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FOR STUDENTS
Western and Eastern Roman Empires

Main Topics
1. Separation of Western and Eastern Roman Empires
2. Triumph of Christianity
3. Comparison of Germanic and Mediterranean cultures
4. Barbarian invasions of the Western Roman Empire
5. Fall of the Roman Empire in the West

Separation of Western and Eastern Roman Empires and the Triumph of Christianity
 22 Emperors in 50 yrs; Diocletian, Constantine
 284-305 AD: Reign of Diocletian
o establishment of Tetrarchy (see map 7.1)
 303-313: Great Persecution of Christians
 306-312: Victory of Constantine in civil war
 Constantine converted to Christianity: Official religion
o *Constantine had a vision of a cross and if he won he’d become a Christian
and he did
 New Rome: Byzantium or Constantinople (modern-day Turkey)
o Was called Constantinople after Constantine

Map 7.1: Tetrarchy

 See line that divides West and East
 Rhine and Danube rivers
1. Prefecture of Gaul
2. Prefecture of Italy
3. Prefecture of Illyricum
4. Prefecture of the East

Transformation of the Roman World: End of the Western Roman Empire

West East
Fall/End/Transformation of Roman Empire intact under the Roman Emperor in
Constantinople
Huns pressure Germanic tribes to move
westward

Barbarian Goths—Germanic Tribes (the ganyu) -????

The Goths - would only come together during the times of war
– that’s when they finally appointed a leader
-The Huns came along and were unprovoked that’s what caused them to seek help
-They stole Roman equipment

The Romans were already having problems

*the Romans accepted the Goths in but couldn’t feed them

*Most Goths became Christians – eventually steered the religious future of Europe
*Goths would sell themselves to slavery or their kids to be fed
*Romans would give dog meat in exchange of their children for slaves
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*The Goths were holding on to the promise that the Roman Emperor would feed them but
Rome didn’t
*The Goths’ oldest and youngest died
*They raided nearby town/provinces in Thrace
*Thrace called on mainland Romans
*The Goths set the fields on fire
*Both sides had steel armor, archers, etc.

Table: Barbarian Invasions of the Roman Empire in the West

Tribes Areas of Control
1 Anglo-Saxons Most of England
2 Franks Northeast France
3 Burgundians Eastern-central France Franks
4 Vandals North Africa Visigoths
5 Visigoths Most of Spain and southern France Muslims
6 Ostrogoths Italy, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia Lombards
7 Lombards Southern Scandinavia, northwestern Germany Franks
modern Austria, Lombardy (N. Italy)
8 Suevi Northwest Spain
9 Alemanni Switzerland

Huns
 Black Sea
 Destroyed Gothic confederation
 Threw barbarian world into chaos
 Completely unromanized
 Discuss “Two Views of the Huns”
 Settled in Hungary

Attila the Hun

 “the Scourge of God”
 Army: 500,000 men
 Founding of Venice

Germanic Tribes
For Romans:
 Germans: anyone North of Danube & Rhine rivers
 Language: neither Greco-Roman nor Celtic
Borders: partially Romanized
 Language: Latin
 Currency: Roman coins (not barter)
 Roman military allies (late Roman Empire)

See map: Balkans; reference: Danube

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Table: Germanic and Mediterranean Civilizations: A Comparison

Germanic/Gothic Mediterranean Civilization
Preferred rural areas, hunting Civilization based on cities
Economy: plunder/raids Economy: agriculture
Loosely organized around kings, fighting Roman Government: centralized
bands, family groups
Illiterate Tribespeople High Degree of Literacy
“Dirty & smelly group” Valued Public/Private Baths
Beer + Honey Wine

Barbarian Invasions and

Migration Routes

The Germanic Kingdoms:

Visigoths
Largest of the Gothic tribes
Sought protection from Huns
Roman allies: south of Danube (bet. Gaul & Germany), see map of Balkans
Betrayed Roman Emperor, why?
Ill-treatment by Romans
Sell children to slavery for dog flesh
Revolted
Sack of Rome by Alaric (410 AD)
Honorius, Byzantine Emperor (West: Rome) fled

