DOCSLIB.ORG

The Battle of Chalons

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Battle of Chalons HISTORYHISTORY —PASTANDPERSPECTIVE InconfrontingtheHunsunder Attila,themanknownas“thelast Roman”ledtheremnantforcesof The BatBattletle of Westerncivilizationagainstthe rampagingbarbarianhorde. by Charles Scaliger Chalons he citizens of Orleans lay prostrate in the streets,prayingforamiracle.Men,women, T andchildrenweptandbeggedtheGodofna- tionstodeliverthemfromthegreatestcalamityyoung Christendomhadyetwitnessed.Inthedistance,theter- rifyingsoundsofsiegewarfare—theincessantcrash ofstonesandothermissileslaunchedbycatapults,the thumpoframstestingthewallsandgatesofthecity, andthehowlingofanenemyhostthatwouldshow neitherrestraintnorclemency—warnedofimminent catastrophe.InsidethewallsofOrleans,thousandsof peace-lovingcitizenspreparedfortheworst.Outside thewalls,onthevergeofforcingamajorbreachinthe city’smeagerdefenses,weretheHuns. LatelyledbytheemperorAttila,theself-styled “ScourgeofGod,”theHunswerenostrangerstothe newlyChristianizedrealmsoftheeasternandwestern Romanempire.TheirarrivalinthevicinityoftheCas- pianSeafromthefastnessesofCentralAsianearlya centuryearlierhadsetinmotionachainofeventsthat devastatedtheagingRomanEmpire. ThepreciseoriginoftheHunsisuncertain.They weremostlikelythesameastheHsiung-nu,apower- fulTurkicpeopleconqueredanddrivenoutofChina duringtheHanDynasty.DrivingtheGoths,Alans, andotherGermanicpeoplesbeforethem,theypushed intoEuropeinthefourthcentury,subduingnumerous tribeswiththeirsuperiorcompositebowsandextraor- dinarybattlefieldmobility. TheHuns’reputationforferocitydrovetheGoths westwardtotheDanube,wheretheyaskedtheEastern RomanEmperorValensforasylumwithinRomanter- ritory.Valensreluctantlygrantedthemleavetoenter theempire,andtheGothspouredovertheDanubeand settledonimperialsoil. TheabruptarrivaloftheGothswithinRomanterri- torytriggeredanunprecedentedimmigrationcrisisfor Rome.ConflictbetweentherestlessGothsandtheir Romanoverlordsledeventuallytothemonumental Attila at banquet: “The attendant of Attila first entered with a dish full of BattleofHadrianoplein378A.D.,inwhichtheGoths meat, and behind him came the other attendants with bread and viands…. andtheiralliesannihilatedmostoftheRomanmili- A luxurious meal, served on silver plate, had been made ready for us … tary,includingtheEasternEmperorValens. but Attila ate nothing but meat on a wooden trencher. In everything else, AfterHadrianople,theGothsbecamepermanent too, he showed himself temperate; his cup was of wood, while to the andunwantedresidentsinCentralandWesternEu- guests were given goblets of gold and silver.” — Priscus at the Court of Attila the Hun, 448 A.D. CharlesScaligerisateacherandfreelancewriter. 34 THE NEW AMERICAN • JULY 9, 2007 rope.ItwasaGothichostunderthelead- ershipofAlaricthatthricebesiegedthe EternalCity,finallysackingRomein410 A.D. AnothertribeofGermanicbarbarians drivenwestward,theVandals,ledbythe formidableGaiseric,wrestedNorthAfrica fromtheRomans,destroyingalargepor- tionoftheRomanMediterraneanfleetin theprocess. Throughallthesehorrendousdepreda- tions,theWesternRomanEmpiresome- howlivedon,althoughgreatlydiminished. BytheearlyfifthcenturyRome,increas- inglyisolatedfromtheEasternEmpire anditscapitalConstantinople,controlled withcertaintyonlytheItalianpeninsula, althoughshestillenjoyednominalsov- ereigntyoverportionsofGaul,Belgium, andtheeasternshoreoftheAdriaticSea. Barbarian warlord: Attila “sought to subdue the foremost nations of the world — the TherestofformerlyRomanwesternEu- Romans and Visigoths. His army is said to have numbered 500,00 0 men. He was a man ropewasinthehandsofvariousGerman- born into the world to shake the nations, the scourge of all lands.” ictribes,whilemostofnorthcentraland — Roman historian Jordanes, 551 A.D. easternEurope,extendingfaroutbeyond