The Goths and the Vandals were two of the Germanic groups that clashed with the Roman Empire throughout Europe and North Africa from the third to the fifth centuries A. Because nearly all of the surviving information about the Goths and Vandals comes from Roman sources, history In the years following A. Arminius Born into a noble family of the Germanic Cherusci tribe around 18 B. The Battle-Axe Few barbarian weapons inspired more horror than the axe.
While most tribal warriors carried spears or swords into combat, Germanic soldiers were known to wield heavy battle-axes capable of smashing through shield, armor and helmet in a single blow. The Franks, Germanic people were fierce in battle, creating a strong military. Their love of battle was linked to their religious practices and two of their most important gods, Wodan and his son, Thor, both believed to be gods of war.
The Germanic idea of warfare was quite different from the pitched battles fought by Rome and Greece, and the Germanic tribes focused on raids to capture resources and secure prestige. Warriors were strong in battle and had great fighting abilities, making the tribes almost unbeatable.
Men began battle training at a young age and were given a shield and a spear upon manhood, illustrating the importance of combat in Germanic life. The loss of the shield or spear meant a loss of honor.
Chieftains were the leaders of clans, and clans were divided into groups by family ties. The earlier Germans elected chieftains, but as time went on it became hereditary. This relationship between a chieftain and his followers became the basis for the more complicated feudal system that developed in medieval Europe. Political and diplomatic leaders, such as Odoacer and Theoderic the Great, changed the course of history in the late s CE and paved the way for later kings and conquerors.
Odoacer, a German general, took over the Western Roman Empire in his own name, becoming the first barbarian king of Italy. Theoderic the Great became a barbarian king of Italy after he killed Odoacer. He initiated three decades of peace between the Ostrogoths and the Romans and united the two Germanic tribes. Odoacer was a Germanic soldier in the Roman army who deposed emperor Augustulus and became the first King of Italy, marking the end of the Western Roman Empire, the fall of ancient Rome, and the beginning of the Middle Ages in Western Europe.
Flavius Odoacer — was a soldier, probably of Scirian descent, who in became the first King of Italy — His reign is commonly seen as marking the end of the Western Roman Empire. Odoacer generally used the Roman honorific patrician, granted by the Emperor Zeno, but is referred to as a king Latin rex in many documents. Odoacer introduced few important changes into the administrative system of Italy. He had the support of the Roman Senate and was able to distribute land to his followers without much opposition.
Unrest among his warriors led to violence in —, but no such disturbances occurred during the later period of his reign. Although Odoacer was an Arian Christian, he rarely intervened in the affairs of the orthodox and trinitarian state church of the Roman Empire.
Odoacer was a military leader in Italy who led the revolt of Herulian, Rugian, and Scirian soldiers that deposed Romulus Augustulus on September 4, Augustulus had been declared Western Roman Emperor by his father, the rebellious general of the army in Italy, less than a year before, but had been unable to gain allegiance or recognition beyond central Italy. In a Roman general named Orestes was appointed Magister militum and patrician by the Western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos and became head of the Germanic foederati barbarian mercenary armies for Rome.
However, Orestes proved to be ambitious, and before the end of that year drove Nepos from Italy. Orestes then proclaimed his young son Romulus the new emperor, Romulus Augustulus. However, Nepos reorganized his court in Salona, Dalmatia, and received homage and affirmation from the remaining fragments of the Western Empire beyond Italy and, most importantly, from Constantinople, which refused to accept Augustulus and branded him and his father traitors and usurpers.
At around this time, the foederati , who had been quartered on the Italians all of these years, had grown weary of this arrangement. In the words of J. Orestes was killed at Placentia, and his brother Paulus killed outside Ravenna. In Odoacer advanced to Ravenna and captured the city, compelling the young emperor Romulus to abdicate on September 4.
Romulus Augustulus and Odoacer: Romulus Augustulus resigns the crown from a 19th-century illustration. In , Odoacer became the first barbarian King of Italy, initiating a new era. With the backing of the Roman Senate, Odoacer thenceforth ruled Italy autonomously, paying lip service to the authority of Julius Nepos, the last Western emperor, and Zeno, the emperor of the East.
He did so, executing the conspirators, but within two years also conquered the region and incorporated it into his domain. As the most tangible example of this renewed prestige, for the first time since the mid-3rd century copper coins were issued with the legend S enatus C onsulto.
