Unit 1. The origin of European Nations

Question 1

378

Answer 1

The Visigoths defeat Emperor Valens at Adrianople

Question 2

382

Answer 2

Theodosius signs a first foedus with the Visigoths. They may settle in the Empire if they pledge to defend it.

Question 3

395

Answer 3

After the death of Theodosius I the Roman Empire is divided: the Western Empire is inherited by Honorius (395 - 423) and the Eastern by Arcadius (395 -408).

Question 4

409

Answer 4

Romans abandon Great Britain. Britons are not deeply Romanized. During the 5th century Great Britain is invaded by different German people. The most important are the Angles and the Saxons. They push the Britons to the mountains and to the less fertile lands (Scotland, Wales or Ireland).

Question 5

416

Answer 5

Foundation of the Visigothic kingdom of Tolosa (actual French Toulouse) with Valia as its first king.

Question 6

476 September 4

Answer 6

Romulus Augustulus is deposed by Odoacer, the Germanic chieftain of the Heruli. The end of the Western Roman Empire.

Question 7

481

Answer 7

Clovis (+511), of the Merovingian clan, becomes King of the Franks.

Question 8

496

Answer 8

Clovis converts to Catholicism. Most of the other Germanic kings would do the same. The church as the heir of the Roman empire favors the stability of political power of kings.

Question 9

568

Answer 9

The Lombards, led by King Alboin, invade Italy when pressured by the Avars, soon driving the Byzantines out of northern Italy (Po Valley, which comes to be called “Lombardy”).

Question 10

573

Answer 10

Leovigild (573 - 586) ascends to the Visigoth throne and is considered the founder of the Kingdom of Toledo, which would last until 711.

Question 11

577

Answer 11

Battle of Dyrham. Decisive victory of Angles and Saxons. Beginning of Anglo-Saxon rule.

Question 12

590 - 604

Answer 12

Pope Gregory the Great significantly bolsters the authority of the Church of Rome over all of Christendom. He is the first pope that considers himself the successor of Roman emperors and decides to preach Christianity among the Germanic people that settled in the different parts of the extinct West Roman Empire. He sends a mission for Christianizing Anglo-Saxon England. The first Anglo-Saxon king to be baptized is Aethelbert, King of Kent (c. 590-616).

The Church as the heir of the Roman Empire favors the creation of Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms. There are soon seven authonomous kingdoms: the Heptarchy: **Wessex, East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria **(divided in two subkingdoms: Bernicia and Deira); Kent, Sussex and Essex.

Question 13

600

Answer 13

Athelbert Law Code is formed

The Law of the Kingdom of Kent is the oldest written Law in England

Question 14

654

Answer 14

Approval of the Liber Iudiciorum in the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo. Is the **first territorial Germanic Law **binding both to Visigoths and Hispano-Romans that already merged as one single people under the authority of the King of Toledo.