theVolgaRiver,groanedundertheover- risentotheofficeof magistermilitum ,or Vandals,andHuns—againstoneanoth- lordshipoftheHuns. supremecommanderofthemilitaryforces er,topreventanyofthemfromachieving intheWest.Nicknamed“thelastRoman” completehegemony,orforminganirre- Rise of Attila bysomeauthorities,Aetiuswasthelast sistibleallianceagainstRome. In432A.D.,theHunnicemperorRugila majorfigure(intheWesternEmpire,at For a time, the strategy appeared to died,leavingcontrolofhisvastdominions least)toembodythemilitaryvirtuesof work.In450A.D.,however,thedelicate toAttilaandBleda,thesonsofhisbrother ancientRome. balanceofpowerbegantoerode.Attila Mundzuk.Undertheirunitedguidance, Having lived for many years among announcedhisintentionofattackingthe theHunslaunchedcampaignsagainstSas- theGothsasahostage,Aetiuswasthor- Visigothsandsecuredtheapprovalofboth sanidPersia,inwhichtheywereeventual- oughlyfamiliarwiththemilitarytacticsof theWesternEmperorValentinianIIIand lyrepulsed,andintosoutheasternEurope thebarbarians.Foryears,itwashisable Aetiustodoso. againsttheEasternRomanEmpire,where leadershipthatsomehowkepttheforces But then trouble arose from a com- theyspreaddesolationacrosstheBalkans atbaythatdismemberedtheempireafter pletelyunexpectedsource.Honoria,the andThrace,penetratingGreeceasfaras hislifetime. impulsive,strong-willedsisteroftheweak Thermopylaebeforeacceptingtributary ButAetiuswasshrewdenoughtorec- emperor,hadconductedanillicitcourt peace terms from the Eastern Emperor ognizethelimitedresourcesathisdispos- affairthepreviousyear,inconsequence TheodosiusII. al.TheRomanstatebythistimeexisted ofwhichherbrother,afterexecutingher Sometimeafter440,Attilaappearsto inlittlemorethannameonly;thenoble lover,hadthrownheroutofthepalaceand havemurderedBledaandassumedsole culturethathadhelpedtocivilizemuchof forcedherintoanunwantedengagement commandoftheHunnicstate.Underhis theknownworldinformercenturieshad withasenator.Honoriabridledatsuch rule,theHunswereunquestionablythesu- longsincefadedawayunder premepowerinEurope,extortingheavy therelentlessassaultoffor- annualtributefromtheEasternRoman(or eigninvaders,economicruin, The most powerful man in the Western Byzantine)Empireandgatheringunder andmoraldecline.Manyof Roman Empire was the general Flavius theircontroldozensoftribesfromCentral Rome’s remaining legions EuropetotheUralRiver. were largely populated by Aetius, the supreme commander of the TheenfeebledWesternRomanEmpire mercenaries,andthegovern- military. Nicknamed “the last Roman” by watchedAttila’sascendancywithgrow- mentwashoneycombedwith ing alarm. The most powerful man in double-dealing and outright some authorities, he was the last major theWestinthoseyearswasthegeneral treason. figure in the Western Empire to embody FlaviusAetius,sometimeasp iranttothe Undersuchcircumstances, throne,who,underthepatronageofthe Aetiuswasforcedtoplaypo- the military virtues of ancient Rome. Romanqueen-regentGallaPlacidia,had tentialfoes—theVisigoths, THE NEW AMERICAN • JULY 9, 2007 35 HISTORYHISTORY —PASTANDPERSPECTIVE totheHuns.Imitatingthefirst Caesar five centuries before, theHunsconstructedapontoon bridge across the Rhine, and poured unimpeded into Gaul andBelgium. Fewsuperlativesareadequate todescribethehorrorsthatfol- lowedastheHunsandtheiral- liessweptacrosstherichcoun- trysideofnorthwesternEurope, burningandslaying.Theutter desolationofMetzinApril451 iscapturedinhistorianEdward Gibbon’sellipticalprose: [The Huns] involved, in a promiscuous massacre, the priests who served at the altar,andtheinfants,who,in To the victor go the spoils: Attila and his Huns pillage a Roman manor during the Italian campaign. thehourofdanger,hadbeen providently baptized by the bishop; the flourishing city treatmentbyherfeeble-mindedbrother, asubstantialdowryincludinghalfofthe wasdeliveredtotheflames,anda whomsheclearlydeemedunfittorule.In