Transcript File - Mr. C at Hamilton

NOT the Dark Ages
 The Middle Ages (300 – 1475)
 The Dark Ages (476 – 800)
 or, more generally, to the period between about 500 and
1000, which was marked by frequent warfare and a
virtual disappearance of urban life. It is now rarely used
by historians because of the value judgment it implies.
 Medieval
 Typically an adjective, can be a noun; of or relating to the
Middle Ages : of or relating to the period of European
history from about A.D. 500 to about 1500
 medium aevum
 You can use this word instead of “The Middle Ages”.
 Edward Gibbon
 The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
 (18th Century – 1700’s)
 A gloomy story of degeneration and decay.
 Places a lot of blame on Christianity/Catholicism.
 Jacob Burckhardt
 The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy
 (19th Century – 1800’s)
 The modern state only became possible when Renaissance
men turned their backs on “faith, illusion, and childish
pursuits” of the MA.
 Problems with these two views?
 WHEN WE ASSUME…
 MA was grossly inferior to ancient world or modern
world
 Modern civilisation grew directly from Classical roots
and that the MA was an aberration
 In the cool kid terms, they retconned history
 It’s not cool?
 1. the act of departing from the right, normal, or usual
course.
 2. the act of deviating from the ordinary, usual, or
normal type.
 3. deviation from truth or moral rectitude.
 4. mental irregularity or disorder, especially of a minor
or temporary nature; lapse from a sound mental state.
 The Middle Ages arise as a synthesis of the Roman
Empire, the Church, and the German barbarians.
 The MA impacts our culture today.
 Are you impacted by your parents?
 Were they impacted by your grandparents?
 Ecetera (and all the rest)
 When did the Roman Empire/Classical civilization
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end and the Middle Ages begin?
When did the Western world begin its religious
tradition?
When did the West take the lead in technology?
When and how did the Western world develop distinct
“governments” separate from ancient world,
Byzantium, and Islam?
What pieces of the MA still exists in our world?
 Byzantium
 Constantinople
 Istanbul
 Politicians battling each other instead of paying
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attention to matters of state.
First Triumvirate Julius Caesar, Pompey, Crassus
Julius Caesar challenges the Senate crosses the
Rubicon
47 BC virtual ruler, increased Senate to 900
44 BC assassinated, Second Triumvirate
 Octavius, Marc Antony, Lepidus
 Battle of Actium 31 BC End of an era
 Caesar Augustus- purpose “to restore the republic”
 27 BC Augustus become “First Citizen” Princeps
 ended strife- beginning of Pax Romanae
 tried to impact life- morality, building
 sculpture- deified him, literature as well
 Consolidation- of power/ Senate limited
 SPQR Senatus Populusque Romanus- banner
 Ever expanding- see maps- spread Pax Romanae
 Politically - emperor/ dictatorship
 Extended Roman citizenship as they spread
 Golden Age- literature Horace, Virgil, Ovid and
Livy
 Religion- state religion, Roman gods reflected
Greek
 emperor became “divine” connection to gods
 tolerant of other religions Mithras, Persian god of light
 Gods for EVERYTHING
 People used the ‘’gods’’ to extract revenge.
 Curse tablets
 These texts were typically scratched on very thin sheets
of lead in tiny letters, then often rolled, folded, or
pierced with nails. These bound tablets were then
usually placed beneath the ground: either buried in
graves or tombs, thrown into wells or pools, sequestered
in underground sanctuaries, or nailed to the walls of
temples.
 Very superstitious.
 Important to building projects and way of life
 Conquests supplied slaves so came from all over
 Not related to ethnicity or skin color
 Greek slaves educated and highly prized
 Amazing accomplishments- Roads that still last
 Aqueducts- bringing water to every important city
 Temples for the gods- copied Greek style- massive
 Forum- public area of the city- center- oration etc.
 Theaters- for entertainment- drama
 Coliseums- more fun, fights, gladiators, animals
 Baths- public places- series of rooms dif temps
 Good- Marcus Aurelius-philosopher “citizen of the
world”
 Calm and unified- Trajan, Hadrian, walls and rebels
 Bad- Caligula- named horse “consul”, Commodus,
fought gladiators with blunted weapons, Nero, mass
murder- including his mother, pregnant wife, brother,
Christians
 Many later emperors were generals- most powerful
could become emperor
 Helped Christianity spread- communication
 Appeal- unrest, questioning of polytheism
 explained spiritual aspects, Christ’s teachings
 emphasis of eternal life
 community exclusive (mystery religion)
 Persecution- under Nero, blamed for fire
 mostly tolerant, Christians refused to worship state
 Effect- spread slowly- letters formed NT
 officially tolerated 313 Edict of Milan
 Homer – Man had a soul and went to the Elysian Fields
 Plato – Life is indestructible
 Plutarch – immortality through Dionysian initiations
 And of course, all the many Roman gods:
 “For your cattle, for them to be healthy, make this
sacrifice to Mars Silvanus… If you want, you make this
vow each year”
 -Cato the Elder
 Late Roman Empire (LRE) – period of decline
 Trying hard to reinvigorate the pagan cults
 Mimicry of older texts; no new ideas
 Early Christianity – period of vitality
 To understand the religious life of the LRE, we have to
appreciate the uniqueness of Jesus as a religious
teacher and the ways in which Jesus’ teaching
interacted with the pre-existing Hellenistic culture of
the empire in the east.
 Rooted in Judaic teachings of one God (Yahweh or
Jehovah; JEHOVA – ΙΕΗΩΟΥΑ
 Prophetic tradition of a coming Messiah to redeem
Israel
 Not addressed to Jews alone: “make disciples of all
nations.”
 First Apostles had to address communities of gentiles
and Jews throught the Mediterranean who shared
Greek as a common language
 The books of the New Testament were written in
 The books of the New Testament were written in koine
Greek, or colloquial Greek, the everyday speech of the
cities.
 ἡ κοινὴ διάλεκτος, "the common dialect"
 At first they seemed hostile to each other, “What has
Athens to do with Jerusalem?”
 Intellectuals, well versed in Greek philosophy, came to
realize the message of Jesus was compatible with the
teachings of the greatest Greek philosophers.
 The religious culture of the LRE was shaped by this.
 I cannot stress this enough, it should be understood
that there is a long history of "Hellenism" (Greek
culture/influence) among the Jewish people, both in
ancient Alexandria as well as in the Promised Land
itself.
 Ossuaries dating from the Second Temple period
indicate Greek artwork and Greek versions of Hebrew
names.
 In Biblical Archaeological Review, Pieter W. Van Der
Horst writes, "One of the most surprising facts about
funerary inscriptions [extant from ancient Palestine
dating from 300 B.C. to 500 A.D] is that most of them
are in Greek - approximately 70 percent; about 12
percent are in Latin; and only 18 percent are in Hebrew
or Aramaic."
 Furthermore, since the time of Alexander the Great (c.
330 B.C), many of the Jewish High Priests had become
"Hellenists" which led to the rejection of the Temple
by the Essene Community and eventually to the later
Maccabean revolts.
 Even the Dead Sea Scrolls include Greek texts among
the Hebrew and Aramaic.
 So it's clear that Hellenistic culture and Greek
language were pervasive influences in Israel both
before, during, and after the time when Jesus lived in
ancient Israel.
 SO WHEN I SAY THAT GREEK IS AN IMPORTANT
LANGUAGE NECESSARY TO HAVING A DEEPER
UNDERSTANDING OF CHRISTIANAITY AND THE
MIDDLE AGES I MEAN IT.
 That is not to discredit Latin. The MA are meaningless
without it, but the Greek gives a deeper and fuller
understanding of the philosophical and cultural
foundations for what will become Christianity, the
Church, and therefore the Middle Ages.
 The ancient religion of Rome
 Little emotional content
 Services performed for gods so they would show favor
 Business bargain/contract
 quid quo pro – this for that
 Many gods were borrowed:
 Greek
 Egyptian
 Middle-East/”Orient”
 oriens – east in Latin
 Originally, the term referred to Egypt, the Levant, and
adjoining areas.
