The Emergence of Europe: The Fall of the Roman Empire, the Rise of the Franks, and the Creation of Charlemagne's Empire. Part I: The Division of the Roman Empire and the Creation of the Tetrarchy

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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 One explains that Diocletian seized power in 283, and divided the Romanempire into the western half and the eastern half. Despite his best efforts, a civil war broke out soon after his death, and Constantine had become sole emperor by 323. Byzantium became his capital in order to better deal with the expansionist Sasanian dynasty in Persia. When he died, the empire was divided again.

 

Cast of Characters:

Diocletian-emperor of the Eastern Empire (286-305), emperor (284-286), formerly cavalry commander

Maximus-emperor of the Western Empire (286-305), caesar (285-286)

Maxentius-claimed to be emperor of the Western Empire (306-312), son of Maximianus

Galerius-emperor of the Eastern Empire (305-311), caesar of the Eastern Empire (293-305)

Severus-emperor of the Western Roman Empire (306-307), caesar of theWestern Roman Empire (306-307)

Licinius-emperor of the Eastern Empire (308-324), under the authority of Galerius

Constantius-emperor of the Western Empire (305-306), caesar of the Western Empire (293-305)

Constantine I-emperor of the Roman Empire (324-337), emperor of the Western Empire (306-324), son of Constantius

Arius-founder of Arianism, the belief that Jesus of Nazareth was not equally divine as his father

 

Sources:

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

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

Christendom: The Triumph of a Religion-Peter Heather

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

Rome Resurgent: War and Empire in the Age of Justinian-Peter Heather

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