Theodoric the Goth - Barbarian Champion of Civilisation

Thomas Hodgkin

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• Publié par: mashong
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 31
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Theodoric the Goth, by Thomas Hodgkin This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Theodoric the Goth Barbarian Champion of Civilisation Author: Thomas Hodgkin Release Date: December 9, 2006 [EBook #20063] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THEODORIC THE GOTH *** Produced by R. Cedron, Rénald Lévesque and the Online Distributed Proofreaders Europe at http://dp.rastko.net. This file was produced from images generously made available by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica) HEROES OF THE NATIONS EDITED BY EVELYN ABBOTT, M.A. FELLOW OF BALLIOL COLLEGE, OXFORD FACTA CUCIS VIVENT OPEROSAQUE GLORIA RERUM--OVID, IN LIVIAM, 255 THE HERO'S DEEDS AND HARD-WON FAME SHALL LIVE ii THEODORIC THE GOTH THE BARBARIAN CHAMPION OF CIVILISATION BY THOMAS HODGKIN, D.C.L. FELLOW OF UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON; AUTHOR OF "ITALY AND HER INVADERS, A,D. 376-553", ETC., ETC. G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS NEW YORK 27 W. TWENTY-THIRD STREET LONDON 24 BEDFORD STREET, STRAND THE KNICKERBOCKER PRESS 1897 COPYRIGHT, 1891, BY G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS Entered at Stationers' Hall, London By G. P. Putnam's Sons Electrotyped, Printed, and Bound by iii iv The Knickerbocker Press, New York G.P. Putnam's Sons v n the following pages I have endeavoured to portray the life and character of one of the most striking figures in the history of the Early Middle Ages, Theodoric the Ostrogoth. The plan of the series, for which this volume has been prepared, does not admit of minute discussion of the authorities on which the history rests. In my case the omission is of the less consequence, as I have treated the subject more fully in my larger work, "Italy and her Invaders", and as also the chief authorities are fully enumerated in that book which is or ought to be in the library of every educated Englishman and American, Gibbon's "History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire". The fifth and sixth centuries do not supply us with many materials for pictorial illustrations, and I do not know where to look for authentic and contemporary representations of the civil or military life of Theodoric and his subjects. We have, however, a large and interesting store of nearly contemporary works of art at Ravenna, illustrating the ecclesiastical life of the period, and of these the engraver has made considerable use. The statue of Theodoric at Innsbruck, a representation of which is included with the illustrations, possesses, of course, no historical value, but is interesting as showing how deeply the memory of Theodoric's great deeds had impressed itself on the mind of the Middle Ages. And here I will venture on a word of personal reminiscence. The figure of Theodoric the Ostrogoth has been an interesting and attractive one to me from the days of my boyhood. I well remember walking with a friend on a little hill (then silent and lonely, now covered with houses), looking down on London, and discussing European politics with the earnest interest which young debaters bring to such a theme. The time was in those dark days which followed the revolutions of 1848, when it seemed as if the life of the European nations would be crushed out under the heel of returned and triumphant despotism. For Italy especially, after the defeat of Novara, there seemed no hope. We talked of Mazzini, Cavour, Garibaldi, and discussed the possibility--which then seemed so infinitely remote-that there might one day be a free and united Italy. We both agreed that the vision was a beautiful one, but was there any hope of it ever becoming a reality? My friend thought there was not, and argued from the fact of Italy's divided condition in the past, that she must always be divided in the future. I, who was on the side of hope, felt the weakness of my position, and was driven backward through the centuries, till at length I took refuge in the reign of Theodoric. Surely, under the Ostrogothic king, Italy had been united, strong, and prosperous. My precedent was a remote one, but it was admitted, and it did a little help my cause. Since that conversation more than forty years have passed. The beautiful land is now united, free, and mighty; and a new generation has arisen, which, though aware of the fact that she was not always thus, has but a faint conception how much blood and how many tears, what thousands of broken hearts and broken lives went to the winning of Italy's freedom. I, too, with fuller knowledge of her early history, am bound to confess that her unity even under Theodoric was not so complete as I then imagined it. But still, as I have more than once stated in the following pages, I look upon his reign as a time full of seeds of promise for Italy and