Zeno responded first by inciting the Rugi of present-day Austria to attack Italy. During the winter of — Odoacer crossed the Danube and defeated the Rugi in their own territory. In his quest to destroy Odoacer, Zeno promised Theoderic the Great and his Ostrogoths the Italian peninsula if they were to defeat and remove Odoacer from power. On August 28, Odoacer met him at the Isonzo, only to be defeated. He withdrew to Verona, reaching its outskirts on September 27, where he immediately set up a fortified camp.
Theoderic followed him and three days later defeated him again. On August 11, , the armies of the two kings clashed on the Adda River. Odoacer was again defeated and forced back into Ravenna, where Theoderic besieged him. Ravenna proved to be invulnerable, surrounded by marshes and estuaries and easily supplied by small boats from its hinterlands, as Procopius later pointed out in his History.
By this time, Odoacer had to have lost all hope of victory. On August 29, , the Goths were about to assemble enough ships at Rimini to set up an effective blockade of Ravenna.
Despite these decisive losses, the war dragged on until February 25, , when John, bishop of Ravenna, was able to negotiate a treaty between Theoderic and Odoacer that provided for them to occupy Ravenna together and rule jointly. After a three-year siege, Theoderic entered the city on March 5.
Odoacer was dead ten days later, slain by Theoderic while they shared a meal. Theoderic the Great was the King of the Ostrogoths and ruler of Italy after defeating the first barbarian king, Odoacer; he ruled Italy in its most peaceful and prosperous period since Valentinian until his death in Theoderic the Great — was king of the Ostrogoths — , ruler of Italy — , regent of the Visigoths — , and a patricius of the Roman Empire.
Theoderic was born in Pannonia in , after his people had defeated the Huns at the Battle of Nedao. Theoderic grew up as a hostage in Constantinople, received a privileged education, and succeeded his father as leader of the Pannonian Ostrogoths in Settling his people in lower Moesia, Theoderic came into conflict with Thracian Ostrogoths led by Theodoric Strabo, whom he eventually supplanted, uniting their peoples in Emperor Zeno subsequently gave Theoderic the title of Patrician and the office of Magister militum master of the soldiers , and even appointed him Roman Consul.
Seeking further gains, Theoderic frequently ravaged the provinces of the Eastern Roman Empire, eventually threatening Constantinople itself. In , Emperor Zeno ordered Theoderic to overthrow the German Foederatus Odoacer, who had likewise been made Patrician and even King of Italy, but who had since betrayed Zeno, supporting the rebellious Leontius. After a victorious three-year war, Theoderic killed Odoacer with his own hands, settled his , to , people in Italy, and founded an Ostrogothic Kingdom based in Ravenna.
While he promoted separation between the Arian Ostrogoths and the Roman population, Theoderic stressed the importance of racial harmony, though intermarriage was outlawed. Seeking to restore the glory of Ancient Rome, he ruled Italy in its most peaceful and prosperous period since Valentinian until his death in Memories of his reign made him a hero of German legend as Dietrich von Bern.
At the time, the Ostrogoths were settled in Byzantine territory as foederati allies of the Romans, but were becoming restless and increasingly difficult for Zeno to manage. Not long after Theoderic became king, he and Zeno worked out an arrangement beneficial to both sides. Saturnalia celebrations are the source of many of the traditions we now associate with Christmas. The original structure stretched more than 70 miles across the northern English countryside from the River Tyne near the city of Newcastle The Goths and the Vandals were two of the Germanic groups that clashed with the Roman Empire throughout Europe and North Africa from the third to the fifth centuries A.
Because nearly all of the surviving information about the Goths and Vandals comes from Roman sources, history Lupercalia was an ancient pagan festival held each year in Rome on February The Gauls The story of the first sack of Rome is steeped in myth and legend, but it most likely began when the young city became embroiled in a conflict with a band of Gallic Celts led by the warlord Brennus. On July 18, B. Live TV. This Day In History.
History Vault. Alaric I The Visigoths tribe of Goths are believed to be descendants of an earlier group of Goths called the Thervingi.
The region was known as the Visigothic Kingdom. Recommended for you. How the Troubles Began in Northern Ireland. Ancient Rome. Ancient Pleasure Palaces. Ancient Rome Beginning in the eighth century B. Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire was a vast and powerful civilization with origins that can be traced to A. Roman Forum The Roman Forum, known as Forum Romanum in Latin, was a site located at the center of the ancient city of Rome and the location of important religious, political and social activities.
Saturnalia Saturnalia, held in mid-December, is an ancient Roman pagan festival honoring the agricultural god Saturn. Who were the Goths and Vandals?
0コメント