WesternEmpire.WhenanincensedValen- solitarychapelofSt.Stephenmarked springof450,shesentalettertoAttila, tinianrefused,Attilamadeplanstoinvade theplacewhereit[i.e.,thecityof importuninghimtorescueherfromher Gaultoseizehisclaimeddowrybyforce Metz]hadstood. situation.Whethertheletterwasinfact ofarms. aproposalofmarriagetothelordofthe Rheims, Amiens, Cambrai, and many Hunsisnotclear.ButAttilainterpreted Invasion othernotabletownsandcitiesintheregion itassuch,sinceHonoriaenclosedaring Aetius, alarmed at these developments, followed.Parisalonewasspared,thanks, withtheletter. knewthathislegionscouldnothopeto itissaid,totheprayersandpietyofSt. WhatimpulsecouldhavemovedHono- defendRomeagainstthecombinedmight Genevieve. riatosuchanactisdifficulttoimagine. oftheHunnichordeandthehostofGer- Sometimeintheearlysummerofthat She must have known of the barbaric manicallies—theGepids,Alans,Ostro- darkyear,thearmyofAttilaarrivedbefore customsoftheHuns,andthatshewould goths,andBurgundiansamongthem— therecentlystrengthenedwallsofOrleans bemerelyoneofmanywivesinAttila’s marchingunderAttila’sstandard.Aetius andapparentlylaidsiegetotheterrified seraglio.Moreover,Attilahimselfwasre- andValentinianappealedtoTheodoric,the city(althoughsomeauthoritiesbelievethe nownedforhisbrutaldispositionandfear- kingoftheVisigoths,forhelp.“He[At- citywassparedtherigorsofasiegebythe someappearance.AccordingtoJordanes, tila]measureshisambitionbyhismight,” arrivalofAetiuswithhisGothicallies). themostimportantchroniclerofAttila’s theywrote.“Licensesatisfieshispride. OntheauthorityofGibbonandthebulkof lifeandtimes(althoughnotacontempo- Despisinglawandright,heshowshimself receivedtradition,however,thecityheld rary),theHunleaderwas anenemytoNatureherself.Andthushe, out,undertheleadershipoftheirpeerless whoclearlyisthecommonfoeofeach, bishopAnianus,amanof“primitivesanc- shortofstature,withabroadchest deservesthehatredofall.” tityandconsummateprudence,”who,an- and a large head; his eyes were TothisletterTheodoricrespondedfa-
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Reasons for the Fall of the Roman Empire
    Reasons for the Fall of the Roman Empire Barbarian Tribes Destroy the Roman Empire • Germanic Teutonic Tribes Exert Pressure(1st-4th centuries A.D.) Germanic tribes – primitive, warlike peoples – lived in central and eastern Europe. They were attracted to the Roman Empire by its fertile land, great wealth and advanced civilization. Early efforts to to enter the Empire were thwarted by Roman troops. Later, Rome permitted some Germanic peoples to settle within its borders and enlisted Germanic soldiers in its armies. The Huns Invade Europe (4th-5th centuries A.D.) • The Huns, savage invaders from central Asia, terrorized Europe, causing many Germanic tribes to flee into the Roman Empire. Attila the Hun Ravaged the empire until turned back by a combined Roman-Germanic force. Nevertheless, the Huns had weakened Rome militarily. The Germanic Tribes End the Roman Empire (4th and 5th centuries A.D.) Full scale German migrations into Roman territory could not be stemmed by the enfeebled Roman government. Gradually, the Germanic tribes established kingdoms within the Empire: the Visigoths in Spain, the Ostrogoths in Italy, the Vandals in North Africa, the Franks in Gaul and the Angles and Saxons in Britain. Why could the Germanic tribes crush Rome, so long the master of the Mediterranean world? The answer lies not in Germanic strength but in Roman weakness. By the fourth and fifth centuries A.D., the Roman Empire had declined because of the following internal conditions. Political • The dictatorial government was frequently inefficient and corrupt and did not command the peoples loyalty. • The vast Empire, having relatively primitive transportation and communication, could not be governed efficiently from one central city.
