“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 ) 378 Battle of Adrianople
410 Visigoths under Alaric (r ) sack Rome 410 Death of Alaric. Succeeded by Ataulph (r ), who married Galla Placidia, mother of Valentinian III (r ) 451 Huns under Attila (r ) attack empire, defeated by Aetius at Châlons-sur-Marne 452 Huns invade Italy, threaten Rome 455 Vandals sack Rome
451 Battle of Châlons453 Death of Attila 476 Odoacar brings Western Roman Empire to an end 486 Clovis (Frank, r ) takes northern France/Gaul from Syagrius Theoderic (Ostrogoth, r ) takes Italy from Odoacar for Emperor Zeno (r )
The Franks 496 Clovis defeats Alemanni, adopts Catholic Christianity 511 Death of Clovis, kingdom divided Neustria (Paris)Austrasia (Reims, Metz) Burgundy
The Franks 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.
Theoderic tolerating Catholics under rule, though wary after Theoderic executes some Roman aristocrats for treason, incl. Boethius (Consolation of Philosophy) The Ostrogoths
526 Death of Theoderic. Succession dispute follows Byzantines under Belisarius conquer Sicily, most of Italy Byzantines complete conquest of Italy 568 Lombards conquer parts of Italy The Ostrogoths
Reign of Leovigild, who attempts to impose Arianism on state (unsuccessfully) Reign of Recared, who converts state to Catholicism Toledo 711 Muslims invade Spain The Visigoths