Barbarian Invasions

Outline
Diversity of Peoples
Goths, Huns, Burgundians, Lombards, Bretons,
Franks, Mongols, Avars, Alans

What We Know (and Dont)

Ethnogenesis
Migration Patterns & Factors
Early Interactions
The Goths
Whats Left of the Roman Empire

The Wandering of Peoples

c.400-600
Who is a
Barbarian?
Feared,
Admired,Tolerated,
Scorned, Absorbed
Continual Expansion
= Incorporation of
large, foreign
populations within
the Empire
Europe & the Eastern Roman Empire, c.600

Migrations
Traditional views v.
modern
historiography
Pull Factors developments inside
the Roman military,
the Grand
Strategy, foedera
it is folly to use wolves as watchdogs. - Senator Synesius of Cyrene

Migrations
Push Factors - take
advantage of
Romes riches in
varying degrees,
division amongst
people in the limes,
very violent raids

Organization
Nationes, Gentes
(Roman)
Celts, Germans,
Slavs (modern)
Debates
Multi-ethnic

Organization
Tribes - small
communities, can be
fragmented,
predominantly
egalitarian

Organization
Tribes - small
communities, can be
fragmented,
predominantly
egalitarian

Organization
Ethnic Group enduring community,
defined by its own
culture, conscious of
identity, awareness
of a shared past

Organization
Ethnic Group enduring community,
defined by its own
culture, conscious of
identity, awareness
of a shared past

Organization
Ethnogenesis - the
creation of a new
ethnic group
identity; study of
how ethnicities
came into being,
changed over time
Were ethnic
differences but they
were in constant flux
Identities voluntary

Organization
Nomadic & Sedentary
Barbarian Kingship
Succession: electoral &
hereditary
Cult of Personality
Justice

Blood feuds
Wergild
Compurgation
Trial by Ordeal

Justice of Emperor Otto III, panel

depicting Trial by Fire (Dieric Bouts the Elder, 1470-75)

The Bog People

Tollund Man
- Jutland
- 300s C.E.

Found in the peat bogs of NW

Europe
Theories on their deaths
Huldremose Woman
- Jutland, d.160-340 C.E.

Problem of the Suevian Knot

Osterby Man, 1-100 C.E.

Now I shall speak of the Suevi a

peculiarity is that they comb their hair
to the side and bind it together in a
knot. In this way, the Suevi distinguish
themselves from other Germans, and
the free men from the slaves. Other
people also wear their hair in this way,
perhaps because they like this
fashion. But this hairstyle is unusual
except among the Suevi, and is
generally found only among young
people. The Suevi, on the other hand,
even those of advanced age, comb
their unruly hair back, and then make
the knot on the crown of the head.
The nobles dress their hair even more
artfully.
- Tacitus, Germania, Chapter 38

Early Interactions
Hermann (Armin) the
German
Cherusci
Emperor Augustus,
1st c. C.E.

General Varus defeat

Barbarians traumatized
the Empire

Arminius the Liberator

Early Interactions
Dacians
Carpathian
Mountains
Advanced,
sophisticated

Trajan leads 13
Legions
Profits
Empire stops
expanding during
Hadrians Reign
Trajans Column, 112-113 C.E.

The Goths
In Search of the Goths
Gutones, NW Poland, 1st c. C.E.
Jordanes Getica, 6th c. C.E. :
Oral tradition, (now lost) Gothic History by
Cassiodorus, Gothic historian Albabius
How do we read Jordanes?

The Goths
Gothic Identity

Some semblance of identity, 1st-2nd c. C.E.

Fragmented experience
Arian
4th c. Agricultural revolution, advanced metalworking,
glass production

The Goths
Crossing into the Roman Empire

Pressure from the Huns, 4th c. C.E.

Crossing the Danube
Gothic revolt, 378 C.E.
Tervingi and Greunthungi Goths
Visigoths

The Goths
The Sack of Rome*, August 410
Under the leadership of Alaric
40,000 Goths enter the gates of Rome
Wholesale violence and destruction or peaceful pilgrims?

* They werent the only ones.

5th Century Migrations

Chaos in Gaul
Vandals, Suevi, Alans cross Rhine (406)
and slowly move south
Romans leave Spain
Vandals cross into Iberian Peninsula,
429

Italian Peninsula
Odoacer, 476
Emperor Zeno (East)
persuades (Ostrogothic)
Theoderic to undertake
a campaign
Lombards in Italy (568774)

Paul the Deacon

Lombard shield, 7th c.

Europe, c. 500 C.E.

Visigoths: most
extensive
Clovis victory, 507
British Isles
Angles, Saxons
Kingdoms: Essex,
Sussex, Wessex,
Kent, East Anglia,
Northumbria, Mercia

Beowulf-codex of the British Museum MS Cotton Vitellius A. xv

Offas Dyke

The New Order

New Barbarian kingdoms
Ruralization of the West
Disappearance of the urban middle
class
Cities - religious and political centers
Change in lifestyle
Wealth based on land