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Barbarian Invaders
Rome is attacked on all sides!
Outsiders
During the Roman era there were groups
of people who were not part of the Roman
Empire living in Europe.
 Many of these groups, called tribes, lived
in the far north. Others lived in various
parts of Europe not occupied by the
Roman Empire or in Asia.
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Barbarians
The word “barbarian” is said to come from an
imitation of someone speaking gibberish. (“barbar” is like our “blah-blah-blah”).
 The word “barbarian” came to mean
“uncivilized”.
 Barbarian tribes were considered uncivilized
because they did not settle down and farm.
Instead, they preferred a roaming, warlike
lifestyle.

Conflicts with the Romans
Due to climate changes, food shortages
and enemy invasions, many tribes began
to migrate closer to the Roman Empire.
Sometimes they even settled within the
borders of the Empire.
 This eventually led to conflicts between
the tribes and the Romans.
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Playground Fight

The situation in Rome was much like a
fight on a school playground.
– In a playground fight, you can usually hold
your own against one other person.
– However, when your enemy brings 5 friends
to the playground with him . . . you’re gonna
get JUMPED!

Rome had a strong, powerful army.
However, with barbarians attacking from
all sides, she was often overpowered.
Lots of Enemies!
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Goths
Huns
Visigoths
Ostrogoths
Vandals
Burgundies
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Alans
Franks
Lombards
Jutes
Angles
Saxons
Rome is sacked.

Two barbarians tribes sacked the city of Rome.
– For years, the Romans paid the Goths so they
wouldn’t attack. When they stopped making
payments, the Goths attacked Rome in 410 AD.
– The Vandals are credited with destroying the city of
Rome in 455 AD. (Consider how we use the words
vandal and vandalism today. How do you think we
arrived at those terms?)

Once the city was destroyed, it was only a
matter of time until the Western Roman Empire
fell.