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The Barbarians and the end of the Roman Empire
With the death of Constantine, will begin the processes that lead the Roman Empire to radically change its appearance. If until now the Western Empire was to prevail, both economically and militarily, by the death of Constantine onwards, the opposite is true. The eastern areas will prove politically strong and cohesive, while the western gradually cede ground to repeated crises, to disintegrate completely, favoring the emergence of Roman-barbarian kingdoms.
The fall of the Western Roman Empire by historians identified with the deposition of Romulus Augustus, which took place in 476, when the introduction of Roman-barbarian kingdoms, confirms a trend already underway for some time, namely the steady infiltration of "foreign" in political and social life of the vast majority of Roman provinces. The most striking figure among the successors of Emperor Constantine, is undoubtedly that of Julian the Apostate, who earned this nickname due to its anti-Christian policy, and attempt to spread back into the social fabric of the pagan cult. This policy obviously did not give the desired results by the emperor, exhausting its effectiveness with his death. On the death of Julian the Apostate, the scepter will pass to Valentinian, who will entrust the kingdom of the Eastern Empire to his brother Valens, which will Graziano, the first emperor to renounce the post of Pontifex Maximus (the charge related to religious ancient pagan traditions). E 'in recent years (378) which was the famous defeat of Adrianople, in Thrace, one of the loudest of the entire history of Rome, during which you will find death the same Valens, Emperor of the East. The regents will be entrusted by Graziano to Theodosius. The main task of Theodosius is to defend the empire from spreading pressure of the barbarian hordes, a problem exacerbated by the defeat of Adrianople, but will also have the merit of having contributed to the rapprochement between the state and Christian church, as well as having undertaken a series of reforms able to channel some trends already in place in the empire. From the military point of view shows Theodosius wanted to systematically integrate the barbarian peoples with the Roman army, allowing in some cases actual settlements in demarcated areas of the empire. The integration policy of the barbarian peoples with western civilization, inaugurated by Theodosius in order to consolidate the empire through their use mainly in military campaigns, had resulted in the disintegration of civilization itself, which did not happen to the Empire of the East , which will keep much longer a certain unity. From the religious point of view Teodoro make stronger integration between state institutions and religious institutions, with a view to complementarity in the management of social conflicts. This conflict will never be appeased at all, as tensions between the Christian and the pagan world, and between church and state, will be among some of the most tension for all subsequent years. On the death of Theodosius the two empires, one of the West and the Orient, are for the first time officially divided, are placed at the head of which respectively two sons of Theodosius, Arcadius and Honorius. The division now seemed inevitable, given the cultural divide between the two areas and human costs and monetary units that entailed. The church will take two different roads: the West will address dictated by the Council of Nicaea, called by Constantine in 325, while in the east will prevail address Arian and Monophysite. Roman history that follows the death of Theodosius is mainly the story of the clash with the barbarians, because of continuous internal upheavals and perpetual political and social instability. From the time of Theodosius, the columns of the empire were made by commanders and their army, the real custodians of the indoor and defensive ramparts. They are the ones that have materially power steering. This character is accentuated even more with his successors. On the death of Theodosius, the empire will be run not by the fact giovanssimo son Honorius as by Stilcone, commander in chief of Western troops. Stilcone policy will be characterized by the great military strategy and defense, what to a proactive policy agreements with the barbarian peoples. He starred in numerous battles to repel the hordes of people aggressors, as the Vandals, Visigoths, Swabians, some of which will come to conclude agreements, granting the territories in which to settle in exchange for non-belligerence. While this policy allowed Western Empire to extend his reign, the other helped to create more friction, arousing the hostility of the imperial court. In yet preserve the heart of the empire in 402 Stilcone move the capital from Rome to Ravenna. This policy was however considered too pro-barbarian from the court, which made sure to cause a revolt among the same ranks of the army Stilcone, where the General himself will find death. The death of Stilcone but will only accelerate the disintegration of the West, as the court of Rome was entirely without means, military and policy makers to stem the increasing invasions. 410 dates from the first Sack of Rome by the Visigoths under Alaric, who penetrated the capital, putting it on fire for three days. This event was a huge symbolic train, and was interpreted as the actual yield of an ancient civilization and great traditions, against a barbaric and uncivilized people. The event will have a greater impact of the fall of the West itself. If the empire can prolong its existence for some years, it will not be for its own internal stability or on the Imperial Court, but simply to the poor organization of the barbarians and military merits of Roman generals, able to orchestrate and turn to just for the disagreements between the various peoples of the barbarians themselves. Relations between the generals, the Imperial Court and barbaric peoples, will never be characterized by linearity and stability. At this stage of life of the empire, relations between the two entities are so different, will alternate periods of apparent calm and sudden outbursts of violence. Typical of this attitude is the ambivalent relationship between Aetius and the Huns. In all his victorious military campaigns conducted against the Swabians and Visigoths from 436, the Roman general made use of a solid alliance with the Huns, an alliance that has failed but at least a dozen years later, when, with a Head of the legendary Attila, the Huns will aim straight for Rome. The Huns fail to achieve their goals, stop by the meeting with the pope, plague and death of the valiant general Attila, occurred in 452, which will cause the disintegration of the project and the disintegration of the barbarian team. After the issue of the Huns, the Vandals will be to target the heart and moral capital of the Western Empire, besieging and taking the upper hand on it. In 476 will be the turning point. The last emperor, Romulus Augustus is deposed, replaced by Odoacer, crowned by his subjects, who actually exercise a kind of dominion over Italy for several years, a number of Roman-barbarian kingdoms heterogeneous set.
