David Beck’s Blog

If a historian were to concentrate his/her scholarship on uncovering something new about the past, then it would seem that all the great historical discoveries on Rome have already been made. Surely there are few historical topics more exhausted than Rome. However, 1500 years after the end of the Western Roman Empire, historians are still writing books and trying to figure out why this great empire collapsed and ushered in the Dark Ages. Simply typing in Rome into a Google search will produce over 86 million results. It is readily apparent then that the modern world has not yet quenched its thirst for all things Roman. Considering then our ever present fascination with the myth and reality of Rome, why is it that very few sites exist which detail the various theories for why Rome declined? Most articles on the passing of Rome are part of larger sites that seem to have little interest in providing a contextual analysis for the problems facing Rome from the years 235 until its ultimate breakdown around the year 476. Considering the number of school children in America alone who learn about the greatness of Rome and its subsequent problems, particularly middle school and high school age, it is clear to this historian that there is an urgent need for a website dedicated to the end of the Western Roman Empire. By understanding Rome’s problems, we can perhaps better understand our own as well.

The purpose of the site is to present to students a dynamic website that will combine text, images, videos, and a level of interactiveness that is missing from the websites of our competitors. Students today do not have the skills or the patience to wade through pages of text in order to find answers, especially at the middle school level. Asking a 14 year old to read through the various theories about Rome’s collapse on Wikipedia is almost a pointless exercise unless the child has a very high reading level. Many school systems around the country teach Roman history during the middle school years, yet there are very few websites that make learning about any part of Rome fun, or easy. The websites I have found are tedious at best and only slightly more enjoyable than watching videos in class and listening to lectures, which students traditional dislike.

The Decline of Rome website will be very easy to navigate and use. I am limiting the site to four main theories that do an excellent job of highlighting in one way or another the many issues facing Rome as it began its slow descent. There are two reasons I have chosen to do this. First, it makes using the site very easy and straightforward. I expect students to use this site in class along with their teachers. Second, this site should not be mistaken for something it is not. It is not a site that will tell you everything you need to know about the fall of Rome. I do not plan on devoting much space at all to the Eastern Empire, even though it is important to note that that half of the Empire would go on for another thousand years. Inherent in the site is a focus on the decline of Rome and the rise of the Middle Ages, although again, I will not be giving lots of space to the way society regressed, to some degree, after the final emperor was deposed. I am really highlighting for students in grades 7-12 the main theories that exist for why this amazing and terrific Empire that they have spent several weeks learning about declined and eventually weakened to the point that it was incapable of supporting itself any longer.

The design of my site is going to be very important. Again, the uniqueness of this site will be its high level of visual media (i.e. videos, images, timelines), as well as its simplicity in terms of navigation and understanding. Not only will it stand out from the competition, but also it will allow students to make connections between the problems the Western Empire faced and the problems that America faces today. Students should come away with the knowledge that empires do not exist forever and all governments, even today, need to be aware that the reasons that brought an end to Rome can and usually do bring an end to every from of government man has yet designed.