Visigoths
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| + | "The second half of the [[5th century|Fifth Century]] was come, the appalling period when unspeakable troubles afflicted the world. The [[Barbarians]] were ravaging [[Gaul]]; Rome, paralyzed, [[Sack of Rome (410)|sacked]] by the [[Visigoths]], felt her life frozen within her veins as she saw her outlying limbs, the East and the West, struggling in a sea of blood, growing more and more exhausted from day to day."--''[[À rebours]]'' (1884) by Joris-Karl Huysmans | ||
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| - | [[History of Western civilization]] | ||
| - | ==Antiquity (before AD 500)== | ||
| - | The [[East-West dichotomy|opposition of a European "West" to an Asiatic "East"]] has its roots in [[Classical Antiquity]], with then [[Persian Wars]] where the [[Classical Greece|Greek]] city states were opposing the expansion of the [[Achaemenid Empire]]. The Biblical opposition of [[Land of Israel|Israel]] and [[Neo-Assyrian Empire|Assyria]] from a European perspective was recast into these terms by early Christian authors such as [[Jerome]], who compared it to the [[Migration period|"barbarian" invasions]] of his own time (see also [[Assyria and Germany in Anglo-Israelism]]) | + | The '''Visigoths''' were a [[Germanic people]] united under the rule of a king and living within the [[Roman Empire]] during [[late antiquity]]. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied barbarian military group united under the command of [[Alaric I]]. Their exact origins are believed to have been diverse but they probably included many descendants of the [[Thervingi]] who had moved into the Roman Empire beginning in 376 and had played a major role in defeating the Romans at the [[Battle of Adrianople]] in 378. Relations between the Romans and Alaric's Visigoths varied, with the two groups making treaties when convenient, and warring with one another when not. Under Alaric, the Visigoths invaded Italy and [[sack of Rome (410)|sacked Rome in August 410]]. |
| - | The "East" in the [[Hellenistic period]] was the [[Seleucid Empire]], with Greek influence stretching as far as [[Greco-Bactrian Kingdom|Bactria]] and [[Indo-Greek Kingdom|India]], besides [[Scythia]] in the [[Pontic steppe]] to the north. In this period, there was significant cultural contact between the Mediterranean and the East, giving rise to syncretisms like [[Greco-Buddhism]]. It was only with [[Christianization]] of the Roman Empire in the 4th century that the Mediterranean world lost interest in the Eastern cultures. | + | The Visigoths were subsequently settled in southern [[Gaul]] as ''[[foederati]]'' to the Romans, a relationship that was established in 418. This developed as an independent kingdom with its [[Capital city|capital]] at [[Toulouse]], and they extended their authority into [[Hispania]] at the expense of the [[Suebi]] and [[Vandals]] who had taken control of large swathes of Roman territory. In 507, Visigothic rule in Gaul was ended by the [[Franks]] under [[Clovis I]], who defeated them in the [[Battle of Vouillé]]. |
| - | The division of Europe into a Western (Latin) and an Eastern (Greek) part was prefigured in the division of the [[Roman Empire]] by [[Diocletian]] in 285. The [[history of Christianity]] took divergent routes in these spheres from early times, but the final [[East–West Schism|Great Schism]] separating [[Roman Catholicism|Roman]] and [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Eastern]] Christianity occurred only in the 11th century. | + | It is within what is now Spain and Portugal that the Visigoths created the [[polity]] for which they are best remembered. During their governance of Hispania, the Visigoths [[Visigothic art and architecture|built several churches]] that survived and left many artifacts, items which have been discovered in increasing numbers by archaeologists in recent years. The [[Treasure of Guarrazar]] of [[votive crown]]s and crosses are the most spectacular among the finds thus far. In or around 589, the Visigoths under [[Reccared I]] converted from [[Arianism]] to [[Nicene Christianity]], gradually adopting the culture of their Hispano-Roman subjects. Their legal code, the ''[[Visigothic Code]]'' (completed in 654), abolished the longstanding practice of applying different laws for Hispano-Roman population and Visigoths. Once legal distinctions were no longer being made between ''Romani'' and ''Gothi'', they became known collectively as ''Hispani''. In the century that followed, the region was dominated by the [[Councils of Toledo]] and the episcopacy. In 711, an [[Umayyad conquest of Hispania|invading force of Arabs and Berbers]] defeated the Visigoths during the [[Battle of Guadalete]]. The Visigoth king, [[Roderic]], and many members of the Visigothic governing elite were killed and their kingdom rapidly collapsed. This was followed by the subsequent formation of the [[Kingdom of Asturias]] in northern Spain and the beginning of the [[Reconquista]] by Christian troops under [[Pelagius of Asturias|Pelagius]]. |
