The Emergence of Europe (286-843) Part V: The Policy of Orderly Barbarian Settlement and the Fall of Carthage.

A series of civil wars and repeated invasions by Germanic tribes caused the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Following the end of imperial authority, several Germanic tribes struggled against each other for control of territory. The Franks became the dominant power in Gaul, but Greater Frankia repeatedly broke apart during wars between rival claimants for the throne. Finally, Charlemagne united the Franks, and greatly expanded the size of the kingdom. However, his grandsons proved unwilling to share the empire, and divided it in 843, laying the foundations for France and Germany. Episode Five explains that Aetius won the competition to become generalissimo because he was the only candidate left alive. Aetius focused on Gaul, where the Burgundians were convinced to accept an orderly settlement like the Goths. Unfortunately, the Vandals and Alans captured the critical port of Carthage. Both halves of the empire planned a joint expedition to retake Carthage, but the eastern empire became preoccupied with the Huns led by Attila.

 

Cast of Characters:

Felix-senior general in the Western Roman Empire (425-430)

Boniface-governor of North Africa (423-432)

Aetius-generalissimo of the Western Roman empire (433-454)

Valentinian-emperor, son of Constantius and Galla Placidia (425-455)

Galla Placidia-regent for her son Valentinian, former empress to Emperor Constantius III, formerly queen to Athaulf, king of the Visigoths, daughter of Emperor Theodosius I, half-sister of Emperor Honorius

Gaiseric-king of the Vandals and the Alans (428-477)

Theodoric I-king of the Visigoths (418-451)

Atilla-king of the Huns (434-453)

 

Sources:

Christendom: The Triumph of a Religion-Peter Heather

Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West 376-568-Guy Halsall

The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians-Peter Heather

The Inheritance of Rome-A History of Europe from 400 to 1000-Chris Wickham

Empires of Faith: The Fall of Rome to the Rise of Islam, 500-700-Peter Sarris

Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages-Dan Jones

The Franks-Edward James

Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire that Rescued Western Civilization-Lars Brownsworth

Byzantium: The Early Centuries-John Julius Norwich

Empires of Faith: The Fall of Rome to the Rise of Islam, 500-700-Peter Sarris

Visigothic Spain 409-711-Roger Collins

History of the Goths-Herwig Wolfram, translated by Thomas J. Dunlap

 

Image Credit

By Unknown author - [1] 'Grandes Chroniques de France, Mandragore, BNF, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=723625