 Greek
 Iupiter (Optimus Maximus) –
 Mars –
 Venus –
 ecetera – Latin for “and all the rest”
 Egyptian
 Isis married her brother, Horus, and helped raise her
son, Osiris, back from the dead when he was killed by
his brother, Set.
 Middle-East/”Orient”
 Cybele was known as Magna Mater ("Great Mother").
 Sol Invictus ("Unconquered Sun") was the official sun
god of the later Roman Empire and a patron of soldiers.
 Roman religion was NOT exclusive.
 The gods of Gauls & Brits were added and mixed with
an existing god, or given their own place if new.
 always a problem with the Jews and their Yahweh
 They did not, nor intended to, inspire people to a high
moral standard or teach them purpose.
 Remember, this was a business deal.
 Many people felt a yearning for truth and goodness
 This is based on the widespread appeal of alternative
philosophies and religions
 Beginning at around 301 BC, Zeno taught philosophy
at the Stoa Poikile (i.e., "the painted porch")
 ἡ ποικίλη στοά
 Stoicism teaches the development of self-control and
fortitude as a means of overcoming destructive
emotions; the philosophy holds that becoming a clear
and unbiased thinker allows one to understand the
universal reason (logos).
λόγος, the word; from λέγω lego "I say"
 A primary aspect of Stoicism involves improving the individual's ethical and moral
well-being: "Virtue consists in a will that is in agreement with Nature.“
 This principle also applies to the realm of interpersonal relationships; "to be free
from anger, envy, and jealousy," and to accept even slaves as "equals of other men,
because all men alike are products of nature."

Stoa of Attalos in Athens
 Began with the philosopher Plotinus in the 3rd century AD
and continued with his critics and commentators until the
529 AD closing of the Platonic Academy in Athens.

By this time there was a shift in Roman culture against Hellenic pagan philosophy to Christian dogma.
 Everything had to start somewhere:
 the doctrine of "the One" beyond being.
 Plato says that the Good is beyond being (ἐπέκεινα τῆς οὐσίας) in
power and dignity.
 The original Being initially emanates, or throws out, the nous,
which is a perfect image of the One and the archetype
(model/example) of all existing things.
 Along the same road by which it descended, the soul must retrace
its steps back to the supreme Good. It must, first of all, return to
itself. This is accomplished by the practice of virtue, which aims at
likeness to God, and leads up to God.
 The appeal of Stoicism?
 The appeal of Neoplatonism?
 The appeal of Stoicism?
 A natural law common to all people was attractive to the
rulers of a “universal” empire.
 Emperor Marcus Aurelius was a Stoic philosopher.
 See a trace of this in St. Paul (Romans 2:14):
 “Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law
requires…”
 The appeal of Neoplatonism?
 A single eternal being known as “the One” or “the Good”
 Promotion of virtue
 Similarities of Stoicism, Neoplatonism, & Christianity?
 Similarities of Stoicism, Neoplatonism, & Christianity?
 All are concerned with the promotion of virtue and
leading a “good life”.
 In the beginning was the Word (λόγος) and the Word
(λόγος) was with God and the Word (λόγος) was God
… and the Word (λόγος) became flesh and dwelt
among us. (John 1: 1, 14)
 Greek ἰχθύς - "fish“
 Ίησοῦς 
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Jesus
Χριστός – Christ (Annointed One/the annointed)
Θεοῦ - God’s (of God – genetive/possessive case)
Υἱός son,
Σωτήρ - savior
 An early circular ichthys symbol from Ephesus.
 One of the earliest Christian inscriptions (3rd
century), this funerary stele preserves the traditional
abbreviation D. M., Dis Manibus, "for the Manes
gods", with the Christian motto in Greek Ichthys
zōntōn ("fish of the living") and the identity of the
deceased in Latin.
Dis Manibus - deities sometimes thought to
represent souls of deceased loved ones.
 Marriage between a Christian and pagan is forbidden.
 Although some argue that such marriages are
indirectly supported the Pauline privilege in 1
Corinthians 7:12–14: "For the unbelieving husband is
sanctified through his (believing) wife, and the
unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing
husband."
 I would argue that St. Paul said this to couples that
were already married.
 Imagine the situation, married couple, one converts, do
they now divorce their spouse if they refuse to convert?