    [Show full text]
  • Reshaping East Roman Diplomacy with Barbarians During the 5Th Century
    Chapter 1 From Hegemony to Negotiation: Reshaping East Roman Diplomacy with Barbarians during the 5th Century Audrey Becker Introduction During the first half of the 4th century ad, thanks to their military power, the Romans had been giving the barbarian tribes bordering the Danube and the Rhine no choice but to accept the conclusion of deditio after losing the war, leav- ing them in a very humiliating position.1 Yet, the military and political events of the second half of the 4th century ad, and even more of the 5th century ad, led the Romans to reconsider their relationship with the barbarian tribes.2 The characteristics of diplomatic relationship changed even before the defeat at Andrinople in 378, because the barbarian tribes, in the middle of the 4th cen- tury, gradually became able to restore the balance of power, leading the Eastern Roman Empire to reconsider its relations with its barbarian neighbours. This compelled the Byzantine Empire, from the end of the 4th century onward, to take into account barbarian leaders or kings who became, at that time, real dip- lomatic actors playing, of necessity, with formal rules of diplomatic protocol to 1 For instance, Constantinus with the Sarmatians in 323: Zosimus, Historia Nova 2.21.3, ed.Paschoud (Paris, 2000), p. 92; Julian in 358 with the Alemanni kings Suomarius and Hor- tarius: Ammianus Marcellinus, Res Gestae 17.10.3, ed. Sabbah (Paris, 1989), p. 64; Ammianus Marcellinus 17.10.9, p. 66; Constantius ii, in 358 as well, with the kings of the Sarmatians and Quadi: Ammianus Marcellinus 17.12.9–16, pp.
    [Show full text]
  • Total War Recruits Start Here…
    HEALTH ISSUES Use this software in a well-lit room, staying a good distance away from the monitor or TV screen to not overtax your eyes. Take breaks of 10 to 20 minutes every hour, and do not play when you are tired or short on sleep. Prolonged use or playing too close to the monitor or television screen may cause a decline in visual acuity. In rare instances, stimulation from strong light or flashing when staring at a monitor or television screen can cause temporary muscular convulsions or loss of consciousness for some people. If you experience any of these symptoms, consult a doctor before playing this game. If you experience any dizziness, nausea, or motion-sickness while playing this game, stop the game immediately. Consult a doctor when any discomfort continues. PRODUCT CARE Handle the game disc with care to prevent scratches or dirt on either side of the disc. Do not bend the disc or enlarge the centre hole. Clean the disc with a soft cloth, such as a lens cleaning cloth. Wipe lightly, moving in a radial pattern outward from the center hole towards the edge. Never clean the disc with paint thinner, benzene, or other harsh chemicals. Do not write or attach labels to either side of the disc. Contents Store the disc in the original case after playing. Do not store the disc in a hot or humid location. Welcome ....................................... 2 Installation Guide ................................ 3 The Total War™: ATTILA game discs contain software for use on a personal computer. Please do not play the discs on an ordinary CD player, as this may damage the Total War Recruits Start Here ......................
    [Show full text]
  • The Last Horizons of Roman Gaul: Communication, Community, and Power at the End of Antiquity
    The Last Horizons of Roman Gaul: Communication, Community, and Power at the End of Antiquity The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Wilkinson, Ryan Hayes. 2015. The Last Horizons of Roman Gaul: Communication, Community, and Power at the End of Antiquity. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:17467211 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA The Last Horizons of Roman Gaul: Communication, Community, and Power at the End of Antiquity A dissertation presented by Ryan Hayes Wilkinson to The Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of History Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts May 2015 © 2015 Ryan Hayes Wilkinson All rights reserved. Dissertation Advisor: Professor Michael McCormick Ryan Hayes Wilkinson The Last Horizons of Roman Gaul: Communication, Community, and Power at the End of Antiquity Abstract In the fifth and sixth centuries CE, the Roman Empire fragmented, along with its network of political, cultural, and socio-economic connections. How did that network’s collapse reshape the social and mental horizons of communities in one part of the Roman world, now eastern France? Did new political frontiers between barbarian kingdoms redirect those communities’ external connections, and if so, how? To address these questions, this dissertation focuses on the cities of two Gallo-Roman tribal groups.
