The Huns and the end of the Roman Empire - Peter Heather
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Barbarian groups establishing successor states had been into empire from 410 – yet emperor not deposed until 476 – not just invasions but longer term reactions to them.

Why did Barbarian groups enter the empire – 376-410 – different phases of a single crisis, two main phases of population movement caused by Hunnic pressure.

Huns big effect on balance of power in the region. Ammianus account suggests a year of pressure put Gothis over Danube in 376, but Heather thinks more like 10 or 20. Not breathing down necks as months to get Valens permissions from Antioch. The Goths still remained the main threat north of the Danube a full decade after 376.

Bulk of the Huns still well to the east of Rome’s Danubian frontier in 395.

Huns did noit arrive en masse to the Danubian frontier ut a slow build-up of pressure precipitated a crisis amongst the Goths – Huns still wel away from Danubian frontier 396.

Huns not a united force at this time, rather a series of raidng parties with differing aims.

Piecemeal acitivity of numerous Hunnic bands destabilised the general situation provoking prolonged and successive crises for the Goths and other inhabitants of the Pontic region. The eye of Hunnenstrum still very much to the East in 376

Goths, admitted in 376, exploited political instability from death Theodoisus in 395 to make further demands on the Roman state – middle 1^st decade 5^th century three major invasion convulsed virtually the entire length of the Empire’s Rhine and Dnaube frontiers.

1. 405 – Radagaisus into Italy with a avery large force, invades frommiddle Danubian area westof the Carpathians, actionmoving further West away from 376Daunbian crossing.
2. 406- Alans, Vandals and Suevia, 31 Dec cross Rhine into Gaul – carved out kingdoms for themselves within the empire. These groups also originate from West of the Carpathians. These groups had all moved West
3. 408 – Uldin crosses Danube with group of Huns

Individually nothing but together amount to a convulsion along Danubian and Rhine frontiers. 10s if 100s of thousands into the empire. Easy defeat of Uldin shows Roman empire logisitical, tactical and technological superiority – invading Roman empire dangerous game – Ammainus Rhine frontier Barbarians continually beaten easily. Why did they do it?

1. Invasions not entirely voluntary, and that as in 376 faced some pressure to abandon their homes. Was the main reason for this the movement of the Huns?

By the 420s Huns definitely occupying middle Danubian regions west of the Carpathians – then based in middle Danubian areas, so when did this movement West take place? Was it 405 – 08 , we don’t know but some evidence suggests yes. Strengthening of Balkan possessions by the East implies Hunnic threat

Large-scale penetrations of the Roman frontier in 376 and 405-08 represent two phases o the same crisis – both prompted by the Western progression of the Huns in states, outer fringes to very heart of Europe.

Role of Huns in creating political conditions for fall of Romulus Agustlus in 476 – Goths, vandals, Alans and suevi into Empire after Huns create insecurity in the region – immigration not new but traditional policy was one of political subjugation and widely dispersed settlement in small groups – minimising security risks.

Poliy not abandoned, only 2 of the groups allowed in with permission, even after 382 Emire lookinh to undermine Gothic authority which it ostensibly tolerated – seems no internal or ideological factors to suggest allowing invasions of people.

Spread of Hunnic power in Europe, over two generations fundamentally altered the prevailing balance of power forcing RE to adopt new policies to groups which crossed the empire.

Initially invaders operated within political and ideological framework of the Empire – don’t want to carve out own empire – still looked to extend their own niche at every available opportunity – every moment political discontinuity in the centre 420s and 430s saw Burgundians, Frnaks, Vandals and Suevi take the field.

Roman state taxed the agricultural production of its dependent states to pay for its armies – any loss of territory due to damage or annexation meant a loss of revenue and weakening of the state machine – weakening of the Roman state insidious effect of breaking down ties between local Roman elites and the imperial centre. Roman elites consisted of local landowners participated in imperial institutions as legitimise dstatus at home and offered protection, legitimisation of opportunities making money.- wealth, rights, privileges part and parcel of an imperial career.

New military forces: Roman state incapable sustaining local elites in this fashion – whole point of attachment to the Empire disappeared – look elsewhere to props for position, which barbarian group currently powerful in locality. These allegiances change v. quickly.

Long-term political problems as well as military ones of push across frontier caused by Huns – faηade of Romanitas rendered immigrant groups no less insistent on their own interests, self-assertion barbarian leaders loom larger than central Roman elite

Disintegration west Roma state was a direct political consequence of the immigrations promoted by the Huns.

Stilicho loses power as fails to deal with Vandal, Suevi troube – allows Alaric into Balkans

Constantinus substantially reconstructs the west by 420 – dies 421 struggle for power – Aetius wins power in the West and Valentinian III in East.

Aetius successful pacifying European continent, but Vandals ceded land in Africa 435

Like Constantinus Aetius defeats Roman enemies instead of directly tackling Barbarian threat

Eastern empire sending a lot of resources to the West to stop Alairc and the Vandals in Africa

Aetius and maye even Constantinius utilise Huns – Huns played a large role, certainly with Aetius in holding in check the political fragentation of the Empire. – Hunnic groups deployed by the Roman state to control the political consequences of their original actions.

Not enough – any crisis at the centre threatened rickety power structures – definition large, diffuse upper class vying for control powerful governmental machine – once semi-immigrant groups in crisses allowed them room for expansion, caused harm to governmental machine as loss of revenue for annexed, lost of ravaged areas.

Post 410 no revenues from Britain, little from Spain and Gaul diminished during 410 to 430 – other lands receive more of a burden.

Other Notes in this Category

1. Barbarian Organisation
2. Barbarians and Bishops
3. Crisis 439
4. Introduction
5. Nomadism, Horses and Huns
6. Roman Organisation
7. Roman Strategy against Barbarians
8. The Huns
9. The Huns and the end of the Roman Empire - Peter Heather
10. Vandals and the Collapse of the west
11. Would Empire have collapsed without the huns?

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