 For some Pagans, they were okay with Christianity.
 Similarities to mystery religions?
 Death and rebirth
 Cybylene - Syria
 Mythra – Persia
 Osiris – Egypt
 Cleansing one from sin and leading a virtuous life.
 Some type of everlasting life promise.
 Some Romans entered almost ALL of the cults.
 They were like Pokemon!
 Differences?
 Differences?
 Jewish tradition of Monotheism
 Mono= 1 in Greek, Theo= God in Greek
 Immediate and concrete origin
 Jesus was a real person who lived fairly recently.
 Simple
 Love God. Love your neighbor.
 Complex
 God is love. The Kingdom of Heaven is within you.
 One Single God: Three Personae
 Three roles: Father, Son, & Holy Ghost
 NOT TRYING TO CONVERT ANYONE!
 One single God.
 Human nature flawed and corrupt with the first sin of
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disobediance.
God promised a Messiah.
The Redeemer appeared during the reign of Augustus
Caesar.
God the Son became incarnate in the man, Jesus, born
of the Virgin Mary.
Jesus proves his divinity through miracles.
 Compare and contrast with the standard Roman
prayer:
 To the gods above and the gods below, and all the ones I
do not know, whether you be god or goddess, in return for
my sacrifice grant me…
 Remember! Roman pagan prayers were phrased like
legal documents that could obligate gods for particular
action and protection.
 Public religious ritual had to be enacted by specialists
and professionals faultlessly; a mistake might require
that the action, or even the entire festival, be repeated
from the start.
 NOT TRYING TO CONVERT ANYONE!
 Eventually the Medieval Church (Catholic) will
build a whole structure of sacramental theology
on the basis of these scriptures, specifically:
 Matt. 16:18 & 18:18
18 And
I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this
rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it.
 18 Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon
earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever
you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in
heaven.

 NOT TRYING TO CONVERT ANYONE!
 Eventually the Medieval Church (Catholic) will
build a whole structure of sacramental theology
on the basis of these scriptures, specifically:
 Matt. 26:26-28
26 And
whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and
blessed, and broke: and gave to his disciples, and said:
Take ye, and eat. This is my body.
 27 And taking the chalice, he gave thanks, and gave to
them, saying: Drink ye all of this.
 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall
be shed for many unto remission (forgiveness) of sins.

 NOT TRYING TO CONVERT ANYONE!
 Final Commandment
 Matt. 28: 19-20
19 Going
therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost.
 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you: and behold I am with you all days,
even to the consummation of the world.

 The Church spreads quickly among the Greek
speaking communities; from Rome to Asia Minor.
 It slowly spreads through the Latinized, western
Empire.
 By the third century (200’s AD) there are enough
Christians that they become politically important.
 When disputes arise they are settled by local councils
of bishops.
 Given what we’ve covered on philosophy, pagan
Roman religions & traditions, and early Christianity…
 … WHICH IS A LOT!
 …It’s obvious there would be no problems. <sarc/>
 As Christianity spreads, it encounters scornful hostility
from pagan intellectuals.
 WATCH THE VIDEO(S) ON THE WEBSITE!!!
 Calligula (37-41 AD)
 In his defense, he was crazy.
 He kills some, not as much as..
 Nero (54-68 AD)
 Fire in Rome? Umm, it was the Christians!
 Marcu Aurelius (121-180 AD)
 Yes, even the last of the “good Emperors”!
 Persecutions increase under him.
 Diocletian
 Great Persecution – Do you think it was bad?
 Ordered that the deacon Romanus of Caesarea have his
tongue removed for defying the order of the courts
 Difficulties for Educated Pagans
 Miracles? That’s okay.
 Resurrection? No problem.
 Difficulties for Educated Pagans
 Miracles? That’s okay.
 Resurrection? No problem.
 Difficulties for Educated Pagans
 Miracles? That’s okay.
 Resurrection? No problem.
 Executed as a criminal, displacing all other gods, having
simple teachings instead of using elegant myths or
nuanced arguments.
 Difficulties for Educated Pagans
 Miracles? That’s okay.
 Resurrection? No problem.
