History 2401E Lecture 4: Lecture 4 Rise of the Barbarian Kingdoms in the West
19 Feb 2017
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Lecture 4: Rise of the Barbarian Kingdoms in the West
1. Baaia “oiet ad Cultue Duig the Epie
• Baaias ae lagel Geai ad Celti peoples
• Aspects of Germanic society and culture
• Germanic political organization: clan, tribe, chief
• Development of distinct groups: Denmark (Angles); West Germany (Szons, Suevi, Franks,
Alemanni); East Germany (Goths—Visigoths and Ostrogoths, Vandals, Lombards)
• First we hear of them is in extant Roman writings – date from around 100 BC, much earlier than
late Roman Empire
• They were illiterate so our only accounts are from their critics, hostile accounts
• Until they release law codes themselves later on
• Roa ites luped aaias all togethe at fist, the ould’t speak to the
• Germanic: probs migrated south by about 500 BC. They appear on borders of Roman empire by
100 BC
• Celtic people originally there, driven west by Germanic people. By 700 AD in Britain and Ireland
• Mostly pastoral farmers, driving livestock. Fit with their lifestyle because they were nomadic
(not agriculture). They also stole a lot stuff.
• Romans observed they drink a lot lol
• Knew how to work with metals, so not a Stone Age people, but no technology beyond that
• Pagan worship, heroicism?
• No government, conception of a state. Germanics organized into clans, groups of clans unite to
form tribe – claiming that they shared common ancestor, or might divinize the ancestor – clan
associations by kin lines, purpose was protection and revenge (lots of blood feuds). Clans have
chieftain, elected by military prowess. Warriors pledge support to chieftain, they got a share of
the goods and protection – military alliance. Chieftain was also religious (cf. emperor in Roman
empire. Germanic tribes and Celtic people modeled after Romans, and were able to because
they already had stuff in their society that made the Roman way familiar). 3 men tribunal:
judges.
• Matrilineal and patrilineal suggests that amongst Germanic peoples, women had a higher status
than they did in the Mediterranean. This continues throughout middle ages and becomes
significant.
• They embraced and celebrated individual freedom – clan was not subordinate to chieftain, but
relationship was for survival, becomes important later on.
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find more resources at oneclass.com
• Later a hierarchal social structure: Military leaders, free men, freedmen, slaves. Military leaders
supported themselves by raids, and also settled down into farms.
• Baaias hae soe adiale ualities, ut do’t oatiize the. Lots of afae ad
chaos.
• Klingons in Star Trek based on barbarian societies in the Medieval west
• Eastern Germans tended to be nomadic, military
• Western Germans were mainly farmers, permanent settlements
2. Early Contact Between Barbarians and Romans—the fusio of ultues egis
• Early peaceful immigration of the aaias ito the epie a seie, feodeati,
agricultural settlement)
• Trade contacts
• Roman influence also through the conversion of the barbarians to Christianity; Ulfilas, Arianism
Not an abrupt meeting at 100BC
Parts of western Roman empire were being Germanized as the Germanic peoples were being
Romanized
Germanic people imported as slaves and colonni on British cultural estates
Germanic people peacefully entered Roman empire in 3 ways:
- Served in the Roman army, some argue that the end of the Roman empire – bulk of the army
was Germanic. New ideas and values for them.
- Feoderati: Rome gave them land and money in exchange for military service during crises
- Settled land or took it by force
Trade contacts: transmission of culture and ideas
Slowly the barbarian peoples were Christianized, converted to Christianity
Chistiait offes eplaatios of a’s elatioship to osos, ut also has alues. Tasissio of
Christianity is a transmission of worldview, but people also select religion that reflects their worldview.
Goths first to be converted in 4th century AD, converted by Ulfilas (missionary) – created Gothic alphabet
to help.
Christianity also led to literacy - Eastern barbarians more based on Greek alphabet, Western more based
on Latin
Initially leads to tension between them and Romans. Goths converted to Arianism (form of Christianity
that was condemned by the church as heretical). Arianism: Christ was completely human, an example of
hat a peso ould aoplish, ut did’t aept bulk of sacraments as valid (Eucharist). Eventually
converted to orthodox Christianity (called catholic back then).
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find more resources at oneclass.com
400AD is collapse of Roman empire in the west, this when barbarian kingdoms first emerged
3. Barbarian Invasions—cause and effect
• The impact of the Huns; Altaic
• The violent Germanic invasions of the western empire begin
• The murder of Emperor Valens (364-378) by the Visigoths—the real end of the empire in the
west?; Theodosious I (379-395); Alaric I; Stilicho
• How did barbarians begin to fo atios at the ed he the’d ee sepaate fo so log?
• Threat of Huns, defeated on borders of China, crossed Russia and attacked Germanic peoples on
borders of Roman Empire. Led to barbarians into Roman empire, they were fleeing from the
Huns. Those first people came with permission from Roman Empire, granted. But later they
complained of mistreatment by Roman government, Valens went to war and was killed by
barbarians – signaled end of Roman Empire. But Theodocious (Christianity state religion)
regained control
• Barbarians invaded through the Rhineland, fault of Stilleco who decided to defend Rome and
was killed. Church stepped up to defend Rome and bribed barbarians, but Rome eventually
sacked and burned and stuff in 410. Then puppet emperors appointed by Germanic peoples,
late the did’t ee othe appoitig.
4. The Early Barbarian Kingdoms—overview
• Burgundians (412-534)
• Vandals (429-535)
• Italy (Ostrogoths, Lombards, Byzantium, the Papacy)
• Visigoths (in various locations—c.415-c.715)
• British Isles (Angles, Saxons, and Celts; Picts); Heptarchy
None of them listed here survived.
Burgundian Kingdom
- Beat by Huns, move, beat by Francs, etc.
Vandals
- Entered and held North Africa – bad for Rome because they needed grain
- Held to be highly destructive (word vandalism) of property and driving people away
- When other Germanic people entered an area, they intermingled and integrated with society as
long as they were in control
- Hated Rome, constantly attacking Rome, sacked them for 3 days in 410.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Alemanni); east germany (goths visigoths and ostrogoths, vandals, lombards) First we hear of them is in extant roman writings date from around 100 bc, much earlier than late roman empire. They appear on borders of roman empire by. 100 bc: celtic people originally there, driven west by germanic people. By 700 ad in britain and ireland: mostly pastoral farmers, driving livestock. Fit with their lifestyle because they were nomadic (not agriculture). Germanics organized into clans, groups of clans unite to form tribe claiming that they shared common ancestor, or might divinize the ancestor clan associations by kin lines, purpose was protection and revenge (lots of blood feuds). Warriors pledge support to chieftain, they got a share of the goods and protection military alliance. Chieftain was also religious (cf. emperor in roman empire. Germanic tribes and celtic people modeled after romans, and were able to because they already had stuff in their society that made the roman way familiar).
