An Established Visigothic Presence
In 395 A.D., after the death of Theodosius, who had skilfully cultivated friendly relations with the Visigoths, the temporarily subsided independent spirit of the Germanic group resurfaced. They elected a king, Alaric the Bold, and under his leadership moved through the empire, across the Balkans and into Italy. In 410 A.D., they sacked Rome for three days, and only left Italy after the death of Alaric later that year. Even so, they were still settled within the western empire, in Spain and southern Gaul.
This pattern of Roman accommodation for Germanic groups in the western empire was repeated with other barbarian groups as well. A large part of the Roman army now was composed of “imperial Germans.” The integration of Germanic troops into the Roman army had begun in the second century, when tribal and comitatus leaders had led their men into Roman service. The Germans had quickly moved up in ranks, and by the time of the Visigothic entry into the western empire, many of the commanders of the army were Germans. By the end of the fourth and into the fifth centuries, entire groups of Germanic peoples were recognized by Roman emperors as part of the Roman military, and settled within the western empire. These federated foreign soldiers were provided for with money obtained from a portion of tax revenues on estates. The system of hospitalitas was a Roman tradition of supporting soldiers with the wealth of landowners. This adaptation of an old Roman practice effectively acted as a mask for the surrender of power to the German invaders, and is a good example of the insidious transfer of the western empire into German hands.
The Visigoths finally settled down, and established a kingdom when they concluded a treaty with Constantinople (capital of the East Roman empire) that recognized them as a legitimate political unit within the empire. In southern Gaul they established the kingdom of Toulouse, and in Spain they were the rulers of the kingdom of Toledo.
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In 395 A.D., after the death of Theodosius, who had skilfully cultivated friendly relations with the Visigoths, the temporarily subsided independent spirit of the Germanic group resurfaced. They elected a king, Alaric the Bold, and under his leadership moved through the empire, across the Balkans and into Italy. In 410 A.D., they sacked Rome for three days, and only left Italy after the death of Alaric later that year. Even so, they were still settled within the western empire, in Spain and southern Gaul.
This pattern of Roman accommodation for Germanic groups in the western empire was repeated with other barbarian groups as well. A large part of the Roman army now was composed of “imperial Germans.” The integration of Germanic troops into the Roman army had begun in the second century, when tribal and comitatus leaders had led their men into Roman service. The Germans had quickly moved up in ranks, and by the time of the Visigothic entry into the western empire, many of the commanders of the army were Germans. By the end of the fourth and into the fifth centuries, entire groups of Germanic peoples were recognized by Roman emperors as part of the Roman military, and settled within the western empire. These federated foreign soldiers were provided for with money obtained from a portion of tax revenues on estates. The system of hospitalitas was a Roman tradition of supporting soldiers with the wealth of landowners. This adaptation of an old Roman practice effectively acted as a mask for the surrender of power to the German invaders, and is a good example of the insidious transfer of the western empire into German hands.
The Visigoths finally settled down, and established a kingdom when they concluded a treaty with Constantinople (capital of the East Roman empire) that recognized them as a legitimate political unit within the empire. In southern Gaul they established the kingdom of Toulouse, and in Spain they were the rulers of the kingdom of Toledo.
| Updated >> 21 September 2004 |