 Executed as a criminal, displacing all other gods, having
simple teachings instead of using elegant myths or
nuanced arguments.
 To many pagan intellectuals it was a perverse and
irrational cult.
 Celebration of the Eucharist? Cannablism.
 Christian love? Unrestrained licentiousness.
 In the words of one critic:
 They know one another by secret marks and signs and they
love one another almost before they know one another…
there is a religion of lust among them… their vain and
sensless superstition glories in crime.
 The real problem with Christianity lies in the reality that
pagans found it could not be assimilated the way other
religions had been; thus it was a danger to the state – in
their eyes.
 Under Diocletian, the political division of the Roman
Empire began.
 In 285, he promoted Maximian to the rank of Augustus
(Emperor) and gave him control of the Western
regions of the Empire. In 293, Galerius and
Constantius Chlorus were appointed as their
subordinates (Caesars), creating the First Tetrarchy.
 This system effectively divided the Empire into four
major regions and created separate capitals besides
Rome as a way to avoid the civil unrest that had
marked the 3rd century.
 The system of the Tetrarchy quickly ran aground when
the Western Roman Empire's Constantius died
unexpectedly in 306, and his son Constantine the
Great was proclaimed Augustus of the West by the
legions in Britain.
 A crisis followed as several claimants attempted to rule
the Western half. In 308, the Augustus of the East,
Galerius, arranged a conference at Carnuntum which
revived the Tetrarchy by dividing the West between
Constantine and a newcomer named Licinius.
 So what changes?
 Constantine – watch the video
 Battle of the Milvian Bridge
 Attacking Maxentius in Rome. Maximin is in the east.
Constantine & Licinius will kick his butt later.
 312 AD"(ἐν) τούτῳ νίκα“
 (In hoc signo vinces) In this sign, conquer.
 313 AD Edict of Milan issued by Emperors Constantine
the Great and Licinius; Christianity was legalized.
 Greek letters: X (chi) P (rho)
 first two letters of Χριστός – Christ
 Constantine was far more interested in conquering the
whole empire. Through a series of battles in the East
and the West, Licinius and Constantine stabilized
their respective parts of the Roman Empire by 314, and
began to compete for sole control of a reunified state.
 Constantine emerged victorious in 324 after the
surrender and murder of Licinius following the Battle
of Chrysopolis.
 The Tetrarchy ended, but the idea of dividing the
Roman Empire between two emperors had been
validated.
 Very strong emperors would reunite it under their
single rule, but with their death the Roman Empire
would be divided again and again between the East
and the West.
 Theodosius I was the last Emperor to rule both parts of
the Roman Empire.
 Theodosius I was the last Emperor to rule both parts of
the Roman Empire.
 By convention, the Western Roman Empire is deemed
to have ended on September 4th, 476, when Odoacer,
an east Germanic barbarian, deposed Romulus
Augustulus.
 The end of the Roman empire.
 The Eastern Roman Empire, with its capital in
Constantinople, continues for another 1000 years.
 Byzantine to us
 ‘’Rums’’ to the exapnding Arab/Muslim empires
 Constantine:
 Christianity transformed from a persecuted sect to the
favored religion of the Empire.
 Modern historians are skeptical and look for reasons.
 But there is no good reason for him to convert.
 Christians not popular
 Not represented in the army
 Safe to say Constantine believed in the Christian God
 [I was] “brought to the faith by God to be the means of
the faith’s triumph.”
 Rights under Constantine:
 Receive legacies (endowments/inheritance)
 Freedom from taxes
 Legal jurisdiction (cannon law)
 Sanctuary
 All of Constantine’s successors, save one – Julian (361-
363 AD) were Christian.
 Constantine becomes the sole Emperor in 324AD.
 In the east, a religious controversy has started.
 Arianism – Arius a priest in Alexandria
 The Son, the logos, had not existed from all eternity but
was created by the one God who alone was eternal.
 Constantine decides to settle it once and for all by
calling all the bishops together to discuss it.
 Previously, local groups of bishops would settle disputes.
 He makes all the traveling facilities of the imperial
postal service at their service.
 Constantine creates a new institution of Church
government, the general council.
 Produces a definition of doctrine and condemns
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
Arianism.
