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IES FRAY PEDRO DE URBINA. GEO. AND HISTORY DEPARTMENT

THE END OF THE WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE.

THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS. THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE.

1. Summary.

With the collapse of the Ro a! E pi"e alo!# the $ ce!t%"&' Me(ite""a!ea!

c%lt%"al %!it& f"a# e!te(. I! the )est' the Ro a! E pi"e (isappea"e( as a

"es%lt of the *a"*a"ia! i!+asio!s ,$isi#oths' F"a!-s' $a!(als' S%e+i'

B%"#%!(ia!s' Ale a!!i' Goths' A!#les' Sa o!s/' e e"#i!# !e) Ge" a!ic

-i!#(o s. The cit& of Ro e fell i! 012' *e#i!!i!# the histo"ical pe"io( )e

call Mi((le A#es' that e!(s i! the fiftee!th ce!t%"& ,3ol% *%s a""i+e( i!

A e"ica i! 4056/. Th%s the Mi((le A#es ta-e app"o i atel& 4'777 &ea"s.

The easte"! pa"t of the Ro a! E pi"e )as o"e pop%late( a!( "iche"' a!(

s%"+i+e( the attac-s of the Ge" a!ic peoples. This pa"t is -!o)! as

Easte"! o" B&8a!ti!e E pi"e' B&8a!ti% )as its capital a!( hel( fo" !ea"l&

4'777 &ea"s.

The ele e!t of co!ti!%it& a!( c%lt%"al cohesio! *et)ee! the a!cie!t a!(

e(ie+al )o"l( )as 3h"istia!it& a!( the 3h%"ch.

2. Germani !in"#$m%. ,3e!t%"ies $' $I' $II' $III/

The& occ%pie( the space of the Weste"! Ro a! E pi"e a!( fo" e(

i!(epe!(e!t -i!#(o s9 the $isi#oths i! Hispa!ia' the A!#les a!( Sa o!s i!

B"itai!' Ost"o#oths i! Ital&' F"a!-s i! Ga%l' etc. The& ha( a +e"& p"i iti+e

c%sto s altho%#h :ati! "e ai!e( the official la!#%a#e. 3h"istia!it& fi!all&p"e+aile(.

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The $isi#oths )e"e a*le to co!t"ol the pe!i!s%la a!( esta*lishe( a st"o!#

a!( he"e(ita"& o!a"ch&. So e pa"tic%la"l& i po"ta!t -i!#s )e"e9

:eo+i#il(' )hich "epeale( the la) fo"*i((i!# i!te" a""ia#e *et)ee!

$isi#oths a!( Hispa!ics Recca"e(' that i! ;C5 #ot "eli#io%s %!ificatio! a!(

Reces+i!t' )ho achie+e( the %!ificatio! of la) ,calle( F%e"o =%8#o' 2;0/.

A o!# the co!t"i*%tio!s of $isi#othic a"t a"e9 the ho"seshoe a"ch a!(

e)elle"&. A! e a ple of $isi#othic a"chitect%"e is the ch%"ch of Sa! Pe("o

(e la Na+e , a o"a/.

,. -ar$ in"ian Em*ire. ,3ha"le a#!e/

3ha"le a#!e )as i!# of the F"a!-s. He c"eate( a! e pi"e at the *e#i!!i!#

of the !i!th ce!t%"& a!( it )as the last atte pt to "eco!st"%ct the a!cie!t

%!it& of the Weste"! Ro a! E pi"e.

The te""ito"& %!(e" his a%tho"it& )as +e"& e te!si+e9 F"a!ce to(a&' pa"t of

Ital&' S)it8e"la!(' Ge" a!&' Bel#i% ' The Nethe"la!(s. He a!a#e( to

stop the a(+a!ce of Isla a!( "ei!fo"ce( the co!!ectio! *et)ee! political

a!( "eli#io%s po)e". He )as c"o)!e( e pe"o" i! C77 *& Pope :eo III a!(

set his capital i! the cit& of Aache! ,!o) Aache!' Ge" a!&/. U!(e" his

#o+e"! e!t peace )as e!s%"e( a!( c%lt%"e "e*o"! ,*%il(i!# of schools'

:ati! )as ta%#ht a#ai!' o!-s copie( te ts of G"eco@:ati! a%tho"s/.

At his (eath' the c"o)! passe( to his so! :o%is the Pio%s' )ho late" (i+i(e(

the la!(s of the E pi"e a o!# his th"ee so!s ,T"eat& of $e"(%!' C0

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V$ a/u ary

Schis . @ I! 47;0 the"e )as the sepa"atio! of the Easte"! a!( Weste"!

ch%"ches. I! the West the s%p"e e ecclesiastical a%tho"it& *elo!#e( to

the Pope' Bishop of Ro e' )hich ha( *ee! le#iti i8e( th"o%#h the apostle

Pete" *& the o%th of 3h"ist. B& co!t"ast' i! the East the a%tho"it& )as

sha"e( *et)ee! a! episcopate co pose( of all the *ishops.

Mosaic. @ Picto"ial )o"- a(e )ith s all pieces of sto!e' ce"a ic' #lass o"

othe" si ila" ate"ials of +a"io%s shapes a!( colo"s' calle( tesse"ae' oi!e(

*& (eco"ati+e plaste" to fo" #eo et"ic o" fi#%"ati+e co positio!s.

Do e. @ It is a! a"chitect%"al ele e!t that is %se( to co+e" a! a"ea of

ci"c%la"' s>%a"e' polo!al o" elliptical shape. A (o e is half a! o"a!#e.

T"eat& of $e"(%!. @ T"eat& a#"ee( at $e"(%! i! C0< *& )hich the e pi"e of

3ha"le a#!e )as (is e *e"e(. The E pi"e )as (i+i(e( a o!# the th"ee

#"a!(so!s of e pe"o"9 3ha"les the Bal( acco%!te( fo" F"a!ce' :o%is the

Ge" a! "ecei+e( Ge" a!& a!( :otha"io a te""ito"ial st"ip *et)ee! F"a!ce

a!( Ge" a!&.

Mi((le A#es. @ Histo"ic pe"io( e te!(i!# f"o the e!( of the Ro a!

E pi"e ,$ ce!t%"&/ %!til the *e#i!!i!# of the Mo(e"! A#e , $ ce!t%"&/.