefore, as I have said, where the substance of widows and orphans, nay even of the saints, is not devoured by the chief citizens?
STOP! Can you answer this question? If not, go back and re-read the passage.
According to Salvian, who was stealing from the Roman people?
. . . None but the great is secure from the devastations of these plundering brigands, except those who arw themselves robbers. [Nay, the state has fallen upon such evil days that a man cannot be safe unless he is wicked] Even those in a position to protest against the iniquity which they see about them dare not speak lest they make matters worse than before.
STOP! Can you answer this question? If not, go back and re-read the passage.
According to Salvian, who was safe from the stealing and wickedness of the theives?
So the poor are despoiled, the widows sigh, the orphans are oppressed, until many of them, born of families not obscure, and liberally educated, flee to our enemies that they may no longer suffer the oppression of public persecution. They doubtless seek Roman humanity among the barbarians, because they cannot bear barbarian inhumanity among the Romans. And although they differ from the people to Whom they flee in manner and in language; although they are unlike as regards the fetid odor of the barbarians' bodies and garments, yet they would rather endure a foreign civilization among the barbarians than cruel injustice among the Romans.
STOP! Can you answer this question? If not, go back and re-read the passage.
According to Salvian, why did the citizens of Rome seek out the Barbarians?
Source: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/salvian1.html
IV. Personal Reflection – Respond to the following question in your blog. Be sure to include a quote from the text to support your response.
Part 1 - Response: What evidence supports Salvian's belief that the corruption of Rome ultimately led to the collapse of the Roman Empire?
Part 2 - Response: Based on the reading, if you were a Roman, would you choose to continue living in Rome or would you flee to one of the Barbarian tribes? Explain your reasoning.
V. Peer Reflection - Read three classmates’ response and respond to what they have written.
While the Roman Empire did not fall in one giant swoop, its decline and ultimate collapse occurred over a long period of time. As we have studied, the key issues that led to the collapse of the Roman Empire can be categorized into four areas: political issues, social issues, economic issues, and military issues. What were some of the issues that we discussed in class that led to the decline and collapse of the Roman Empire?
II. Setting A Purpose for Reading
In this passage, Salvian is comparing the Romans to the Barbarians. As you read, identify the key groups that made up the "Barbarians." How were the Romans and Barbarians similar? different? Why did many of the Romans flee to the Barbarians?
III. Reading the Text (Read, Re-Read, and Read Again)
Introduction:
Salvian, a Christian priest, writing about 440, undertook in his book Of God's Government to show that the misfortunes of the time were only the divinely inflicted punishments which the people of the Empire had brought upon themselves by their wickedness and corruption. He contends that the Romans, who had once been virtuous and heroic, had lapsed into a degradation which rendered them, in spite of their civilization and advantages, far inferior to the untutored but sturdy barbarian.
STOP! Can you answer this question? If not, go back and re-read the passage.
According to Salvian, why did the Roman Empire come to an end?
Romans & Barbarians - Salvian
In what respects can our customs be preferred to those of the Goths and Vandals, or even compared with them? And first, to speak of affection and mutual charity (which, our Lord teaches, is the chief virtue, saying, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another "), almost all barbarians, at least those who are of one race and kin, love each other, while the Romans persecute each other. For what citizen does not envy his fellow citizen ?
STOP! Can you answer this question? If not, go back and re-read the passage.
Do you agree or disagree with Salvian that the greatest virtue is to "love thy neighbor as thyself"? Why or why not?
What citizen shows to his neighbor full charity? [The Romans oppress each other with exactions] nay, not each other : it would be quite tolerable, if each suffered what he inflicted. It is worse than that ; for the many are oppressed by the few, who regard public exactions (taxes) as their own peculiar right, who carry on private traffic under tile guise of collecting the taxes. And this is done not only by nobles, but by men of lowest rank; not by judges only, but by judges' subordinates. For where is the city even the town or village which has not as many tyrants as it has curials ? . . . What place is there, therefore, as I have said, where the substance of widows and orphans, nay even of the saints, is not devoured by the chief citizens?
STOP! Can you answer this question? If not, go back and re-read the passage.
According to Salvian, who was stealing from the Roman people?
. . . None but the great is secure from the devastations of these plundering brigands, except those who arw themselves robbers. [Nay, the state has fallen upon such evil days that a man cannot be safe unless he is wicked] Even those in a position to protest against the iniquity which they see about them dare not speak lest they make matters worse than before.
STOP! Can you answer this question? If not, go back and re-read the passage.
According to Salvian, who was safe from the stealing and wickedness of the theives?
So the poor are despoiled, the widows sigh, the orphans are oppressed, until many of them, born of families not obscure, and liberally educated, flee to our enemies that they may no longer suffer the oppression of public persecution. They doubtless seek Roman humanity among the barbarians, because they cannot bear barbarian inhumanity among the Romans. And although they differ from the people to Whom they flee in manner and in language; although they are unlike as regards the fetid odor of the barbarians' bodies and garments, yet they would rather endure a foreign civilization among the barbarians than cruel injustice among the Romans.
STOP! Can you answer this question? If not, go back and re-read the passage.
According to Salvian, why did the citizens of Rome seek out the Barbarians?
Source: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/salvian1.html
IV. Personal Reflection – Respond to the following question in your blog. Be sure to include a quote from the text to support your response.
Part 1 - Response: What evidence supports Salvian's belief that the corruption of Rome ultimately led to the collapse of the Roman Empire?
Part 2 - Response: Based on the reading, if you were a Roman, would you choose to continue living in Rome or would you flee to one of the Barbarian tribes? Explain your reasoning.
V. Peer Reflection - Read three classmates’ response and respond to what they have written.
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