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The Barbarians and the end of the Roman Empire
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With the death of Constantine, will begin the processes that lead the Roman Empire to radically change its appearance. If until now the Western Empire was to prevail, both economically and militarily, by the death of Constantine onwards, the opposite is true. The eastern areas will prove politically strong and cohesive, while the western gradually cede ground to repeated crises, to disintegrate completely, favoring the emergence of Roman-barbarian kingdoms. The fall of the Western Roman Empire by historians identified with the deposition of Romulus Augustus, which took place in 476, when the introduction of Roman-barbarian kingdoms, confirms a trend already underway for some time, namely the steady infiltration of "foreign" in political and social life of the vast majority of Roman provinces. The most striking figure among the successors of Emperor Constantine, is undoubtedly that of Julian the Apostate, who earned this nickname due to its anti-Christian policy, and attempt to spread back into the social fabric of the pagan cult. This policy obviously did not give the desired results by the emperor, exhausting its effectiveness with his death. On the death of Julian the Apostate, the scepter will pass to Valentinian, who will entrust the kingdom of the Eastern Empire to his brother Valens, which will Graziano, the first emperor to renounce the post of Pontifex Maximus (the charge related to religious ancient pagan traditions). E 'in recent years (378) which was the famous defeat of Adrianople, in Thrace, one of the loudest of the entire history of Rome, during which you will find death the same Valens, Emperor of the East. The regents will be entrusted by Graziano to Theodosius. The main task of Theodosius is to defend the empire from spreading pressure of the barbarian hordes, a problem exacerbated by the defeat of Adrianople, but will also have the merit of having contributed to the rapprochement between the state and Christian church, as well as having undertaken a series of reforms able to channel some trends already in place in the empire. From the military point of view shows Theodosius wanted to systematically integrate the barbarian peoples with the Roman army, allowing in some cases actual settlements in demarcated areas of the empire. The integration policy of the barbarian peoples with western civilization, inaugurated by Theodosius in order to consolidate the empire through their use mainly in military campaigns, had resulted in the disintegration of civilization itself, which did not happen to the Empire of the East , which will keep much longer a certain unity. From the religious point of view Teodoro make stronger integration between state institutions and religious institutions, with a view to complementarity in the management of social conflicts. This conflict will never be appeased at all, as tensions between the Christian and the pagan world, and between church and state, will be among some of the most tension for all subsequent years. On the death of Theodosius the two empires, one of the West and the Orient, are for the first time officially divided, are placed at the head of which respectively two sons of Theodosius, Arcadius and Honorius. The division now seemed inevitable, given the cultural divide between the two areas and human costs and monetary units that entailed. The church will take two different roads: the West will address dictated by the Council of Nicaea, called by Constantine in 325, while in the east will prevail address Arian and Monophysite. Roman history that follows the death of Theodosius is mainly the story of the clash with the barbarians, because of continuous internal upheavals and perpetual political and social instability. From the time of Theodosius, the columns of the empire were made by commanders and their army, the real custodians of the indoor and defensive ramparts. They are the ones that have materially power steering. This character is accentuated even more with his successors. On the death of Theodosius, the empire will be run not by the fact giovanssimo son Honorius as by Stilcone, commander in chief of Western troops. Stilcone policy will be characterized by the great military strategy and defense, what to a proactive policy agreements with the barbarian peoples. He starred in numerous battles to repel the hordes of people aggressors, as the Vandals, Visigoths, Swabians, some of which will come to conclude agreements, granting the territories in which to settle in exchange for non-belligerence. While this policy allowed Western Empire to extend his reign, the other helped to create more friction, arousing the hostility of the imperial court. In yet preserve the heart of the empire in 402 Stilcone move the capital from Rome to Ravenna. This policy was however considered too pro-barbarian from the court, which made sure to cause a revolt among the same ranks of the army Stilcone, where the General himself will find death. The death of Stilcone but will only accelerate the disintegration of the West, as the court of Rome was entirely without means, military and policy makers to stem the increasing invasions. 410 dates from the first Sack of Rome by the Visigoths under Alaric, who penetrated the capital, putting it on fire for three days. This event was a huge symbolic train, and was interpreted as the actual yield of an ancient civilization and great traditions, against a barbaric and uncivilized people. The event will have a greater impact of the fall of the West itself. If the empire can prolong its existence for some years, it will not be for its own internal stability or on the Imperial Court, but simply to the poor organization of the barbarians and military merits of Roman generals, able to orchestrate and turn to just for the disagreements between the various peoples of the barbarians themselves. Relations between the generals, the Imperial Court and barbaric peoples, will never be characterized by linearity and stability. At this stage of life of the empire, relations between the two entities are so different, will alternate periods of apparent calm and sudden outbursts of violence. Typical of this attitude is the ambivalent relationship between Aetius and the Huns. In all his victorious military campaigns conducted against the Swabians and Visigoths from 436, the Roman general made use of a solid alliance with the Huns, an alliance that has failed but at least a dozen years later, when, with a Head of the legendary Attila, the Huns will aim straight for Rome. The Huns fail to achieve their goals, stop by the meeting with the pope, plague and death of the valiant general Attila, occurred in 452, which will cause the disintegration of the project and the disintegration of the barbarian team. After the issue of the Huns, the Vandals will be to target the heart and moral capital of the Western Empire, besieging and taking the upper hand on it. In 476 will be the turning point. The last emperor, Romulus Augustus is deposed, replaced by Odoacer, crowned by his subjects, who actually exercise a kind of dominion over Italy for several years, a number of Roman-barbarian kingdoms heterogeneous set.
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