Post-Roman Europe: Germanic Kingdoms and the Byzantine Empire

Germanic Migrations and the Fall of Rome

Decline of the Western Roman Empire

Germanic tribes lived to the north of the Roman Empire. The Romans called them barbarians. The empire's wealth and military weakness led to a series of Germanic migrations across the frontier. Some of these were violent invasions. Roman control over its northern territories gradually declined after the third century. In 395, Emperor Theodosius divided the empire between two sons to make it easier to defend. Thus, the western and eastern provinces became the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire. Romulus Augustulus, the last emperor of the Western Empire, was deposed in 476. For some historians, this date marks the beginning of the Middle Ages.

Emergence of Germanic Kingdoms

The centralized government of the Western Empire was replaced by smaller kingdoms:

• The Franks, in France.
• The Visigoths, in Spain.
• The Ostrogoths, and later the Lombards, in Italy.
• The Angles and the Saxons, in Britain.

It was dangerous to travel. Consequently, there was very little long-distance trade, and many industries disappeared. Cities declined, and people moved to the countryside. Cultural activity also declined. Some examples of Germanic art have survived, such as small churches and attractive jewelry. At first, the Romans and the Germanic tribes had different laws, customs, and religions. But they gradually intermingled, and in some places, the Germanic peoples spoke Latin and became Christians.

The Visigothic Kingdom in Iberia

Rise and Fall of the Visigoths

At the beginning of the 6th century, the Franks expelled the Visigoths from Gaul. The Visigoths then went to the Iberian Peninsula. They founded a kingdom, and made Toledo its capital. The Visigothic kingdom reached its peak during the 6th and 7th centuries. King Leovigild extended his territory and made new laws. His son Reccared became a Catholic, and his kingdom also became Catholic. During the second half of the 7th century, there was constant fighting between the kings and nobles. The Visigothic kingdom disappeared after the Muslim invasion in 711.

The Enduring Byzantine Empire

The Eastern Roman Empire's Legacy

The Eastern Roman Empire was richer than the Western Roman Empire, and it resisted the Germanic invasions. It was known as the Byzantine Empire, and it lasted for another ten centuries. Its capital city was Constantinople, formerly Byzantium.

Emperor Justinian's Reign

The most important Byzantine emperor was Justinian. He ruled with his wife Theodora between 527 and 565. Justinian tried to rebuild the Roman Empire. His armies conquered many territories in North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, and Italy. Under Justinian:

• The emperor, or basileus, had great power. He commanded the army and government, and he was also the religious leader.
• The famous Justinian Code modernized Roman law.

Gradual Decline of Byzantium

After Justinian's death, the Byzantine Empire began to lose