The term Fall of Rome refers to the decline of which empire's western half?

• A. Eastern Roman Empire
• B. Western Roman Empire
• C. Greek City-States
• D. Carthaginian Empire

Answer: (B)

It refers to the decline of the Western Roman Empire, the western half of Rome’s imperial domain after the empire was effectively split in late antiquity. The division produced a Western realm that faced severe pressure from invasions, economic troubles, and internal decay, and it fell first with the deposition of Romulus Augustulus in 476 CE. By contrast, the Eastern Roman Empire continued for another millennium as the Byzantine Empire, preserving Roman institutions and culture. The other options don’t fit because the Eastern Roman Empire did not collapse in that period, Carthage’s power had faded long before, and the Greek City-States were not the political entity in question.