The Germanic Kingdoms: Visigoths

Athaulf, successor, married hostage, Honorius sister
prophecy: “Queen of South will marry King of North”
Converted: Athaulf defender of the Roman Empire
Athaulf murdered
Galla Placida remarried
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Visigothic Kingdom of Spain
Last Rodrigo or Roderick-> defeated by Muslims
Germanic & Roman laws co-existed

The Germanic Kingdoms:Vandals

 Germanic; Scandinavia
 Sea pirates
 ONLY one hostile to Romans
 Defeated by the Visigoths in Spain
 Carthage as base
 Acted like Romans: lifestyle, clothing
 455 AD: King Genseric attacked Rome by sea
 Used Roman ships!
 Worse than Visigoths
Germanics dominated the courts of the Western Empire
476 AD: Odoacer deposes last Roman Emperor

The Germanic Kingdoms: The Franks

Clovis (c. 482 – 511)
Allies of Rome
Conquered Romans, Gauls, Visigoths, etc
Converted to Catholic Christianity c. 500
Clovis II: St. Bathild: Anglo-Saxon
Discuss from Slave to Queen

Charlemagne/Charles the Great/Carolus Magnus

 Carolingians: Carolingian Renaissance
 800 AD: First Holy Roman Emperor
 300 years after the Fall of the Western Roman Empire
 Founder of Europe: united Western Europe
Fusion of Gallo-Roman and Frankish Peoples
Discuss the achievements of Charlemagne by ______
 How many years in power?
 What did he achieve in terms of territory?
 How were the “barbarian” tribes described?

Frankish Kingdom divided into 3 parts after Charlemagne

1. France
2. Germany
3. Italy
Fusion of Gallo-Roman and Frankish Peoples

The Germanic Kingdoms: Anglo-Saxon England

 England a Roman settlement, abandoned by Roman legions
 Germanic tribe from Denmark & N. Germany
 Came as federated troops, settled as rulers
 Protect Britain from other barbarians
 Preserve Christian religion, lost Roman traditions

The Story of St. Patrick of Ireland [discuss if time permits]

Table: Separation of West and East


Roman Empire in the West
Latin
Roman Empire in the West
Roman Catholic: Pope
Latin/Latin rites
Overrun by barbarians
Fall of the Roman Empire in the 4th & 5th
centuries was the fall of the Roman
Empire in the West when Germanic
tribes moved into the western part of
the empire and established various
kingdoms
Fall/Transformed:
Frankish/Carolingians
Germanic/Greco-Roman/Christian
elements
Map:
Kingdom of Visigoths in Spain and southern France
Kingdom of the Franks in Northeast France
Kingdom of the Ostrogoths in Italy
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Roman Empire in the East
Greek
Roman Empire in the East: Byzantine
Empire
Constantinople/Byzantium, the “New
Rome” Good defensible location: Danube
river, Aegean and Black Seas
Greek Orthodox: Patriarchs
Greek/Greek rites
Flourished
Survive for another 1000 years until the
1400s when they fell to the Ottoman
Turks
Combination of Greco-Roman culture,
Roman law, Eastern artistic influences
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Summary
West East
Roman Empire = Roman Empire in the Byzantine Empire = Roman Empire in the
West East
Rome Constantinople/Byzantine
Germanic Kings Byzantine Emperor
Pope Patriarch
Latin Rites Greek Rites
Church-State relations State control
Bread No yeast
Celibate priests Could marry
Roman Catholic Greek Orthodox
Excommunication of patriarch Excommunication of all Roman Catholics
The Rise of Islam
570-632 AD Muhammad
711 AD Defeated Visigoths in Spain
Conquered N. Africa
732 AD Muslim advance halted by the Franks
1071 AD Battle of Manzikert: Islamicized Turks vs. Byzantine
1095-1453 Crusades
1453 Byzantine Empire fell to the Ottoman Turks

Map: The Spread of Islam

Razzia: raids
Jihad: attacks against Byzantine, Persians, etc