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Italy and her Invaders #3
Italy and Her Invaders: Volume III - The Ostrogothic Invasion
CONTENTS.
BOOK IV.
THE OSTROGOTHIC INVASION.
CHAPTER I.
A CENTURY OF OSTROGOTHIC HISTORY.
CHAPTER II. THE REIGN OF ZENO.
CHAPTER III THE TWO THEODORICS IN THRACE
CHAPTER V. FLAVIUS ODOVACAR.
CHAPTER V. THE FRIGIAN WAR
CHAPTER YI. THE DEATH-GRAPPLE.
CHAPTER VII. KING AND PEOPLE.
CHAPTER VIII. THEODORIC AND HIS COURT
CHAPTER IX. THEODORIC’S RELATIONS WITH GAUL.
CHAPTER X. THEODORIC’S RELATIONS WITH THE EAST.
CHAPTER XI. THEODORIC’S RELATIONS WITH THE CHURCH.
CHAPTER XII. BOETHIUS AND SYMMACHUS.
CHAPTER XIII. THE ACCESSION OF ATHALARIC.
CHAPTER XIV. JUSTINIAN.
CHAPTER XV. BELISARIUS.
CHAPTER XVI. THE ERRORS OF AMALASUNTHA.
BOOK IV.
THE OSTROGOTHIC INVASION.
CHAPTER I.
A CENTURY OF OSTROGOTHIC HISTORY.
CHAPTER II. THE REIGN OF ZENO.
CHAPTER III THE TWO THEODORICS IN THRACE
CHAPTER V. FLAVIUS ODOVACAR.
CHAPTER V. THE FRIGIAN WAR
CHAPTER YI. THE DEATH-GRAPPLE.
CHAPTER VII. KING AND PEOPLE.
CHAPTER VIII. THEODORIC AND HIS COURT
CHAPTER IX. THEODORIC’S RELATIONS WITH GAUL.
CHAPTER X. THEODORIC’S RELATIONS WITH THE EAST.
CHAPTER XI. THEODORIC’S RELATIONS WITH THE CHURCH.
CHAPTER XII. BOETHIUS AND SYMMACHUS.
CHAPTER XIII. THE ACCESSION OF ATHALARIC.
CHAPTER XIV. JUSTINIAN.
CHAPTER XV. BELISARIUS.
CHAPTER XVI. THE ERRORS OF AMALASUNTHA.
- GenresHistory
380 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1892
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 6, 2025
This was not an easy book to write, if only because the period it covers -- the reign of the Ostrogoth King Theodoric -- did not have a plethora of historians and annalists. In fact, the main sources, namely Cassiodorus and Jordanes, were clearly second rate. Somehow, Thomas Hodgkin managed to put together a fascinating study of an Arian heretic king ruling over a mostly orthodox Catholic populace.
This volume also covers contemporary events in the Eastern Roman Empire during the reigns of Zeno, Athanasius, and the first part of Justinian's reign up to the defeat of the Vandals by Belisarius.
This volume also covers contemporary events in the Eastern Roman Empire during the reigns of Zeno, Athanasius, and the first part of Justinian's reign up to the defeat of the Vandals by Belisarius.
June 7, 2018
This is an older book so get used to the prose from the 19th century.
This is a great book otherwise to fill in the gaps of history. In 476 AD, the last Western Roman Emperor was deposed, thus ending an era. But the way history is written or popularized, it's like time just stopped there. This is not true, of course. Life went on. People were born. People lived, breathed, ate, worked, and died.
Hodgkins weaves a tale of the Ostrogothic Kingdom that rise out of the ashes. It was an amalgamation of so many different things:
1. powerful Gothic generals who played kingmaker;
2. Huns, Burgundian, and the Franks who formed the new "Roman" army;
3. the rise of the Eastern Roman Empire (aka Byzantine);
4. the power struggles between the weakened Imperial Roman senate and the Ostrogothic kings
5. and the fights between orthodox Christians and multiple heresies like the Arians, and the MiaPhysites and the MonoPhysites.
And who are the losers? Pretty much the every day folk. However, to quote Akira Kirosawa in The 7 Samurai, "It's the farmers. The farmers always win."
This is a great book otherwise to fill in the gaps of history. In 476 AD, the last Western Roman Emperor was deposed, thus ending an era. But the way history is written or popularized, it's like time just stopped there. This is not true, of course. Life went on. People were born. People lived, breathed, ate, worked, and died.
Hodgkins weaves a tale of the Ostrogothic Kingdom that rise out of the ashes. It was an amalgamation of so many different things:
1. powerful Gothic generals who played kingmaker;
2. Huns, Burgundian, and the Franks who formed the new "Roman" army;
3. the rise of the Eastern Roman Empire (aka Byzantine);
4. the power struggles between the weakened Imperial Roman senate and the Ostrogothic kings
5. and the fights between orthodox Christians and multiple heresies like the Arians, and the MiaPhysites and the MonoPhysites.
And who are the losers? Pretty much the every day folk. However, to quote Akira Kirosawa in The 7 Samurai, "It's the farmers. The farmers always win."
April 9, 2021
The third volume on Hodkins' series on the invaders of Italy continues with the situation in Italy, and generally around Europe, after Odovacer's deposition of the "last roman emperor" in the west. It concentrates especially on Theodoric and his Ostrogoths. From roughly his birth during an independence war against the Huns after Attila's death, passing through his invasion of Italy and of his reign, to end up with his death and the brief rule of Italy under Athalaric and Amalusuntha, leaving the scene ready for Justinian's famous invasion of Italy after the queen's regnant death.
Even as Hodkin's tries to focus on Italy, both under Odovacer and later Ostrogothic rule, there are many chapters devoted to the geopolitics of Europe, especially of the eastern romans, in which complete chapters are used to describe all of the emperors' reigns. The other barbaric kingdoms are also discussed, albeit with less detail, as probably sources did not permit much more. Nonetheless is very interesting to hear more about Frankish, Burgundian and other barbaric kingdoms' history.
One very interesting point of the book is his argument on Theodoric being an impressive and wise king. He not only succeeded in military campaigns, but also played an important role in Western Europe as a skilful diplomat and a religious tolerant. Had the Amals stayed in power and retained Italy for longer, we may had seen Italy as a nation continuing in its roman ways way longer and may had even become something similar of visigothic Spain.
The author touches another interesting point, in which he describes the notion of Kingship under germanic peoples, tracing it back to Tacitus and explaining its evolution up to the time of Theodoric. His argument, on how here the seeds were sowed on the coming feudal Europe, makes more sense considering how most of Western Europe was conquered and ruled by germanic nations after the fall of the western roman empire.
The downsides of the book come with its age, it is written in such an old style that sometimes may be very complicated to read, at some instances becomes a bit boring, with long and unfiltered quotations; at some other is the written very beautiful and will completely immerse the reader into well placed storytelling of important characters, politics and war of fifth and sixth century Europe.
The sources for these periods are sometimes only found in ecclesiastical history, a reason for which many passages and chapters are full with christian schism and controversies. It is very complicated to follow up on so many "heresies" that the eastern roman empire had to deal with.
Even as Hodkin's tries to focus on Italy, both under Odovacer and later Ostrogothic rule, there are many chapters devoted to the geopolitics of Europe, especially of the eastern romans, in which complete chapters are used to describe all of the emperors' reigns. The other barbaric kingdoms are also discussed, albeit with less detail, as probably sources did not permit much more. Nonetheless is very interesting to hear more about Frankish, Burgundian and other barbaric kingdoms' history.
One very interesting point of the book is his argument on Theodoric being an impressive and wise king. He not only succeeded in military campaigns, but also played an important role in Western Europe as a skilful diplomat and a religious tolerant. Had the Amals stayed in power and retained Italy for longer, we may had seen Italy as a nation continuing in its roman ways way longer and may had even become something similar of visigothic Spain.
The author touches another interesting point, in which he describes the notion of Kingship under germanic peoples, tracing it back to Tacitus and explaining its evolution up to the time of Theodoric. His argument, on how here the seeds were sowed on the coming feudal Europe, makes more sense considering how most of Western Europe was conquered and ruled by germanic nations after the fall of the western roman empire.
The downsides of the book come with its age, it is written in such an old style that sometimes may be very complicated to read, at some instances becomes a bit boring, with long and unfiltered quotations; at some other is the written very beautiful and will completely immerse the reader into well placed storytelling of important characters, politics and war of fifth and sixth century Europe.
The sources for these periods are sometimes only found in ecclesiastical history, a reason for which many passages and chapters are full with christian schism and controversies. It is very complicated to follow up on so many "heresies" that the eastern roman empire had to deal with.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews