John Bagnell Bury's

The Invasion of Europe
by the Barbarians

(London, 1928)

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Maps:*

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Roman Empire in the Time of Augustus [Augustus, 27 B.C.-14 A.D.] (Western lands) and Roman Empire in the Time of Augustus (Eastern lands), from Ramsey Muir's Atlas of Ancient and Classical History (1911).

Europe on the Eve of the Barbarian Invasions (c. 395 A.D.), from Ramsey Muir's Historical Atlas--Mediaeval and Modern (1911).

Routes of the Barbarian Invasions, from Keith Johnston's Classical Atlas (1894).

The Territorial Expansion of Rome, from William Shepherd's Historical Atlas (1911).

* Bury's work lacks maps. This selection may be helpful.


Table of Contents

Lecture 1

The Germans and their Wanderings.
1. Early German History.
2. West Germans and East Germans.
3. Political Institutions of the Germans.
4. Early Gothic Migrations.

Lecture 2

The Roman Empire and the Germans.
1. The Gothic Attack in the Third Century, A.D.
2. The Visigothic Occupation of Dacia.
3. Ostrogothic and Visigothic Settlements.
4. New Organization of the Empire.


Lecture 3

The Clash of Roman and Barbarian.
1. The Population of the Empire.
2. The Forces of the Empire and of the Barbarians.
3. The Germanic Penetration of the Empire.
4. Hermanric and Wulfilas.
5. The Advent of the Huns.


Lecture 4

The Visigothic Entry into the Empire.
1. The Hunnic Attack on the Goths and its Sequel.
2. The Battle of Hadrianople.
3. The Visigothic Settlement.
4. Theodosius and Alaric.
5. Stilicho and the Divided Empire.
6. Alaric at large in Illyricum.


Lecture 5

The Raiding of Italy and Gaul.
1. Alaric Turns from East to West.
2. The Puzzle of Stilicho's Behaviour.
3. The Breaking of the Rhine Frontier.
4. Death of Stilicho.


Lecture 6

The Visigoths in Italy and Gaul.
1. The Sack of Rome.
2. Death of Alaric.
3. Ataulf and Galla Placidia.
4. Wallia and the Settlement in Gaul.


Lecture 7

Gaul, Spain, and Africa in Transition.
1. The Visigothic Kingdom of Toulouse.
2. Sueves and Vandals in Spain.
3. Galla Placidia and Boniface.
4. The Vandal Conquest of Africa.
5. Aetius and Valentinian III.


Lecture 8

A New Menace to the Empire.
1. The Treaty between Aetius and Gaiseric.
2. The Anglo-Saxon Conquest of Britain.
3. The Huns and Attila.


Lecture 9

Attila's Attack on Gaul and Italy.
1. The Intrigues of Honoria.
2. The Hunnic Invasion of Gaul.
3. The Incursion of the Huns into Italy.
4. Death of Attila and the Collapse of the Empire.


Lecture 10

The Decline of Roman Power in the West.
1. Influence of the Vandal Occupation of Africa.
2. Ricimer and the Last Phantom Emperors in the West.
3. Gundobad and Orestes in Italy.
4. Deposition of Romulus Augustulus and its Significance.
5. Odovacar, Patrician and King in Italy.


Lecture 11

The Ostrogothic Conquest of Italy.
1. The Early Life of Theoderic the Ostrogoth.
2. The Overthrow of Odovacar in Italy.
3. The Completion of the Ostrogothic Conquest.
4. The Ostrogothic Constitution.
5. The Reign of Theoderic.


Lecture 12

Visigoths and Franks in Gaul.
1. The Kingdom of Toulouse under Euric.
2. The Roman Remnant in Gaul.
3. The Early History of the Franks.
4. The Reign of Childeric the Frank.


Lecture 13

The Reign of Clovis.
1. The Overthrow of Syagrius.
2. The Marriage of Clovis and Clotilda.
3. The Conquest of the Alamanni.
4. The Conversion of Clovis.
5. The Conquest of Visigothic Gaul.
6. The Absorption of the Ripuarian Franks.
7. Relation of Clovis to the Roman Empire.


Lecture 14

The Lombard Invasion of Italy.
1. The Origin of the Lombards.
2. Changes in South Germany.
3. The Lombard Migrations.
4. The Advent of the Avars.
5. The Destruction of the Gepidae.
6. The Lombard Settlement in Italy.
7. The Lombard Polity.


Lecture 15

The Lombard Law.
1. The Administrative System of the Lombards.
2. The Code of Rothari.
3. The Laws of Liutprand.


John Bagnell Bury (1861-1927), a great classical scholar and author of many enduring works, was also editor of the early volumes of the Cambridge Ancient History.


HTML formatting by Robert Bedrosian, 2010.


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