| - | In [[476 A.D.]] the [[western Roman Empire]], which had ruled modern-day [[Italy]], [[France]], [[Spain]], [[Portugal]] and [[England]] for centuries collapsed due to a combination of economic decline and drastically reduced military strength, allowing invasion by [[barbarian]] [[tribe]]s originating in southern [[Scandinavia]] and modern-day northern [[Germany]]. According to many authors, the main causes for the fall of any empire are internal, such as racial, religious or political divisions within the country. Also, warfare and economic crisis may contribute to the empire's collapse. In England, several [[Germanic peoples|Germanic tribes]] invaded, including the [[Angles]] and [[Saxons]]. In [[Gaul]] (modern-day France, Belgium and parts of Switzerland) and [[Germania Inferior]] (The Netherlands), the [[Franks]] settled, in [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberia]] the [[Visigoths]] invaded and Italy was conquered by the [[Ostrogoths]]. [[Christianity]] ceased to be the dominant religion in these lands and much of [[Culture of ancient Rome|Roman culture]] disappeared. Only [[Ireland]], which had never been ruled by [[Roman Empire|Rome]], remained Christian throughout this time. | + | The Visigoths founded the only new cities in western Europe from the fall of the Western half of the Roman Empire until the rise of the [[Carolingian dynasty]]. Many Visigothic names are still in use in modern [[List of Spanish words of Germanic origin#Names|Spanish]] and [[List of Portuguese words of Germanic origin#Names|Portuguese]] languages. Their most notable legacy, however, was the ''Visigothic Code'', which served, among other things, as the basis for court procedure in most of Christian [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberia]] until the [[Late Middle Ages]], centuries after the demise of the kingdom. |
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| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | *[[Romano-Germanic culture]] | ||
| + | *[[Thiufa]] | ||
| + | *[[Goths]] | ||
| + | *[[Visigothic Kingdom|Visigothic kingdom]] | ||
| + | *[[Visigothic art and architecture]] | ||
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Current revision
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"The second half of the Fifth Century was come, the appalling period when unspeakable troubles afflicted the world. The Barbarians were ravaging Gaul; Rome, paralyzed, sacked by the Visigoths, felt her life frozen within her veins as she saw her outlying limbs, the East and the West, struggling in a sea of blood, growing more and more exhausted from day to day."--À rebours (1884) by Joris-Karl Huysmans |
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The Visigoths were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied barbarian military group united under the command of Alaric I. Their exact origins are believed to have been diverse but they probably included many descendants of the Thervingi who had moved into the Roman Empire beginning in 376 and had played a major role in defeating the Romans at the Battle of Adrianople in 378. Relations between the Romans and Alaric's Visigoths varied, with the two groups making treaties when convenient, and warring with one another when not. Under Alaric, the Visigoths invaded Italy and sacked Rome in August 410.
The Visigoths were subsequently settled in southern Gaul as foederati to the Romans, a relationship that was established in 418. This developed as an independent kingdom with its capital at Toulouse, and they extended their authority into Hispania at the expense of the Suebi and Vandals who had taken control of large swathes of Roman territory. In 507, Visigothic rule in Gaul was ended by the Franks under Clovis I, who defeated them in the Battle of Vouillé.
It is within what is now Spain and Portugal that the Visigoths created the polity for which they are best remembered. During their governance of Hispania, the Visigoths built several churches that survived and left many artifacts, items which have been discovered in increasing numbers by archaeologists in recent years. The Treasure of Guarrazar of votive crowns and crosses are the most spectacular among the finds thus far. In or around 589, the Visigoths under Reccared I converted from Arianism to Nicene Christianity, gradually adopting the culture of their Hispano-Roman subjects. Their legal code, the Visigothic Code (completed in 654), abolished the longstanding practice of applying different laws for Hispano-Roman population and Visigoths. Once legal distinctions were no longer being made between Romani and Gothi, they became known collectively as Hispani. In the century that followed, the region was dominated by the Councils of Toledo and the episcopacy. In 711, an invading force of Arabs and Berbers defeated the Visigoths during the Battle of Guadalete. The Visigoth king, Roderic, and many members of the Visigothic governing elite were killed and their kingdom rapidly collapsed. This was followed by the subsequent formation of the Kingdom of Asturias in northern Spain and the beginning of the Reconquista by Christian troops under Pelagius.
The Visigoths founded the only new cities in western Europe from the fall of the Western half of the Roman Empire until the rise of the Carolingian dynasty. Many Visigothic names are still in use in modern Spanish and Portuguese languages. Their most notable legacy, however, was the Visigothic Code, which served, among other things, as the basis for court procedure in most of Christian Iberia until the Late Middle Ages, centuries after the demise of the kingdom.
See also
