Invasion of Europe by the Barbarians, The
J. B. Bury
Number of quotes: 16
Book ID: 310 Page: 28
Section: 5D
The history of the third century, as already remarked, showed the natural tendency of the parts of this huge heterogeneous empire to fall asunder. The principal line of division was a language line --a line passing through the Balkan peninsula-- to the west of which line Latin was spoken generally, and to the east, Greek.
Quote ID: 7546
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 310 Page: 29
Section: 3A1
For the purposes of civil administration the whole Empire fell into four great sections, two in the west and two in the east, known as prefectures, because each section was governed by a great minister entitled a praetorian prefect, who was responsible solely to the Emperor.
Quote ID: 7547
Time Periods: 1
Book ID: 310 Page: 46
Section: 3C
The Arianism of Wulfilas is of great importance, for it determined the form in which the Goths ultimately accepted Christianity, a form which was, we may suspect, simpler for their intelligence than the difficult doctrine of Nicaea.Pastor John notes: John’s note: Ha!
Quote ID: 7548
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 310 Page: 63
Section: 3D2
He had taken part in the recent civil war, marching with Theodosius as captain of Gothic federate troops, and had returned with high hope of promotion in the Roman army. He aspired, like other German leaders, to the post of a Roman general commanding legions. He built on promises made by Theodosius, but when that Emperor died the promises were not fulfilled, and Alaric was bitterly disappointed.
Quote ID: 7549
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 310 Page: 96
Section: 3D2
August 24, A.D. 410. This time the Gothic king was in no humour to spare the capital of the world. He allowed his followers to slay, burn, and pillage at will. The sack lasted for two or three days. It is true that some respect was shown for churches; and stories were told to show that the violence of the rapacious Goths was mitigated by veneration for Christian institutions.
Quote ID: 7550
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 310 Page: 110/111
Section: 1A
Thus the process of the dismemberment of the Empire was eased; the transition to an entirely new order of things was masked; a system of federate states within the Empire prepared the way for the system of independent states which was to replace the Empire. The change was not accomplished without much violence and even continuous warfare; but it was not cataclysmic.
Quote ID: 7551
Time Periods: 156
Book ID: 310 Page: 167
Section: 3D2
In the eyes of the government of Constantinople, Romulus Augustulus was a usurper. This usurper had now been deposed by a military revolution; the leader of that revolution, Odovacar, had shown no disloyalty to the eastern emperor, whose authority he fully acknowledged. There was no thought here of any dismemberment, or detachment, or breaking away from the Empire. Odovacar was a Roman officer, he was raised by the army into the virtual position of a magister militum, and his first thought, after the revolution had been carried through, was to get his position regularised by imperial authority, to gain from Zeno a formal recognition and appointment. Odovacar was in fact the successor of the series of German commanders who had supported the Empire for eighty years.
Quote ID: 7552
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 310 Page: 169
Section: 3D2
Accordingly, while he accepted the patriciate from Zeno, and so legitimised his position as an imperial minister in the eyes of Italy, he fortified himself by assuming another title which must have expressed his relation to the barbarian army, viz. the title of king, rex. We do not know what solemnity or form accompanied the assumption of this title. But its effect was to give Odovacar the double character of a German king as well as an imperial officer. A close parallel to this double position is that of Alaric at the close of the fourth century.
Quote ID: 7553
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 310 Page: 170
Section: 3D2
The year 476 has been generally taken as a great landmark, and the event has been commonly described as the fall of the Western Empire. This unfortunate expression conveys a wholly erroneous idea of the bearings of Odovacar’s revolution.
Quote ID: 7554
Time Periods: 56
Book ID: 310 Page: 172
Section: 3D2
I must return to the settlement of the barbarians in Italy which was carried out by Odovacar. Two-thirds of their estates were left to the Italian proprietors; one-third was taken from them and assigned to the German soldiers, who were thus distributed throughout Italy.....
These divisions of land among the barbarians were simply an extension of the old Roman system of quartering soldiers.
Quote ID: 7555
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 310 Page: 240/241
Section: 3D2
A ruler of Clovis’s intelligence could not have failed to discern the immense support he would derive from the Gallo-Roman Church by his conversion.But it was equally manifest that his Christianity would be worse than useless if it were Christianity of the Arian form. To embrace the Arian creed might have seemed the obvious course, seeing that his German neighbours--Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Burgundians--were all Arian. That would have been a fatal mistake; and we may be sure that it was neither an accident nor his own religious preferences, but his political perceptions, that helped him to avoid it. It would be absurd to suppose that he weighed in the balance of judgement the Arian against the Catholic doctrine, and decided on grounds of reason or theory in favour of the former.
Quote ID: 7556
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 310 Page: 242/243
Section: 3D2
The incalculable importance of Clovis’s adhesion to the Catholic faith has been fully recognised by historical writers. They emphasise it strongly as an event of ecumenical consequence--Welthistoriche Beteutung. What they have not seen clearly enough is that the event was not an accident or a sudden inspiration. It was, so far as I can see, the crown of a consistent, calculated policy, which displays Clovis’s high intelligence and eminently statesmanlike perception. To suppose that he was not conscious of the political bearings of what he did, to believe that it was the toss of the dice or a freak of circumstance whether he became a Catholic or an Arian, is to hold an opinion of Clovis’s mental power which is inconsistent with his great achievements.....
It was simply a case of taking a wide and statesmanlike view of the political situation, estimating the conditions in which his kingdom was placed, and choosing the policy which would best tend to its consolidation.
Quote ID: 7557
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 310 Page: 248
Section: 3D2
Clovis embraced Christianity in its Catholic form, and, when the time was ripe, he could profess to go forth as a champion of Catholic orthodoxy to drive the Arian heretics from Gaul.Pastor John notes: John’s note: The Franks & the Gothics!!!!!
The lordship of Aquitaine hereby passed from the Goths to the Franks; it became part of Francia in a wide sense of the term; and the authority of Clovis extended to the Pyrenees.
Quote ID: 7558
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 310 Page: 249
Section: 3D2
The overthrow of the Visigoths made a deep impression on the Gallo-Roman Church, and the impression is preserved in the pages of Gregory of Tours......
Gregory represents Clovis as invading their kingdom without any provocation. “It vexes me”, said Clovis to his followers, “to see these Arians holding a part of Gaul. Let us attack them with God’s aid, and, having conquered them, subjugate their land”. We need not take this story literally, but it expresses an important historical fact, viz. that Clovis’s Visigothic war stands out among his other wars as one in which he had the enthusiastic support, not merely of his own Franks, but of the Gallo-Roman Christians and the Church.
Quote ID: 7559
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 310 Page: 250
Section: 3D2
The enlargement of his kingdom by the annexation of south-western Gaul altered the centre of the realm, and rendered it expedient for the king to move his residence farther west than Soissons. He fixed on Paris, which then, at the very moment when the greater part of Gaul became co-extensive with Francia, was chosen for preeminence.
Quote ID: 7560
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 310 Page: 252/253
Section: 3D2
But the most important point is that his Gallic kingdom, when it was an accomplished fact, was recognised by the Emperor Anastasius as nominally within and not outside the Empire......
The founder of the Frank monarchy died in 511, and for the last three years of his life he was by virtue of his consular title formally recognised by the Empire. That title was doubtless a recognition of his championship of orthodoxy against the Arian Visigoths.
Quote ID: 7561
Time Periods: ?
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