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“Barbarians” In East: Visigoths (West Goths), Huns In West: Ostrogoths (East Goths), Franks c. 500 BC Germanic peoples migrating to borders of Roman Empire 4th c. AD By now regular contact between barbarians and Romans. Ostrogoths and Visigoths have adopted Arian Christianity 375 Visigoths granted permission to settle in Empire by Valens (r. 364-78) 378 Battle of Adrianople Map Link: The Roman Empire about 395: <http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/shepherd/ roman_empire_395.jpg> 410 Visigoths under Alaric (r. 395-410) sack Rome 410 Death of Alaric. Succeeded by Ataulph (r. 410-16), who married Galla Placidia, mother of Valentinian III (r. 425-55) 451 Huns under Attila (r. 433-53) attack empire, defeated by Aetius at Châlons-sur-Marne 452 Huns invade Italy, threaten Rome 455 Vandals sack Rome Map Link: Peoples and Kindoms in the West about 476: <http://www.shadowedrealm.com/lib/images/medieval/ maps/map001.jpg> 451 Battle of Châlons 453 Death of Attila 476 Odoacar brings Western Roman Empire to an end 486 Clovis (Frank, r. 481-511) takes northern France/Gaul from Syagrius 489-93 Theoderic (Ostrogoth, r. 471-526) takes Italy from Odoacar for Emperor Zeno (r. 474-91) The Franks 496 Clovis defeats Alemanni, adopts Catholic Christianity 511 Death of Clovis, kingdom divided Neustria (Paris) Burgundy Austrasia (Reims, Metz) Map Link: Europe and the East Roman Empire, 533-600: <http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/shepherd_1911/ shepherd-c-052.jpg> The Franks 613-29 Reign of Clothar II of Neustria. Civil conflicts end 623 Austrasia receives son of king of Neustria as king. Arrangement broadly thus until 8th c. The Ostrogoths Theoderic tolerating Catholics under rule, though wary after 518 524 Theoderic executes some Roman aristocrats for treason, incl. Boethius (Consolation of Philosophy) The Ostrogoths 526 Death of Theoderic. Succession dispute follows 535-40 Byzantines under Belisarius conquer Sicily, most of Italy 540-54 Byzantines complete conquest of Italy 568 Lombards conquer parts of Italy The Visigoths 568-86 Reign of Leovigild, who attempts to impose Arianism on state (unsuccessfully) 586-601 Reign of Recared, who converts state to Catholicism Toledo 711 Muslims invade Spain Cassiodorus Flavius Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus (c. 490c. 583) Politician, scholar, educator Classical education. Rhetorical skills win him position at court of Theoderic. Holds various positions until c. 540 c. 540 Leaves court, spends c. 15 years in Constantinople Cassiodorus Retires to monastery of Vivarium, at Squillace, Italy Several works, including Variae (c. 538), collection of official documents from time at court Gregory of Tours 538/39-594/95 Born Clermont-Ferrand, with name Georgius Florentius 573 Becomes Bishop of Tours History of the Franks/ Ecclesiastical Histories, plus saints’ lives