the world, if only these seeds might have had time to germinate and ripen into harvest. Closer study has only confirmed me in the opinion that the Ostrogothic vi viii kingdom was one of the great "Might-have-beens" of History. THOMAS HODGKIN. NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, January 25, 1891. ix CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION Page 1 CHAPTER I. THEODORIC'S ANCESTORS Page 7 Ostrogoths and Visigoths--Nations forming the Gothic Confederacy--Royal family of the Amals--Gothic invasion in the Second Century--Hermanic the Ostrogoth--Inroad of the Huns--Defeat of the Ostrogoths-Defeat of the Visigoths--The Visigoths within the Empire--Battle of Adrianople--Alaric in Rome. CHAPTER II. THE MIGHT OF ATTILA Page 18 The Ostrogoths under the Huns--The three royal brothers--Attila, king of the Huns--He menaces the Eastern Empire--He strikes at Gaul--Battle of the Catalaunian plains--Invasion of Italy--Destruction of Aquileia--Death of Attila and disruption of his Empire--Settlement of the Ostrogoths in Pannonia. CHAPTER III. THEODORIC'S BOYHOOD Page 32 Inroad of the Huns--Their defeat by Walamir--Birth of Theodoric--War with the Eastern Empire--Theodoric a hostage--Description of Constantinople--Its commerce and its monuments. CHAPTER IV. THE SOUTHWARD MIGRATION Page 49 Struggles with the Swabians, Sarmatians, Scyri, and Huns--Death of Walamir--Theudemir becomes king-Theodoric defeats Babai--The Teutonic custom of the Comitatus--An Ostrogothic Folc-mote--Theudemir invades the Eastern Empire--Macedonian settlement of the Ostrogoths. CHAPTER V. STORM AND STRESS Page 62 Death of Theudemir, and accession of Theodoric--Leo the Butcher--The Emperor Zeno--The march of Theodoric against the son of Triarius--His invasion of Macedonia--Defeat of his rear-guard--His compact with the Emperor. CHAPTER VI. ITALY UNDER ODOVACAR Page 93 Condition of Italy--End of the line of Theodosius--Ricimer the Patrician--Struggles with the Vandals--Orestes the Patrician makes his son Emperor, who is called Augustulus--The fall of the Western Empire and elevation of Odovacar--Embassies to Constantinople. x CHAPTER VII. THE CONQUEST OF ITALY Page 109 Odovacar invades Dalmatia--Conducts a successful campaign against the Rugians--Theodoric accepts from Zeno the commission to overthrow Odovacar--He invades Italy, overthrowing the Gepidæ, who attempt to bar his passage--Battles of the Isonzo and Verona--Odovacar takes refuge in Ravenna--The treachery of Tufa-Gundobad, king of the Burgundians, comes to Italy to oppose Theodoric, while Alaric II, king of the Visigoths, comes as his ally--The battle of the Adda, and further defeat of Odovacar--Surrender of Ravenna-Assassination of Odovacar. CHAPTER VIII. CIVILITAS Page 126 Transformation in the character of Theodoric--His title--Embassies to Zeno and Anastasius--Theodoric's care for the rebuilding of cities and repair of aqueducts--Encouragement of commerce and manufactures--Revival of agriculture--Anecdotes of Theodoric. CHAPTER IX. ROMAN OFFICIALS--CASSIODORUS Page 148 The government of Italy still carried on according to Roman precedents--Classification of the officials--The Consulship and the Senate--Cassiodorus, his character and his work--His history of the Goths--His letters and state papers. CHAPTER X. THE ARIAN LEAGUE Page 175 Political bearings of the Arianism of the German invaders of the Empire--Vandals, Suevi, Visigoths, Burgundians--Uprise of the power of Clovis--His conversion to Christianity--His wars with Gundobad, king of the Burgundians--With Alaric II, king of the Visigoths--Downfall of the monarchy of Toulouse--Usurpation of Gesalic--Theodoric governs Spain as guardian of his grandson Amalaric. CHAPTER XI. ANASTASIUS Page 207 Anastasius, the Eastern Emperor--His character--His disputes with his subjects--Theodoric and the king of the Gepidæ--War of Sirmium and its consequences--Raid on the coast of Italy--Reconciliation between the courts of Ravenna and Constantinople--Anastasius confers on Clovis the title of Consul--Clovis removes many of his rivals--Death of Clovis--Death of Anastasius. CHAPTER XII. ROME AND RAVENNA Page 229 Theodoric's visit to Rome--Disputed Papal election--Theodoric's speech at the Golden Palm--The monk Fulgentius--Bread distributions--Races in the Circus--Conspiracy of Odoin--Return to Ravenna--Marriage festivities of Amalaberga--Description of Ravenna--Mosaics in the churches--S. Apollinare Dentro-Processions of virgins and martyrs--Arian baptistery--So-called palace of Theodoric--Vanished statues. CHAPTER XIII. BOËTHIUS Page 256 Clouds in the horizon--Anxiety as to the succession--Death of Eutharic, son-in-law of Theodoric--His son Athalaric proclaimed as Theodoric's heir--Pope and Emperor reconciled--Anti-Jewish riot at Ravenna-Strained relations of Theodoric and his Catholic subjects--- Leaders of the Roman party--Boëthius and Symmachus--Break-down of the Arian leagues--Cyprian accuses Albinus of treason--Boëthius, interposing, is included in the charge--His trial, condemnat