    [Show full text]
  • Jordanes and the Invention of Roman-Gothic History Dissertation
    Empire of Hope and Tragedy: Jordanes and the Invention of Roman-Gothic History Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Brian Swain Graduate Program in History The Ohio State University 2014 Dissertation Committee: Timothy Gregory, Co-advisor Anthony Kaldellis Kristina Sessa, Co-advisor Copyright by Brian Swain 2014 Abstract This dissertation explores the intersection of political and ethnic conflict during the emperor Justinian’s wars of reconquest through the figure and texts of Jordanes, the earliest barbarian voice to survive antiquity. Jordanes was ethnically Gothic - and yet he also claimed a Roman identity. Writing from Constantinople in 551, he penned two Latin histories on the Gothic and Roman pasts respectively. Crucially, Jordanes wrote while Goths and Romans clashed in the imperial war to reclaim the Italian homeland that had been under Gothic rule since 493. That a Roman Goth wrote about Goths while Rome was at war with Goths is significant and has no analogue in the ancient record. I argue that it was precisely this conflict which prompted Jordanes’ historical inquiry. Jordanes, though, has long been considered a mere copyist, and seldom treated as an historian with ideas of his own. And the few scholars who have treated Jordanes as an original author have dampened the significance of his Gothicness by arguing that barbarian ethnicities were evanescent and subsumed by the gravity of a Roman political identity. They hold that Jordanes was simply a Roman who can tell us only about Roman things, and supported the Roman emperor in his war against the Goths.
    [Show full text]
  • Nominalia of the Bulgarian Rulers an Essay by Ilia Curto Pelle
    Nominalia of the Bulgarian rulers An essay by Ilia Curto Pelle Bulgaria is a country with a rich history, spanning over a millennium and a half. However, most Bulgarians are unaware of their origins. To be honest, the quantity of information involved can be overwhelming, but once someone becomes invested in it, he or she can witness a tale of the rise and fall, steppe khans and Christian emperors, saints and murderers of the three Bulgarian Empires. As delving deep in the history of Bulgaria would take volumes upon volumes of work, in this essay I have tried simply to create a list of all Bulgarian rulers we know about by using different sources. So, let’s get to it. Despite there being many theories for the origin of the Bulgars, the only one that can show a historical document supporting it is the Hunnic one. This document is the Nominalia of the Bulgarian khans, dating back to the 8th or 9th century, which mentions Avitohol/Attila the Hun as the first Bulgarian khan. However, it is not clear when the Bulgars first joined the Hunnic Empire. It is for this reason that all the Hunnic rulers we know about will also be included in this list as khans of the Bulgars. The rulers of the Bulgars and Bulgaria carry the titles of khan, knyaz, emir, elteber, president, and tsar. This list recognizes as rulers those people, who were either crowned as any of the above, were declared as such by the people, despite not having an official coronation, or had any possession of historical Bulgarian lands (in modern day Bulgaria, southern Romania, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, and northern Greece), while being of royal descent or a part of the royal family.
