The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the BarbariansThe death of the Roman Empire is one of the perennial mysteries of world history. Now, in this groundbreaking book, Peter Heather proposes a stunning new solution: Centuries of imperialism turned the neighbors Rome called barbarians into an enemy capable of dismantling an Empire that had dominated their lives for so long. A leading authority on the late Roman Empire and on the barbarians, Heather relates the extraordinary story of how Europe's barbarians, transformed by centuries of contact with Rome on every possible level, eventually pulled the empire apart. He shows first how the Huns overturned the existing strategic balance of power on Rome's European frontiers, to force the Goths and others to seek refuge inside the Empire. This prompted two generations of struggle, during which new barbarian coalitions, formed in response to Roman hostility, brought the Roman west to its knees. The Goths first destroyed a Roman army at the battle of Hadrianople in 378, and went on to sack Rome in 410. The Vandals spread devastation in Gaul and Spain, before conquering North Africa, the breadbasket of the Western Empire, in 439. We then meet Attila the Hun, whose reign of terror swept from Constantinople to Paris, but whose death in 453 ironically precipitated a final desperate phase of Roman collapse, culminating in the Vandals' defeat of the massive Byzantine Armada: the west's last chance for survival. Peter Heather convincingly argues that the Roman Empire was not on the brink of social or moral collapse. What brought it to an end were the barbarians. |
What people are saying - Write a review
User ratings
| 5 stars |
| ||
| 4 stars |
| ||
| 3 stars |
| ||
| 2 stars |
| ||
| 1 star |
|
LibraryThing Review
User Review - DinadansFriend - LibraryThingwhile Adrian Goldsworthy's book on the same theme deals Rome's long standing administrational and strategic Issues, Heather's book is far more tactical. The cause of the disappearance by 476 is far ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - AndreasJ - LibraryThingThe fall of the (western) Roman Empire has inspired a great deal of industriousness on the part of historians, with Gibbon's monumental The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire standing ... Read full review
Other editions - View all
The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians Peter Heather Limited preview - 2007 |
The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians Peter Heather Limited preview - 2005 |
The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians Peter Heather Limited preview - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
Aetius Alans Alaric already Ammianus army arrival attack Attila barbarians battle campaigns central Christian collapse commander Constantinople Constantius continued court Danube death defeat dominated early east eastern emperor entirely established Eunapius eventually face fact field fighting followed force fourth century Fritigern frontier further Gaul Germanic given Gothic Goths groups hands huge Hunnic Huns imperial important Italy kind king kingdom land landowners late later leader least less letters major military moved needed North Africa originally particular peace period Persian political population Priscus provinces region remained Rhine Roman Empire Rome rule seen Senate Sidonius sources Spain success Symmachus tells territory Tervingi Theodosius third took town troops turned units Valens Valentinian Vandals Visigoths western western Empire
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians Oxford University Press paperback The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians, Heather, Peter J. Heather |
| Author | Peter Heather |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press, USA, 2005 |
| ISBN | 0195159543, 9780195159547 |
| Length | 576 pages |
| Subjects | › › History / Europe / Medieval History / Europe / Western |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |