The+Rise

Willie's Visigoth Essay
Willie's Works

__Climate and Geographical Features__

 * The Visigoths were a barbaric tribe who migrated periodically
 * The established settlements in a few places during their establishment as a people ("rise")

**Dacia**: Modern Romania and Ukraine (before 376 CE)
"//There was deep snow, and cold so intense that the water brought in for dinner and the wine within the jars froze; and many of the Hellenes had their noses and ears frost-bitten. Now they came to understand why the Thracians wear fox-skin caps on their heads and about their ears; and why, on the same principle, they are frocked not only about the chest and bust but so as to cover the loins and thighs as well; and why on horseback they envelop themselves in long shawls which reach down to the feet, instead of the ordinary short rider's cloak//". (Excerpt from //Anabasis// by Xenophon, Greek writer and soldier, lived ca.430-354 BCE) __Events and Leaders__
 * Temperate climate
 * Cold, cloudy winters often with snow and fog
 * Sunny summers often with rainstorms
 * Carpathian mountains to North
 * Black sea to West
 * Danube river to South
 * Thrace** (376-410 CE)
 * Balkan Mountains in North
 * Rhodope Mountains in South
 * Between mountains is the Ergene plain
 * Aquitainia** (418-ca.500 CE)
 * Pyrénées Mountains to the South
 * West coast borders Atlantic Ocean
 * Climate is oceanic to continental: frequent rainfall, mild winters, warm summers
 * 376 CE: a collection of Gothic tribes, including the Tervingi (Visigoths) led by Fritigern, crossed the Danube river that marked the edge of the Roman Empire (Ferreiro, 16)
 * They had been living in Dacia (now Ukraine, Romania), a region Northeast of the Roman Empire, but were pushed out by the invasion of the Huns
 * They were allowed to settle outside of Thrace (northern coast of Aegean Sea) on the conditions that they would surrender their weapons and male children as hostages
 * This event (Danubian migration) was a major cause of the division of the Goths into two distinct groups: Visigoth and O[[image:http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/Mediterranean/Adrianople.gif width="379" height="383" align="right" caption="Battle of Adrianople, Visigoth and Roman movements."]] strogoth (Heather, 96)
 * 378 CE: Battle of Adrianople (Todd, 342)
 * Emperor Valens of the Eastern Roman Empire decided to attack the Visigoths (356)
 * He marched 20,000 cavalry and 40,000 infantry to the Visigoths' 50,000 foot soldiers while the Visigothic cavalry was out on a raid (Ferriero, 72)
 * After it was looking like a Roman victory, the 50,000 Visigoths on horseback returned and defeated the Romans, causing 40,000 casualties and a dead emperor Valens
 * 382 CE: Visigoths are the first barbaric tribe to be declared an independant state within the Roman Empire by Emperor Theodosius (Heather, 137)
 * There are some conditions to this agreement: the Visigoths must fight in the Roman army (137)
 * 394 CE: Visigoths make official allegiance with Roman Empire under Alaric I and fight with Roman troops against Huns (Todd, 79)
 * 395 CE: Emperor Theodosius dies and allegiance is abandoned (79)
 * 401 CE: Alaric I attacks Italy but is defeated by General Stilicho (80)
 * 408 CE: Visigoths attack again, acquiring gold and silver and occupying northern Italy
 * A Roman prefect, Attalus, became temporary Emperor and made peace with Alaric, appointing him Commander-in-chief of the army and his brother Athaulf commander of the house-hold troops
 * this was a failed attempt to solve a mixed up situation, and Attalus lost his position as Emperor
 * When Alaric tried to forge an allegiance with the original emperor Honorius, a disciple of General Stilicho intervened for unknown reasons
 * 410 CE: Alaric brought his troops into Rome, breaking through the gates on the 24 of August
 * For three days Alaric and his troops occupied Rome, stealing worldly treasures and goods, especially Roman gold and silver
 * It was not every day that a Germanic tribe of barbarians captured one of the most affluent cities in history
 * some accounts testify Alaric commanding that churches and human life be respected
 * However, it is likely that many Romans were killed, barbarians being barbarians
 * Their spoils pillaged, the Visigoths headed south from Rome to the peninsula of Calabria
 * They gathered ships to prepare for an invasion of Africa
 * But after delays due to bad weather, Alaric fell ill and died abruptly
 * 412 CE: Now Athualf, Alaric's brother, was in charge and he moved the Visigoths to Gaul
 * The new leader of the Visigoths was as polite as possible to the Roman Empire after his brother's poor manners
 * Athualf fought against the Gallic emperor Jovinus with the Romans, married the Roman princess Galla Placidia (captured by Alaric in 410), and rather unbarbaricly supported the rule of law
 * 415 CE: He died after a few years of pro-Roman rule, replaced by Sigeric who ruled for only a few weeks
 * Vallia (also Wallia) was the next effective leader, developing an alliance with Roman Empire, fighting on its side against other barbarians (Alans, Vandals) in Spain
 * 418 CE: He negotiated an agreement with this ally which gave the Visigoths a permanent home in Aquitania, Gaul
 * Kingdom develops
 * Frankish kingdom in Northeastern Gaul threatens Visigoths
 * 490s CE: Clovis and his Franks attack Visigoths throughout this decade
 * 508 CE: Clovis defeats Visigoths, killing Alaric II
 * Visigoths retreated to their settlements in Toledo, Spain

__Socio-Political Structure__

 * The Visigoths were a barbaric tribe who migrated often (Ferriero, 234)
 * This changed their social structure from setting to setting (234)
 * 376 CE: When the Visigoths crossed the Danube river and settled outside of the Roman Empire, they were one of many Gothic tribes (Heather, 72)
 * These tribes (Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and other undefined pseudo-gothic groups) had a fair amount of interchange with and impact on each other's social structure


 * The Visigothic social structure was a military anarchy with a malleable aristocracy (Todd, 34)
 * The economy was based on plunder from raids and this also informed what made up the nobility (34)
 * Warriors who fought well and brought wealth to their tribe were economically and socially promoted to a higher, wealthier status (34)
 * These Visigoths became chiefs and were obliged to go on raids and provide goods for the warriors under them to maintain their status (34)


 * The Visigoths began interacting with the Romans after their migration across the Danube (Davis, 23)
 * They plundered villages on the outskirts of the Empire but also served in the Roman army as part of their requirements for being made an independant state within the Roman Empire (Todd, 72)
 * This doubled the role of a member of the Visigothic nobility
 * They were political and military leaders in their own culture, responsible for raiding and warring
 * In Roman society they were encouraged to achieve higher military ranks, gifts and wealth being doted upon more preeminent Visigoths
 * These perks were used by the Roman government to control the barbarian leaders and thus, the Visigoths as a whole (Ferreiro, 234)

__Industrial/Artistic Technology__

 * The Visigoths had an industrious peasant society
 * There were potters who created vessels, lamps, as well as bricks and shingles
 * Blacksmiths worked metal into weapons and tools
 * Fullers processed wool into fabric
 * Clothiers cut and stitched the fabric into garments

[[image:Visigoth_buckle.jpg width="400" height="263" caption="Visigoth belt buckle from 6th century Aquitaine"]]

 * After moving to Spain, the Visigoths imported fine pottery and tableware from North Africa (Ferreiro, 274)
 * The collapse of the Roman Empire was due partly to sacking Rome in 410 and had an impact on the trade of this "African Red Slip" pottery
 * Trade was affected drastically because:
 * Roads fell into disrepair, making transport more difficult (277)
 * Roman governmental transport was the main vehicle for the secondary cargo of merchant goods like pottery (277)
 * Seas were more dangerous without Roman Empire who had policed the pirates (278)

__Agriculture & Economy__
(Ferreiro, 63-64)
 * Visigoths had a peasant society in addition to the warrior class of many Visigoths
 * They grew several grains: wheat, barley, rye, flax
 * They ploughed their fields with oxen that would pull a yoke and plough
 * Harvest was done in the summer with sickles and then crops were transported by cart
 * These crops were threshed (the edible grain loosened from the chaff or husk around it)
 * Then grains was either baked into bread or (flax) turned into linen cloth
 * Visigothic agriculture was seemingly inefficient as they relied on Roman grain primarily
 * Pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and donkeys were raised
 * These livestock were kept in sheds near villages and fed hay reaped from grass
 * The visigoths drank cow's milk and wore sheep's wool

__Transportation & Weaponry__

 * The visigoths travelled on foot and by horseback throughout Europe
 * In the late 4th century CE they adapted the use of the horse in the southeastern steppes of Crimea (southern peninsula of Ukraine)
 * here they found the nomadic tribes of Crimea (the Alans) who were a horse-riding people

[[image:visigoth_warrior.jpg width="345" height="542" caption="Visigoth warrior (5th century CE)"]]
(Davis, 63) (64)
 * 4th century Visigothic infantry or footsoldiers (like the one above) fought with lances, swords, shields and occasionally wooden clubs
 * Only leaders would have armour, otherwise semi-protective battle tunics were worn
 * Cavalry would use large lances and shields, swords
 * By the 5th century visigoths began accumulating Roman bows, arrows and //contus// (battle lances)
 * Their battle tactic was usually to advance as one horde
 * They would sing their battle song or //barritus//
 * This song would start quietly and grow to a booming roar
 * Cavalry would outflank the enemy (go around and behind them)
 * They would also use a false retreat tactic and then an ambush
 * more Visigoth cavalry were trained under the influence of the Roman army
 * Foot archers were used, though they were limited in mobility and vulnerable to attack