Barbarians Assist with the Fall of Rome

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Barbarians Assist with the Fall of Rome
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Barbarian Invasion
1. Beginning in 376 AD and ending in 476 AD.
2. The Danube River marked dividing line
between barbaric north and civilized south.
3. As the Huns moved west, the Germanic peoples
were forced to move, eventually pushing into
the Roman province of Gaul.
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Barbarians Sack Rome
1. Rome sacked by Visigoths (410 AD) led by
Alaric.
2. Also sacked by the Vandals (455 AD) led
Gaiseric the Lame, thousands of Romans taken
captive and sent to North Africa.
3. The Huns from central Asia were led by Attila
the Hun 100,000 soldiers attacked some 70
cities but failed to take Constantinople.
Advanced toward Rome but was stopped by Pope Leo
I in 452 AD.
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Barbarians Sack Rome
4. Western empire was powerless by 455 AD
Germanic tribes fought for possession of
western provinces -Spain Visigoths -
North Africa Vandals -Gaul Franks
Visigoths -Britannia Angles
Saxons -Italy Ostrogoths
5. Last Roman Emperor was Romulus Augustulus (14
year old) lost throne and was exiled in 476 AD
by barbarian general Odoacer.
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Eastern Half of Roman Empire
1. Came to be called the Byzantine Empire.
2. Survived flourished for 1,000 years- ruled
from Constantinople.
3. Romes political power ended in the west,
but cultural influence continued and the
Christian Church became the chief civilizing
force of western Europe.