Barbarian Kingship 450-650 Flashcards
What happens to the western Empire
it fragments into smaller regions which are then controlled by barbarian kings.
what does the ex-imperial territories turn into?
Made up of 4 kingdoms arounds 525 AD, e.g francs, ostrogoths, visigoths, etc.
What happens to the Ostrogoths and Vandals?
Conquered by Eastern Roman empire in mid 6thc.
What happened in c600?
Firm established barbarian king in Gaul (spain)
Small kingdoms emerge in Britain
Ostrogoths (Italy) territory divided between Empire/ new invaders Lombards.
What was the Barbarian perspective?
Entered the empire not to destroy it nut to share/ exploit wealth to own needs.
Leaders retained basic ideology and cultural respect for the Roman Empire (feared attack from the eastern empire)
They retained the imperial systems of government (tax system) since the revenue would go to them and they would also need to retain local elite cooperation.
Roman perspective?
Best way for provincial elites to cling onto their land/ power/ status is to cooperate with and influence new rulers.
They sort office at barbarian court/ church and so by lending their support they offered the kings symbolic legitimacy to the ‘Roman style’ of rule.
Were the emerging kingdoms/ ‘successor states’ in 6th and 5th hybrids?
Yes. They had Roman political and religious organization and barbarian military power. This fusion was cemented by the gradual adoption of orthodox Christianity.
Barbarian kings emerged from a warrior society with limited tradition of stable kingship and lack of complex social organisation. But now that was mixed with the Romans hierarchical, beauracratic system.
The barbarians and Roman culture and expectations merged.
How did Barbarians maintain control?
Kings got power through their support so they need to keep it or elites would not cooperate and look elsewhere if not rewarded sufficiently.
Simple solution: war
Keeps warriors busy, training, channels energy outwards under your control, reminds Rome to respect you, provides rewards that you can then redistribute.
Barbarians needed to ensure they could pass onto their heirs, eliminate enemies and have sufficient resources for their followers.
by 6c ideologies of rule were fused together and now barbarians were seen as legitimate/ideal rulers/ catholic warriors and not savages.
What were the interests of the provincial elites?
The barbarians needed their cooperation. They want respect for their existing property/ status and in return for barbarian security there support with legitimize barbarian rule.
But if the barbarians were to forfeit credentials to rivals, they would switch sides and no longer respect military power.
Barbarian culture
Poems describe culture of blood, pride and prestige.
traces of heroism poorly presented as Roman Catholic writers represent and understand their aggressive behaviour in light of biblical models taken from the old testament.
How to writing help?
Allowed to control communities, keep bureaucracy records. organise taxation so no need to fight for wealth and create laws to maintain order. The Roman system provided a sophisticated model to imitate.
Church and Barbarians?
The church lent kings spiritual backing for their rule and adopting existing customs, Seen by oaths.
