Late Antiquity & the Early ChurchOrdinary TimeWeek 10 of 32

The Fall of Rome & the Light of Byzantium

Essential Question

When Rome fell, what was lost, what survived, and who kept the light burning?

This week the student asks what really happened when Rome 'fell' — and discovers that the empire did not simply vanish. The Western Empire crumbled under pressure (410, 476) while the Eastern, Byzantine Empire carried Roman law, Greek learning, and the Christian faith forward for another thousand years. We meet Justinian and Theodora, the glory of Hagia Sophia and Ravenna's mosaics, and St. Augustine, who wrote 'The City of God' as the old world shook.

Liturgical note: Ordinary Time (November), the month the Church remembers the faithful departed. Augustine's meditation on the eternal 'City of God' fits a month of praying for the dead and looking toward heaven.

Threads at a Glance

What Each Thread Covers This Week

World History

The decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire (sack of Rome 410, the last emperor 476); the barbarian migrations; the surviving Eastern (Byzantine) Empire; Justinian, his legal Code, and Hagia Sophia.

US History

Declaring Independence: From Lexington to July 4, 1776

Historical Figure

Emperor Justinian I (with Empress Theodora).

Geography

The divided empire; drawing East vs. West, the barbarian kingdoms, and the strategic position of Constantinople.

Art History

Byzantine art — the mosaics of San Vitale in Ravenna, Hagia Sophia, the icon tradition, and the golden style.

Music History

Byzantine chant and the parallel growth of liturgical music in East and West.

Saint

St. Augustine of Hippo, who wrote 'The City of God' as Rome fell.

Virtue

Humility — the lesson of Augustine's 'Confessions.'

Catechism

YOUCAT on the Church: what the Church is; one, holy, catholic, and apostolic (Q121-Q136).

Grammar

Phrases — the prepositional phrase and its adjective/adverb functions.

Writing

Persuasive writing continued — drafting a short argument with clear reasons.

Weekly Writing Assignment

Did Rome Really 'Fall'? — A Short Argument

Write a short argument (one strong paragraph or two short ones) answering: did Rome really 'fall' in 476, or is that too simple? Take a position. Support it with reasons and evidence from the week — the Western Empire's collapse, the survival of the Eastern (Byzantine) Empire, the continuation of Roman law (Justinian's Code), the Latin language, and the Church carrying Roman order forward. Acknowledge the other view in at least one sentence ('It is true that…') before answering it.

Skill: Drafting a multi-sentence argument: a claim, two or three developed reasons in their own sentences, and an acknowledgment of the other side.Length: 1-2 paragraphs, roughly 180-250 words

Show rubric ▾

Takes a clear position on whether Rome truly 'fell.'
Develops at least two reasons, each in its own sentence(s) with specific evidence.
Acknowledges the opposing view in at least one sentence and responds to it.
Uses transitions and keeps a logical order from claim to reasons to conclusion.
Writing is clear and mechanically clean; the conclusion restates the position.

The Week