The Son is of “one substance with the Father”.
Later becomes the Nicene Creed.
This argument will continue on in the churches in the
east for several decades.
It is not finally settled until Theodosius I (379-95 AD).
 Theodosius I supports the Nicene Creed.
 He called for another council.
 The Council of Constantinople (381 AD)
 Reaffirms the doctrine of Nicea.
 It is important to know:
This debate has bishops eventually arguing with the
Emperor over interference in Church matters
2. This matter is not settled in the east until the
Emperor steps in.
1.
 This will have lasting ramifications.
 Instability caused by no real plan of succession
 Trouble on the borders (barbarians)
 Morally bankrupt?
 Division of Empire: Diocletian
 Later Constantine: new capital, Constantinople
 Splits focus, and money, of the empire
 Pressure from Germanic tribes looking for safety
 Huns pressured the Visogoths-410- ran into the empire
 Vandals- 455- sacked Rome
 Series of invasions- physical damage, but also
intellectual
 established German kingdoms in West- illiterate
 The East survives- becomes Byzantium- keeps the
learning from the ancient world
 Were they “Barbarians”?
 Were they “Barbarians”?
 Of course they were!
 Barbarian in Greek = βάρβαρος
 Definition:“foreign, strange”
 onomatopoeic (mimicking foreign languages, 'blah blah')
 Barbarian in Latin = barbarus
 The borders of the Roman Empire did not keep
foreigners out very well.
 FOURTH CENTURY (300-399 A.D.)
 And we should all know A.D. stands for:
 And it means:
 Were they “Barbarians”?
 Of course they were!
 Barbarian in Greek = βάρβαρος
 Definition:“foreign, strange”
 onomatopoeic (mimicking foreign languages, 'blah blah')
 Barbarian in Latin = barbarus
 The borders of the Roman Empire did not keep
foreigners out very well.
 FOURTH CENTURY (300-399 A.D.)
 And we should all know A.D. stands for: Anno Domini
 And it means: In the year of our Lord.
 We do not really have a “pure Roman” world and a “pure
Barbarian” world.
 Teuton/Teutonic:
 A tribe known in Latin as the Teutones. The term
"Teutons" also may refer to the Germanic peoples
collectively or the Germans in particular.
 ~500 B.C. Germanic people begin to migrate from
their northern homelands.
 By ~100 B.C. they begin to occupy “Germany”
 Formerly the land of the …
 ANYONE CARE TO GUESS?
 Teuton/Teutonic:
 A tribe known in Latin as the Teutones. The term
"Teutons" also may refer to the Germanic peoples
collectively or the Germans in particular.
 ~500 B.C. Germanic people begin to migrate from
their northern homelands.
 By ~100 B.C. they begin to occupy “Germany”
 Formerly the land of the Celts.
 Julius Caesar writes about them in 50 B.C.
 Other German peoples follow:
 The general trend is south and west though some go
south and east, establishing themselves in southern
Russia.
my.fit.edu
 Sparse evidence.
 Some Roman writers – Tacitus
 Archaeology & Anthropology
 Clues left behind in the German language
 Pastoral
 Does this word make you think of anything???
 Sparse evidence.
 Some Roman writers – Tacitus
 Archaeology & Anthropology
 Clues left behind in the German language
 Pastoral
 They lived on the produce of their flocks and herds.
 butter, cheese, meat
 Knew how to work iron, but small supplies of the
metal.
 Typically used bronze, wood, leather
 How is bronze made?
 Sparse evidence.
 Some Roman writers – Tacitus
 Archaeology & Anthropology
 Clues left behind in the German language
 Pastoral
 They lived on the produce of their flocks and herds.
 butter, cheese, meat
 Knew how to work iron, but small supplies of the
metal.
 Typically used bronze, wood, leather
 How is bronze made?
 Alloy of copper and tin. 9:1 ratio
 Brass is an alloy of Copper and Zinc; 7:3 ratio
 Agriculture
 Ox drawn plough if they had to.
 Primarily they hunted.
 Favorite pursuits:
 Hunting
 Fighting
 Plundering
 Political system
 What do you think?
