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The Early Middle Ages. Barbarian Invasions and Byzantine Italy, c. 400 - c. 1130 AD. The Visigoths reached Italy at the beginning of the fifth century
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The Early Middle Ages Barbarian Invasions and Byzantine Italy, c. 400 - c. 1130 AD
The Visigoths reached Italy at the beginning of the fifth century • Other Barbarians were approaching Italy. The Vandals arrived in Africa in 429. Their control of North Africa deprived Rome of her source of corn. • The Goths settled in Italy and acquired the trappings of Western civilization • In 370 the Huns arrived from Russia (Mongols) • In 452 Attila (dies a year later) arrived in Northern Italy and after a three month siege conquers the city of Aquileia. • Pope Leo I (440-61) can be considered the founder of Catholicism. Connected to two myths • He stopped Attila from entering Rome
A forged document, known as the Donation of Constantine, which professed to record Constantine’s gift of the Western Empire to the Papacy (document entirely discredited by Lorenzo Valla during the Renaissance) • In 476 Romulus Augustalus was deposed by Odovacar (476-493) at the head of a mixed group of Teutonic invaders nominally at the service of the empire • Theodoric followed Odovacar as a Gothic king (488-526). His reign was peaceful and prosperous. He ruled the Gothic peoples without interfereing in the culture, life and laws of the Romans. He insisted on religious tolerance • Under the reign of the emperor Justinian (in the Eastern part) the Gothic rule ended. Justinian’s fame is connected to the CODEX (529) and the INSTITUTIONES (533)
Ravenna experienced an architectural Renaissance during the time of Theodoric • In the lastdecades of the sixth century conditions in Italy deteriorated. Barbarian invasions continued. Ravenna, Rome, Genoa and Naples preserved remnants of Roman institutions. Many towns were abandoned (villa). • The exarch ruled in Ravenna (capital of the Western Empire), and elsewhere military governers predominated over civilian ones
LOMBARD ITALY AND THE FOUNDATION OF THE PAPAL STATES c. 600 - 800 AD • Pope Gregory I (Gregorius Magnus) (540-604) His administration of the church was thorough, he set the pattern for catholic services and rituals (Gregorian Chant, Gregorian Calendar). A humanitarian, Gregory, improved the conditions of the slaves (free bread). He repaired aqueducts and showed respect for a lost, pagan, civilization. (IV Father of the Church) (Ambrose, Quintillian, Tertullian) • The Lombards arrived about 568 and heavy fighting followed until 605. Contemporary accounts tell of wholesale disasters, floods, famine, the plague. What happened to the Romans or Italians in this period is imperfectly known (Dark Age between Alboin’s death in 573 and the accession of Agilulf (590)
Lombards (200.000 at their arrival) quickly disappeared in Italian society. Their language did not survive except in a few Italian words • Roman law survived, property law in particular was adopted by the Lombards (VIII-IX) • Lombards became city dwellers and were found in Brescia, Vicenza and Pavia (northern towns) • The capital of Lombard Italy was Pavia, which remained an important cultural center, as it was intended to rival Ravenna. Paul the Deacon lived here (famous historian)
The Exarchate of Ravenna was a separate entity. The first Exarch had been appointed by the Byzantine Emperor Maurice (582-602). Once appointed, the Exarchs retained virtual independence (declared in 619 and in 651). The organization of the Exarchate was sophisticated. Taxes were collected, troops were paid regularly. The Exarchate was conquered by Lombards (Aistulf, 749-56)
In 754 and 756 the Franks invaded Italy under King Pepin . Pepin’s arrival provided the opportunity for the foundation of the Papal States. The Donation of Pepin (756), gave land that was nominally under the Eastern Empire to Pope Stephen II. Added to the Donation of Constantine, the Donation of Pepin virtually proclaimed the Pope to be the heir of the Roman emperors. • Charlemagne became king of the Franks in 774 and visited Rome that year. His presence illustrated Frankish domination of the Papal States