    [Show full text]
  • Bowl Round 5 – MIDDLE SCHOOL First Quarter
    IHBB Beta Bowl 2018-2019 Bowl Round 5 Bowl Round 5 – MIDDLE SCHOOL First Quarter (1) Henry Jennings was one of many of these people who based their forces in Port Royal. A famous leader of these people, Edward Teach, renamed a captured merchant vessel the Queen Anne’s Revenge. For ten points, name this occupation of Blackbeard and other seafaring criminals. ANSWER: pirates (2) This monarch tried to force Scotland to give up Queen Mary in marriage to his son in the War of the Rough Wooing. This king executed his advisor Thomas More and effectively replaced him with the author of the Book of Common Prayer, Thomas Cranmer, because More did not attend the coronation of Anne Boleyn. For ten points, name this English king who ordered the executions of two of his six wives. ANSWER: Henry VIII of England (prompt on Henry) (3) The Bodhnath Stupa is a major landmark in this country’s capital, where Gurkha soldiers have been recruited for decades. Kangchenjunga is located on this country’s border with the Indian state of Sikkim, and climbers of it and other mountains have helped develop this country’s tourism industry. For ten points, name this country whose border with China is home to Mount Everest. ANSWER: Nepal (4) This leader’s policies helped put the SEAT 600 automobile into mass production, leading to his country’s economic “miracle.” This leader saw action in the Rif War and eventually became the leader of the Falange party. Juan Carlos I succeeded this man, whose forces were supported by the Condor Legion during a 1930s civil war.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 1 Attila The
    Part One GREAT BARBARIANS OF HISTORY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL Chapter 1 Attila the Hun: The Scourge of God ttila! One of the most notorious barbarians of the Dark Ages, his name struck fear into the heart of the Western world. A Roman historian called him “a man born to shake the races of the A ”1 “ world, a terror to all lands. Saint Jerome called the Huns the wolves from the North.” His enemies called him the Scourge of God. Attila was even rumored to have killed his own brother in a staged hunting accident. This Hunnic king’s brutal raids and constant plun- dering shook the foundations of the Roman Empire, and brought the great city of Constantinople to its knees—twice. And each time, Attila left with hoards of cash and thousands of pounds of gold in tribute as Rome was forced to buy peace. Attila was power-hungry and ruthless. He said, “For what fortress, what city, in the wide extent of the Roman Empire, can hope to exist, secure and impregnable, if it is our pleasure that it should be erased from the earth?”2 9 10 GREAT BARBARIANS OF HISTORY As Attila and his Huns marched on Constantinople, the historian Callinicus wrote: The barbarian nation of the Huns, which was in Thrace, became so great that more than a hundred cities were captured and Con- stantinople almost came into danger and most men fled from it.... And there were so many murders and bloodlettings that the dead could not be numbered. Ay, for they took captive the churches and monasteries and slew the monks and maidens in great numbers.3 More favorable historians would tell you that Attila was not swayed by the riches his pillaging brought.
    [Show full text]
  • THE EMPIRE of the STEPPES a History of Central Asia
    THE EMPIRE OF THE STEPPES A History of Central Asia , RENE GROUSSET Translated from the French by Naomi Walford RUTGERS UNIVERSITY PRESS New Brunswick, New Jersey, and London Foreword Attila and the Huns, Jenghiz Khan and the Mongols, Tamerlane and the Golden Horde-these almost legendary names are familiar to the educated layman. Unquestionably, he has also read of the Hungarians, and the Bulgars, and the Ottoman Turks. If he has an interest in ancient history, he may have an acquaintance with the Cimmerians, the Scythians, even the Sarmatians. He may have heard also of the Avars and the Khazars. But it is improbable that he will know of the Onogurs, Kutrigurs, and Utrigurs-Bulgar tribes to be encountered in the steppes of southern Russia-or the Pechenegs, Cumans, and Uzes, the last-named related to the Seljuk and Ottoman Turks. These were all nomads, peoples of the vast steppes of Asia and Russia, and a major force in history. Their historical significance lies not so much in the empires they established, empires which in most instances and certainly in the steppes proved ephemeral. Rather, it was the pressures of their movements eastward and westward, brought to bear on China, Persia, India, and Europe, which substantially affected the historical development of these lands. The early history of the steppe nomads is shrouded in obscurity, an obscurity which lifts somewhat only after their con­ Sixth paperback printing, 1999 tact with cultures possessing written histories. But even when in­ formation about them becomes relatively more plentiful, linguistic Copyright © 1970 by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey complexities make its interpretation extremely difficult.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ruin of the Roman Empire
    7888888888889 u o u o u o u THE o u Ruin o u OF THE o u Roman o u o u EMPIRE o u o u o u o u jamesj . o’donnell o u o u o u o u o u o u o hjjjjjjjjjjjk This is Ann’s book contents Preface iv Overture 1 part i s theoderic’s world 1. Rome in 500: Looking Backward 47 2. The World That Might Have Been 107 part ii s justinian’s world 3. Being Justinian 177 4. Opportunities Lost 229 5. Wars Worse Than Civil 247 part iii s gregory’s world 6. Learning to Live Again 303 7. Constantinople Deflated: The Debris of Empire 342 8. The Last Consul 364 Epilogue 385 List of Roman Emperors 395 Notes 397 Further Reading 409 Credits and Permissions 411 Index 413 About the Author Other Books by James J. O’ Donnell Credits Cover Copyright About the Publisher preface An American soldier posted in Anbar province during the twilight war over the remains of Saddam’s Mesopotamian kingdom might have been surprised to learn he was defending the westernmost frontiers of the an- cient Persian empire against raiders, smugglers, and worse coming from the eastern reaches of the ancient Roman empire. This painful recycling of history should make him—and us—want to know what unhealable wound, what recurrent pathology, what cause too deep for journalists and politicians to discern draws men and women to their deaths again and again in such a place. The history of Rome, as has often been true in the past, has much to teach us.
