Europe after the Fall of the Roman Empire - Essay Example

?Europe after the fall of Roman Empire 400- 600 A.D Introduction The influence of the Roman Empire that extended wide and across the Mediterranean Sea was great on all aspects. The interaction of the people with the Roman people made a mixed culture in Europe. Almost all places of Europe, at present, show a kind of Roman influence in its base level. The Roman law and culture had flourished deeply in the European countries. It is said, “Romanization in the western provinces raised people’s standard of living as roads and bridges improved, trade increased, and agriculture flourished under the peaceful conditions provided by the army” (The rise of Rome 176). The western side of the Roman Empire, that is Europe, became a part of the Roman Empire under its strong military power. The extension of the land was fully made by the emperor Trajan in the second century. All the countries near to the Mediterranean Sea came under Rome. Rome had started to rule Britain even from 55 B.C. From Britain in the Western side, the Roman Empire had kept all the European countries under its rule. From 3rd century onwards the supremacy of Rome came down due to various reasons. The Germanic people had settled on the borders of Rome years ago and by the fourth century their hold was so powerful. “By the end of the fourth century, however, the relationship between the Romans and the Germans began to change radically as a great influx of Visigoths swept toward the Western frontiers of the empire” (American Book Works Corporation 81). In A.D. 476, Rome finally fell to the hands of these barbarian people. The last emperor Romulus Augustus, a boy had to surrender before the Germanic king Odoacer. Rome witnessed the independent rule of Odoacer for a few years. After the fall of Rome, it influenced with its rich tradition on the construction of new kingdoms in Europe. The essay analyzes how the Roman tradition worked as a strong influence on the later kingdoms of Europe after the fall of Rome in A.D. 476. Europe witnessed the rule of different kings after the Roman fall. Theodoric, a general who is not in the Roman tradition defeated Odoacer and established his kingdom named Ostrogothic kingdom. They were not ready to reshuffle everything of Roman tradition rather they followed what was Roman. It is said, “He built legitimacy for his new state by preserving traditional Roman institutions, especially the Senate and the office of consul” (The transformation of the Roman Empire 223) Further it is seen that he had followed the policy of Constantine on religious toleration. The next ruler of the Europe was Franks. They have settled the country to what is now called as France. The leader of Franks, Clovis became the emperor in A.D. 507. Clovis’s dynasty ruled for 200 years. It was named Merovingian dynasty, taking up “the legendary Frankish ancestor Merovech” (The transformation of the Roman Empire 224). The Merovingian dynasty had taken many of the Roman traditions in its rule. Their state combined “barbarian military might with Roman social and legal traditions” (The transformation of the Roman Empire 224). Almost all rulers had taken the noble aspects of Roman culture when they ascended into power. Visigoth king Athaulf who ruled during the period from 410 -415 A.D. explained the goals of his ruling strategy as “reviving the Roman name with Gothic strength” (The transformation of the Roman Empire 223). It was the intention of many of the new emperors to restore the Roman law and culture. So, after the fall of Rome, the Roman laws got much prominence among the new rulers. They wrote the legal codes of Rome and practiced in their countries. The practice of fining was another landmark of the Roman tradition in the new kingdoms. The penalties were incurred to the law offenders and the majority of it would go to the nearest relative of the person affected. After the fall of Rome, there developed a Gallo- Roman culture and language. When most part of Gaul came under the rule Merovingian kings, the amalgamation of Roman and Merovingian cultures took place. The rule of the Franks has brought for the fall of villa system in the ancient Rome. They had extended their kingdom to “the present- day France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Luxemburg” (Islam, Byzantium and the West 254). Even though Rome was fallen to the hands of the barbarians the practice of human cargo remained with the later kingdoms too. The cultures of the Romans and barbarians were rather similar. They have “shared languages, settlement patterns, and religious sensibilities” (Islam, Byzantium and the West 254). The language that was spoken by the Romans and the Merovingian people was a mixture of Latin and Germanic. The economy and marriage of the barbarians had some resemblance with the Roman tradition. The economy of the period witnessed a gift economy. It is “a system of give- and-take: booty was taken, tribute was demanded, harvests were hoarded, and coins were minted, all to be redistributed to friends, followers and dependents” (Islam, Byzantium and the West 258). This has made the influence of the rich people in the society. Together with this it can be seen that the period after the fall of Roman Empire witnessed the growing of trade with