Ch 30: HiSET: Fall of the Roman Empire
About This Chapter
HiSET: Fall of the Roman Empire - Chapter Summary
If you are preparing to take the HiSET Social Studies exam, these quick and engaging video lessons can help by explaining the history of the fall of the Roman Empire. This chapter covers:
- Augustus Caesar and his propagandists
- Christian art and architecture in the Roman Empire
- The Julio-Claudian and Flavian Dynasties
- The division of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century
- Christianity and the conversion of Constantine
- Post-Constantine Roman emperors
Each lesson offers a quick quiz so you can test your comprehension of the material. If you need help as you work through the lessons, submit a question to our instructors for additional support.
Objectives of the HiSET: Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter
The HiSET Social Studies exam covers four content categories. History accounts for 38% of your score, civics and government for 38%, economics for 18%, and geography for 6%. The material in this chapter covers the fall of the Roman Empire topics you might encounter while answering history questions on the test.
The test is seventy minutes in length and consists of fifty multiple-choice questions. The lesson quizzes in this chapter are modeled in the same format so you can get real practice answering test questions and build confidence before your exam.

1. The Early Roman Empire and the Reign of Augustus Caesar
This lesson is about Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. In this lesson we follow Augustus's meteoric rise to power, the collapse of the Roman Republic, and the rise of the Roman Empire.

2. Augustus' Propagandists: Virgil, Horace and Ovid
This lesson explores the role of poetry in Augustus' rise to power. We look at the contributions of Virgil and Horace, two poets brought to Augustus' aid by his friend Maecenas. We also look at the legacy of Ovid, a poet who seems to have raised the emperor's ire.

3. Emperors of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty
This lesson will explain the soap opera-like reign of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty. Highlighting the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, it will shed light on the Roman Empire's first ruling dynasty.

4. The Year of the Four Emperors & the Flavian Dynasty
This lesson will explore the famous Flavian emperors: Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian. It will explain how this dynasty came to power during the Year of the Four Emperors. It will also highlight the details of each emperor's reign.

5. The Five Good Emperors of Rome & the Nervan-Antonine Dynasty
This lesson will identify the emperors of the Nervan-Antonine Dynasty. It will explain the rule of the Five Good Emperors of the era, while also highlighting the rule of Commodus, the last of the dynasty's emperors.

6. Emperors of the Severan Dynasty
This lesson focuses on the Severan Dynasty, which ruled Rome from 193 CE to 235 CE. Although the lesson explains the military and social reforms of this dynasty, it also highlights the outlandish personalities of the individual rulers.

7. Division of the Roman Empire: Diocletian & the 3rd Century Crisis
This lesson will explain the 3rd Century Crisis of the Roman Empire. It will focus on the political, civil and economic problems that caused the crisis, and will also highlight the role of Diocletian in the resolution of the crisis.

8. The Conversion of Constantine and the Ascent of Christianity
This lesson will explain the conversion of Constantine and the ascent of Christianity. In doing this, it will highlight the Edict of Milan and the famous Council of Nicaea.

9. The Fall of Rome
This lesson explains the gradual fall of Rome. In doing so, it highlights corruption, division, and outside invasion as the main reasons for the fall of the Eternal City.

10. Justinian's Code of Law and Roman Emperors After Constantine
This lesson will highlight the emperors after Constantine. It will specifically explore the reign of Justinian and the famous Justinian code of law. It will also discuss the Apostate and the battle of Adrianople.
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Other Chapters
Other chapters within the HiSET Social Studies: Prep and Practice course
- HiSET: Early American History (28,000 BCE-1821 CE)
- HiSET: Early American Colonies (1497-1732)
- HiSET: The Road to Revolution (1700-1774)
- HiSET: The American Revolution (1775-1783)
- HiSET: The Making of a New Nation (1776-1800)
- HiSET: The Virginia Dynasty (1801-1825)
- HiSET: Jacksonian Democracy (1825-1850)
- HiSET: Life in Antebellum America (1807-1861)
- HiSET: Manifest Destiny (1806-1855)
- HiSET: Sectional Crisis (1850-1861)
- HiSET: American Civil War (1861-1865)
- HiSET: Reconstruction (1865-1877)
- HiSET: Westward Expansion, Industrialization & Urbanization (1870-1900)
- HiSET: The Progressive Era in America (1900-1917)
- HiSET: American Imperialism (1890-1919)
- HiSET: The Roaring 20s in the US (1920-1929)
- HiSET: The Great Depression in the US (1929-1940)
- HiSET: The US in World War ll (1941-1945)
- HiSET: The World After World War ll (1946-1959)
- HiSET: The Cold War (1950-1973)
- HiSET: Protests, Activism & Civil Disobedience in the US (1954-1973)
- HiSET: The 1970s in the US (1969-1979)
- HiSET: Rise of Political Conservatism in the US (1980-1992)
- HiSET: Contemporary America (1992-2013)
- HiSET: Prehistory
- HiSET: History of the Ancient Near East
- HiSET: History of Ancient Greece
- HiSET: Hellenism & the Athenian Achievement
- HiSET: Rise of the Roman Republic
- HiSET: The Dark Ages
- HiSET: The Medieval Warm Period
- HiSET: The Early Middle Ages
- HiSET: The High Middle Ages
- HiSET: The Late Middle Ages
- HiSET: The Renaissance
- HiSET: The Age of Exploration
- HiSET: The Reformation in Europe
- HiSET: The Elizabethan Era
- HiSET: Colonialism
- HiSET: Art & Science in the Colonial Era
- HiSET: Absolutism in Western Europe (1648-1715)
- HiSET: Power Shifts in Eastern Europe (1648-1740)
- HiSET: Empire and Expansion in the 18th Century (1700-1799)
- HiSET: Scientific Revolution & the Enlightenment (1500-1790)
- HiSET: French Revolution & Napoleon (1780-1815)
- HiSET: Industrialization in Europe (1700-1900)
- HiSET: Political Developments (1760-1848)
- HiSET: The Age of Nationalism (1850-1914)
- HiSET: European Life & Trends (1850-1914)
- HiSET: Imperialism in the 19th - 20th Centuries
- HiSET: World War I (1914-1919)
- HiSET: Between the World Wars (1919-1939)
- HiSET: Europe & Asia in World War II
- HiSET: The Study of American Government
- HiSET: Federalism in the United States
- HiSET: American Political Culture, Opinion & Behavior
- HiSET: Civic Ideals & Citizenship
- HiSET: Civil Liberties in America
- HiSET: Political Parties in American Government
- HiSET: Scarcity, Choice & The Production Possibilities Curve
- HiSET: Measuring the Economy
- HiSET: Economic & Fiscal Policy of American Government
- HiSET: Labor & Consumer Issues
- HiSET: Modern Economic Systems
- HiSET: Introduction to Geography
- HiSET: Basic Facts & Concepts of the Earth
- HiSET: Geography & Farming
- HiSET: Economics & Geography
- HiSET: Political Geography
- HiSET: Settlement Patterns
- HiSET: Spatial Processes
- HiSET: The Geography of Languages, Religions & Material Culture
- HiSET Social Studies Flashcards