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“Barbarians”
In East: Visigoths (West Goths), Huns
In West: Ostrogoths (East Goths), Franks
c. 500 BC Germanic peoples migrating to
borders of Roman Empire
4th c. AD By now regular contact between
barbarians and Romans. Ostrogoths and
Visigoths have adopted Arian Christianity
375 Visigoths granted permission to settle in
Empire by Valens (r. 364-78)
378 Battle of Adrianople
Map Link: The Roman Empire about 395:
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/shepherd/
roman_empire_395.jpg>
410 Visigoths under Alaric (r. 395-410) sack
Rome
410 Death of Alaric. Succeeded by Ataulph
(r. 410-16), who married Galla Placidia,
mother of Valentinian III (r. 425-55)
451 Huns under Attila (r. 433-53) attack empire,
defeated by Aetius at Châlons-sur-Marne
452 Huns invade Italy, threaten Rome
455 Vandals sack Rome
Map Link: Peoples and Kindoms in the West about 476:
<http://www.shadowedrealm.com/lib/images/medieval/
maps/map001.jpg>
476 Odoacar brings Western Roman Empire to
an end
486 Clovis (Frank, r. 481-511) takes northern
France/Gaul from Syagrius
489-93 Theodoric (Ostrogoth, r. 471-526)
takes Italy from Odoacar for Emperor Zeno
(r. 474-91)
Sources
Archaeology
Law Codes
Histories
Roman Records
Overall concern over whom texts written for,
by and about
Questions of Identity
Ethnic
Geographical/“National”
Kinship
Lordship
Kinship
Family/clan/tribe as primary tie on loyalty
Merovingians
Merovech
Kinship
Impact of family:
Protection - danger of feuds - wergeld
Marriage - limited rights of women
Inheritance
Lordship
Voluntary relationship; swear loyalty in
return for protection and plunder
Permanent relationship from end 1st c.
Classes: Nobles
Freemen
Freed-men
Slaves
Warrior nobility supported by others
Justice
Popular courts - assemblies of free warriors
Compurgation (oath-taking ceremony)
and ordeal
Assembled people as witnesses to holy rite
Role of Government
Warriors having limited influence on choice
of leadership
Councils of war as “pep rallies”
Limited roles of government: leadership in
war, restraint on feuds
Clergy taking charge of civic affairs
Warrior nobility living on estates, supported
by peasantry
Grave of Childeric I (d. 481), father of Clovis
At Tournai, Belgium
Discovered in 1653
Many objects stolen and melted down
in 1831
CHILDIRICI REGIS
(Belonging to King
Childeric)
Mix of Styles
Period of Transition
Tacitus: Germania
Cornelius Tacitus (c. 55-c. 117)
Historian
Born in S. Gaul, upper class
Studied rhetoric in Rome
Held various government positions
Tacitus: Germania
Various works, including:
Histories
Annals
De Origine et Situ Germanorum
(Germania)
Sidonius Apollinaris
Caius Sollius Apollinaris Sidonius
Born Lyons c. 431, Roman aristocrat, poet,
diplomat, (eventually) bishop
Member of ruling class, married to emperor’s
daughter
Served as prefect of Rome (twice),
ambassador
Sidonius Apollinaris
472 Appointed bishop of Clermont
474 Clermont conquered by Visigoths. Exiled
476 Restored to bishopric
c. 488 Death
Panegyrics of 3 emperors, other verse, many
letters