Jews, Muslims of the Byzantine Empire. The marriage ceremony of the Merovingian people was in accordance with the Roman culture. The emergence of church had not much affected its values to marriage. People married at home not at churches (Islam, Byzantium and the West 259). The aristocrats of the period patterned their life with that of the Romans. They taught “their children Latin poetry and writing to another in phrases borrowed from the classical poet, Virgil” (Islam, Byzantium and the West 259). The language and style of Rome had much influence over the land. But as time progressed the supremacy of the Christianity over the Roman religions turned the fall of the Roman language also. The religious attributes of Christianity ruled over the classic Roman during that period in Europe. As Christianity became the major religion of the place the importance of the Christian leaders grew at a greater level. Even though there are many similarities between Romans and the later kingdoms, the peasant life was unaffected. The life of the barbarian farmers was not much influenced by the Roman traditions. They owned some plots and cultivated various crops there. The semi free peasants lived in small houses. The pattern of the agricultural sector was unaffected by the influence of the Romans. The peasants were more attached to the life of the barbarians. The European countries after the fall of Rome The British Isles were separated by Romans. Ireland was free of Roman occupation and so Christianity spread there so soon. Many of the people became Catholics. After the fall of British- Rome Anglo Saxons came to the land and they made England as an Anglican country, having separate language and belief. They were mainly pagan and later adapted the Anglican form of Christianity. The introduction of English in the land of British Isles was the greatest contribution of the Anglo Saxons in the country. It was said that the written Anglo Saxon language (Old English) was used in every aspects of the English life in Britain where as in many parts of Europe the different variants of Latin was still predominant (Islam, Byzantium and the West 264). In Spain the post-fall Rome witnessed the growth of Christianity. It was sure that no ruler in the place was able to construct a noble government without the support of the Hispano-Roman population, which included both the aristocrats and bishops (Islam, Byzantium and the West 264). The rule of the Visigothic king Leovigild could establish a strong kingdom with the help of the landlords and bishops. Spain embraced Catholicism and the king gave full freedom to the churchmen and who could make out their hierarchical absolutism in the church. The kingdom of Italy, Lombard king did not support the church and so there arose so many hostile wars in the land. The Lombard king tried to rebuild the capital city with many of the buildings and in some extend he succeeded but his “inability to revive the Roman land tax was a major weakness” (Islam, Byzantium and the West 254). The ruler had many challenges both from the Dukes and from the Pope in the country. They tried to attain power from the hands of the king. So Italy after the fall of Rome had to pass through a tough time. The position of the Pope also was under certain pressures. Even though he assumed greater power and position and ruled the place he was under the control of the Roman emperor in Constantinople. The Byzantine Empire on the other hand was in the clutches of the Islamic world. They were the people having both Roman and Persian traditions. They practiced the laws, religion-Christianity of the Roman tradition. But later, they introduced the new religion Islam in the land of Europe. The Umayyad dynasty of the Islamic world had in many ways influenced the tradition of the Rome. As time progressed, the capital, Byzantine changed to be to “a Christian state on the borders of the new Muslim Empire” (Islam, Byzantium and the West 267). The reign of different rulers in the post fall Rome showed the elements of the Traditional Rome. The period from 400 to 600 A.D. witnessed the unification of the countries like Britain, France and Spain and the struggle of the Byzantine Empire with the invasion of the Islamic world. After the reign of the Merovingian dynasty in Europe, there witnessed the emergence of another dynasty, the Carolingians. Europe under the rule of the Carolingians and especially by Charlemagne, the most famous Carolingian “presided over a revival of Christian classical culture known as the Carolingian renaissance” (Emperors, Caliphs, and Local Lords 283). They tried to bring out the Roman elements with Christianity in the European continent. The most of the rulers after the fall of Roman Empire had showed a wish to reconstruct the Roman Empire and so they implemented roman tradition in one way or other in their rule. So it can undoubtedly be said that Europe was built on the foundation stone of the ancient Rome. Total word count: 1726 Works Cited American Book Works Corporation. Cliffs AP World History. John Wiley &Sons, 2006. Print Emperors, Caliphs, and Local Lords (provided by the customer). Islam, Byzantium and the West (Provided by the customer). The rise of Rome (Provided by the customer) The transformation of the Roman Empire (provided by the customer). Read More