    [Show full text]
  • Attila the Hun
    ATTILA MEETS THE POPE 0. ATTILA MEETS THE POPE - Story Preface 1. WHO WERE THE HUNS? 2. SAVAGE BEYOND PARALLEL 3. A HOME FOR THE HUNS 4. WHO WAS HE? 5. SCOURGE OF GOD 6. ATTILA DECIMATES THE WEST 7. ATTILA'S WESTERN TRAVELS 8. DEADLY BATTLE - AETIUS and ATTILA at CHALONS 9. DEATH IN LOMBARDY 10. ATTILA MEETS THE POPE Raphael created a famous fresco, located in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, depicting the meeting between Pope Leo I and Attila the Hun. This image depicts a detail from that fresco. In the 5th century, the power of the Pope was not what it was in later centuries. But as Attila and his Huns were vanquishing city after city, the people of Rome - and the pope - were worried. Contemporary accounts tell us that Leo I, then Pope, traveled north to meet with Attila: The old man of harmless simplicity, venerable in his gray hair and his majestic garb, ready of his own will to give himself entirely for the defense of his flock, went forth to meet the tyrant who was destroying all things. He met Attila, it is said, in the neighborhood of the river Mincio, and he spoke to the grim monarch, saying "The senate and the people of Rome, once conquerors of the world, now indeed vanquished, come before thee as suppliants. We pray for mercy and deliverance. O Attila, thou king of kings, thou couldst have no greater glory than to see suppliant at thy feet this people before whom once all peoples and kings lay suppliant.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Following Pages Appears a Sample Essay (On a Different Topic from That of Either of the Assignments for This Unit). It D
    SAMPLE ESSAY On the following pages appears a sample essay (on a different topic from that of either of the assignments for this unit). It demonstrates one format for the layout of text, notes, and bibliography. You may use this as a guide, in addition to the departmental Style Guide (which appear separately on the Blackboard site for this unit). Remember to double-space throughout, and to number the pages. Note that a Division of Humanities cover sheet should be attached to every item of assessment submitted. The Sample Essay concerns Priscus, an important source for the history of the Roman empire in the mid-fifth century. For another example of a first-year essay, consult the Australian Society for Classical Studies website for the ASCS Australian Essay Prize Competition, and view the prize essays there, at: http://www.ascs.org.au//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=60&Itemid=40 Sample Essay AHIS120 Semester 2, 2010 Essay: length 1,200 Priscus of Panium, History The History of Priscus of Panium was composed in Greek and primarily concerns events in the eastern half of the Roman empire in the fifth century.1 Nonetheless it also provides valuable information about the western half of the empire, and may offer evidence for popular attitudes towards imperial rule at a time when the Roman empire faced competition for loyalty from the empire of Attila and the barbarian settlements in the western provinces. Most of what is known about Priscus comes from references in his own History, although a later Byzantine user mentions that he came from the city of Panium (about one hundred and fifty kilometers west of Constantinople on the Sea of Marmara).2 In the History, Priscus mentions his close relations with two senior officials of the imperial court in Constantinople: ca.
    [Show full text]