The Fall of the Roman West

EMPIRES OF FAITH HIST 1301 | History The Fall of the Roman West The last emperor to rule a unified empire was Theodosius I. Following his death in 395, his two sons inherited the empire's leadership: Arcadius governed the eastern half from Constantinople, while Honorius ruled the western half from Ravenna, in northern Italy. Every region has a destiny determined by its topography. The East was able to prosper because it had a smaller portion of the Danube River to protect from foreign invaders. By giving these tribes money, the East deterred foreign attackers from invading their land. Along its more expansive and turbulent frontier, the West had a number of setbacks that caused social unrest as well as governmental unrest. Simply said, there were more foreign groups to deal with, and Germanic tribes crossed the Rhine and Danube Rivers, a traditional barrier, repeatedly and for a considerable amount of time during this period. In certain areas of this region, there was less social cohesiveness since the West was less urbanised than the East. This made it possible for other alien species to invade and alter it. The western empire dealt with these foreign tribes in a variety of ways as contact with them increased. Numerous Germanic communities were considered to be foederati, which meant they were obligated to abide by a contract that granted them some degree of autonomy in return for their military support of the Roman Empire. Thus, mercenaries joined Romans in an increasingly varied force that sprang from the numerous tribes and other governments that were allies of the empire. Foreign troops were allowed to dwell in Roman territory, take part in Roman civic life, and assimilate into Roman culture after serving their time in the armed forces. While some Germans were lucky enough to be taken after battle and brought into Roman homes as slaves, others were not so fortunate. These individuals were unable to settle in Roman territory, which resulted in times of peaceful cohabitation and collaboration. Rivals between ambitious and recently integrated immigrants often upset Roman society when Germans were brought into the Roman cultural fold through a variety of tactics. Germanic forces entered Gaul and Italy in the early 400s and engaged the Romans in combat and diplomacy. The Vandals originated in what is now Poland in central Europe, crossed the Rhine in 406, settled in Gaul, were driven into Spain, and eventually established an empire in North Africa. Stilicho was a prominent Vandal-born Roman general who served as the young emperor Honorius' protector. Stilicho, who married into an imperial dynasty and gained some notoriety for his military prowess, had ambitions to rule the western empire himself. But Stilicho's mishandling of another foreign group—the Visigoths, one of numerous Gothic populations from eastern Europe—caused him to lose favour. After crossing the Danube River in the fourth century, the Visigoths had increased interaction with the Romans and eventually defeated Rome at the Battle of Adrianople in 378. Alaric, the Visigoth king, had worked out a number of deals with the Roman authorities by the early 400s in order to establish his people on Roman soil. Though they preferred a military approach against the Visigoths, the Roman Senate complied with Stilicho's urging and paid Alaric to appease him. Stilicho was executed as a result of his increasingly tense relationship with the Senate, which began to unravel as the crisis became worse and worse. Then, in 410, Alaric invaded Italy and attacked Rome over three days. This "sacking" of Rome itself is remembered as a turning point in the fall of the empire; while it caused little physical harm, it looted most of the city's riches and greatly tarnished the city's reputation. The Visigoths eventually became enemies of the Roman Empire and settled in Gaul upon Alaric's death shortly after. The Hun invasion was a major cause of the Germanic peoples' migrations at this time. The Huns were a nomadic people that left their home region of the Eurasian Steppe to travel westward from central Asia into Europe in 450. They overran and occupied the Roman Empire's borders as they approached the edge of Europe, putting pressure on existing populations to relocate within the continent. Eventually, these migrations forced other populations, including Germanic ones, into Roman territory. Atilla, the leader of the Huns, was known for his ruthlessness to the Romans as he pillaged most of Europe. As the Huns advanced westward, Atilla ruled a huge empire, subjugating and assimilating a multitude of peoples. After Atilla's death in 454, the Hun Empire finally fell, extending as far as Gaul. During this time, other migrant tribes, such as the Franks, made their home in Gaul. Once an ally of the Roman Empire, the Frankish kingdom drove the Romans out and continued to control the area until the ninth century. The final Germanic invasion of Britain, which comprised the Saxons and Angles, also drove Roman forces from the country. They arrived in southern Britain in the late fifth century, from what is now southern Denmark and northern Germany. Originally consisting of two separate tribes, they are now often recognised as Anglo-Saxons, a term given to them in the eighth century to set them apart from other Germanic groups of the same name on the European continent.