The division of the Roman Empire
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain what happened to the Roman Empire when it was split in two.
Key learning points
- The Emperor Diocletian thought that the Roman Empire had too many problems and that it should be split in two.
- Emperor Constantine fought to reunite the empire; he created a new capital called Constantinople in 330 CE.
- The reunited Roman Empire was only temporary and it separated permanently in 395 CE.
- The Western Roman Empire fell in 476 CE; the Eastern Roman Empire became the Byzantine Empire.
- The Byzantine Empire was still thought of as Roman but over time the culture and traditions changed.
Keywords
Legacy - a legacy is something from the past that affected history and left a lasting impact on the world
Constantinople - Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire
Temporary - temporary means something that will disappear over time
Byzantine Empire - the Byzantine Empire is the name given by historians to the eastern half of the Roman Empire
Permanent - when something lasts a long time or forever, it is permanent
Common misconception
People in Byzantine times never called themselves Byzantium.
People in Byzantine times always called themselves Roman.
Teacher tip
Children could use the Greek alphabet in the second learning cycle to write their names.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Cleopatra was the queen of ...
Q2.Match the name of the person to their title.
king
dictator
emperor
Q3.Why was Julius Caesar referred to as a dictator?
Q4.A war between different groups of people from the same country is known as a war.
Q5.Match the keyword to its definition.
leaders are elected by the people living in the country
a large area ruled by an emperor
a country ruled by a king or queen
Q6.How did a Roman leader show that they were strong and powerful?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Why did Diocletian believe that the Roman Empire was in crisis?
Q2.What did Diocletian do in 286 CE?
Q3.Constantinople, the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, was named in honour of Emperor ...
Q4.Match the empire to its capital.
Constantinople
Rome
Constantinople
Q5.Some historians believe that the Byzantine Empire’s main legacy is that it helped spread which religion?
Q6.The main language of the Byzantine people changed from Latin to ...
To help you plan your 4 history lesson on: The division of the Roman Empire, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 4 history lesson on: The division of the Roman Empire, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 history lessons from the The Romans: what did it mean to be a Roman? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.