Modern historians are considering that the MA begun with the depositionofthelastRE, Romulus Augustulus on the 4th of September 476 CE (common era)
That event is mostly symbolic since it did not change at all the course of things. It was predictable and logical but only important today
Historians tend to consider that disaggregation of the Roman order occurred progressively from the 3rd until the 6th
The roman empire was considered as the mostimportantempire and its legacy is still important after it
Due to its fascination towards the Roman Empire, that matter stirred up a great interest among thinkers and scholars, at least from the 18th
Montesquieu was the first to discuss it
The English wanted to know for the good of THEIR empire
In England, Edward Gibbon published between 1778 and 1788 a six volumes books The history of the decline and the fall of the roman Empire
Fall because of Christianity was its idea
We have the uttermost difficulty to be sure of what brought down the RE
Authors from that moment of what was happening, and we must build interpretations using fragment of traces to find anything
We must build our opinion as they did not give them
RomanRepublic
Considered to have been created by Augustus in 27 BCE
Transition was gradual, took years or decades
Augustus ruled until 14CE
The Roman Empire reached its peak during the secondcentury CE
Reasons for the collapsing of the Roman Empire
The imperial power increased its military dimension since the 3rd CE, which led the empire into a political instability (4 emperor a year)
The financial needs of the empire being always increasing; it led the fiscal admin to lift the taxes as well as debase the alloy of the Imperial coinages. Inflation because of the lowness of the silver fineness in coins
When emperor Theodosius died (in 395 CE), the empire was divided in 2 separated parts: the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire
To solve the insecurity and other issues, to have more emperor to solve them. But no success because competition between the two
Spilt between the 2 sons of Theodosius, and the parts won't ever be together
Capital of the East: Constantinople, Capital of the West: Milano first
Separation between Greek and Latin speaking people
The eastern one, "the Byzantine Empire" survived until 1453 CE
The western one did not last more than 80 years
Barbarians
Population that the Latin authors are calling "Barbarians"
From a roman pov, the world barbarous implies that they do not speak neither Latin nor Greek
Beware of the clichés, since very refined people like Persians were said to be barbarians as considered not civilized
Roman limes
Fortified border set up by roman emperors to protect their territories from barbarians wanting to enter the empire
It worked but for some time, not much
Used rivers to also close the borders
During the 3rd, the balance was broken due to the apparition of new groups of barbarians' people, like Vandals, Goth or Franks, and the weakening of the Empire
1st barbarian attack was in 260 in Athens
Barbarians were free to plan incursions into the roman territory, mostly for loot (taking the things worth in a city and leave after)
The romans and barbarians had trade (furs, amber and wine) for diplomacy and other peaceful relationships
This led the barbarians to be Romanised, and some of them were able to speak, read and write in Latin
From the End of the 4th, the barbarians were many to serve into roman legions as the empire needed soldiers
The barbarians settle in the empire for this
Some of barbarian rulers got important position within the empire (general or more: Flavius Stilicho, from 394-408, general in chief in the roman empire (had some emperor assassinated and was also))
From the 360s', the recruitment of barbarians into the army led entire barbarian communities to enter the empire and to settle
The franks fought for Rome in 358 and settle in modern day Belgium
The settlers were mostly soldiers, women and children were almost non existents. It is why we do not talk about "barbarian invasion"
The Goth putting pressure was an issue. So, they settle the goths in the empire in 370s and accepted to fight for the roman army