Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Endless Barbarian Waves


For more than three centuries the Legions of Rome fought off seemingly endless waves of Barbarian Tribes. The high quality of the legionnaires, organization of the Empire and top-quality defenses, all helped to hold back the initial waves. Yet each successive assault was stronger than the last. No matter how many victories the Romans achieved there was always another tribe to face.


>Visigoth Warrior

Germans, Alamanni, Vandals, Goths, Suebi, Visigoths, Franks, Huns, Picts, Ostrogoths, Jutes, Anglo & Saxons all slammed into the Empire adding more and more pressure until the defenses began to crack.
>Saxon Warrior

At first a trickle and then a steady stream of Barbarians entered the Empire, some to raid, some to join the Roman Army and some to set up permanent homes.

>the dreaded Huns, terror on horseback

Finally, a flood of Barbarians broke into and overwhelmed the Western Empire. The city of Rome fell to the Ostrogoths, was looted and the last Western Emperor, Romulus Augustus, was captured in 476 CE.

>Theodoric the Ostrogoth, King of Italy, lead the barbarians that ended Western Roman Empire. The Empire and Emperor were now replaced by kings and petty states. A major turning point in world history had been reached, as the Darks Ages in Europe began.

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