 Oligarchy
 Monarchy
 Aristocracy
 Republic
 Democracy
 Political system
 Chieftain with kin groups
 (Warlords)
 Remember, this will be on the exam.
 There were aproximately 16 Germanic Tribes:
 Alans, Angul(Angels), Aurvandil (Vandals), Burgundus
(Burgundians), Cibidus(Cibidi), Dan (Danes), Franks,
Gepids, Gothus(Goths), Ingve (Ynglings), Irmin
(Irminones), Longobardus (Lombards), Nór
(Norwegians), Normans (partial Germanic peoples),
Ostrogoths, Rugians, Saxneat (Saxons), Sciri, Teutoni,
Valagothus (Valogoths), and Visigoths.
 Remember, this will be on the exam.
 There were aproximately 16 Germanic Tribes:
 Alans, Angul(Angels), Aurvandil (Vandals), Burgundus
(Burgundians), Cibidus(Cibidi), Dan (Danes), Franks,
Gepids, Gothus(Goths), Ingve (Ynglings), Irmin
(Irminones), Longobardus (Lombards), Nór
(Norwegians), Normans (partial Germanic peoples),
Ostrogoths, Rugians, Saxneat (Saxons), Sciri, Teutoni,
Valagothus (Valogoths), and Visigoths.
 Kidding. BUT you should know the main ones.
 Ever since the last century before Christ the Roman
world and the barbarian world have influenced each
other.
 EXAMPLES?
 German Slaves & coloni (colonist, settler OR farmer)
 German fighters
 Joined as individuals or formed German units a.k.a. foederatti
(allies)
 Fought under their own Chieftain
 Amount of assimilation depended on proximity and
receptivity
 ALSO depended on other factors:
 Two Roman provinces had been from the beginning a
blend of:
 WHAT TWO CULTURES: ???
 LOCATED WHERE: ???
 Goths were Christianized by Empire in the East
 ALSO depended on other factors:
 Two Roman provinces had been from the beginning a
blend of:
 WHAT TWO CULTURES: Roman & Celtic
 LOCATED WHERE: Gaul & Britain
 So was it that ‘weird’ to have these German Barbarians?
 Goths were Christianized by Empire in the East
 Trade between the R.E. & βάρβαρος
 Βάρβαρος give cattle and slaves
 (Where do you think the slaves come from? Hmmm?)
 R.E. gives glass & bronze vessels, ornaments, weapons,
textiles
 GRADUALLY
 Western provinces were “Germanized”
 Germanic people were “Romanized”
 This would have went faster BUT…
 The frontier went through periods of war and peaceful
trading
 Regardless, the Germans were always pushing on the
border
 Angles & Saxons travel to Britain, Franks occupy the
borderlands
my.fit.edu
 FASTER!
 Instead of the occasional raid, we begin to see mass
migrations of whole people.
 Why is this a problem?
 FASTER!
 Instead of the occasional raid, we begin to see mass
migrations of whole people.
 Why is this a problem?
 Since they occupied whole provinces of the Empire, the
centralized imperial government ceased to exist in the
West.
 Whole tribes moving in.
 Living under their own chieftains.
 Living under their own laws.
 How did this happen?
 Europe is basically a peninsula.
 Always open to pressure from the east.
 Yes, there were internal problems:
 How did this happen?
 Europe is basically a peninsula.
 Always open to pressure from the east.
 Yes, there were internal problems:
 Deep rooted Economic & Political weakness
 Yes, there were German Barbarians.
BIG change?
 The BIG IDEA?
 The GAME CHANGER?
 BUT what was the
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/asia/huns/map.GIF
 EAST MEETS WEST
 The Huns: “a race savage beyond all parallel…”
 Mongolian in appearance
 Speaking a language in the same family as Turkish
 This is actually a very effective way to trace people
 EAST MEETS WEST
 The Huns: “a race savage beyond all parallel…”
 Mongolian in appearance
 Speaking a language in the same family as Turkish
 This is actually a very effective way to trace people
 Expert horsemen
 Fought as lightly armed mounted archers
 Defeated on the borders of China, they turned west
 Does this sound familiar?
 Began to terrorize the frontier Germans, who fled
inward
 See website document.