History·Ancient Greece & Rome·conceptual
Fall of the Roman Republic
Trace how Roman political violence — the murder of the Gracchi brothers, civil wars between Marius and Sulla, Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon and assassination on the Ides of March, and the final war between Octavian and Antony — destroyed the Republic and led to one-man rule under Augustus, and debate whether the fall of the Republic was inevitable or a series of choices
Suggested ages 12–14
Evidence of understanding
- Describe at least three key events in the collapse of the Roman Republic in chronological order
- Explain what 'crossing the Rubicon' meant and why it was a point of no return
- Construct an argument about whether the Republic's fall was inevitable or could have been prevented
Assessment prompt
Could Fall of the Roman Republic explain the chain of events that destroyed the Roman Republic — from the Gracchi to Caesar's assassination to Augustus — and discuss whether it could have been avoided?
Standards alignment
No external standards are linked to this topic.