Barbarians in Ancient Rome

Barbarians in Ancient Rome

For many years, the Romans fought the barbarians at the Roman Empire’s boundaries. Barbarians occasionally assimilated into the Roman Empire. In other instances, they engaged in combat and ultimately overran Rome, bringing an end to the Western Roman Empire.

Barbarians in Ancient Rome

Who were the barbarians?

People from outside the Roman Empire were called barbarians by the Romans. The civilizations of the barbarians and the Romans were dissimilar. They practiced different religions, ate different cuisines, and dressed differently. Compared to the Romans, they lacked the same quality of administration, education, and engineering.

Barbarian Peoples and Invasions of Rome

There were several people groups among the barbarians. The word “barbarian” was used to refer to a broad range of distinct peoples who were not closely related to one another. Germanic tribes from Northern Europe made up a large number of the groups that invaded and assaulted the Roman Empire.

Goths

The Goths were among the most formidable and well-organized barbarian factions. The Visigoths and the Ostrogoths were the two main lineages of the Goths. In the late 300s, the Visigoths conquered most of Western Europe and engaged Rome in continual warfare. In 410, the Visigoths, led by Alaric I, attacked Rome.

Vandals

After moving from Northern Europe to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain), the Vandals eventually made their way to North Africa, where they founded a strong kingdom. In 442 AD, they made peace with Rome; but, when the truce was breached, they launched an attack on Rome in 455 AD. In 455 AD, the Vandals attacked Rome and pillaged the city for two weeks under the leadership of the Vandal King Genseric.

Huns

Originating from the east, the Huns were a warrior race living on the move. The Huns attacked the Eastern Roman Empire after defeating the Ostrogoths under the direction of their leader, Attila. They then advanced to take control of most of Roman Gaul, or France. The Huns invaded Italy in 452. They did not capture Rome, but they did pillage much of Italy.

Franks

Several Germanic tribes called the Franks made their home in what is now France; in fact, the word France comes from the Franks. About 300 AD, they started to invade the Roman Empire’s boundaries. Following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the Franks rose to prominence and eventually ranked among the most powerful empires in Western Europe.

Saxons

The Saxons left Western Europe and started invading Great Britain when Rome started to wane. Since the Emperor was too frail to dispatch Roman troops to Great Britain, they seized control of numerous Roman towns there.

Others

The Celts, Thracians, Parthians, Picts, Lombards, and Burgundians were among the several other groups of people which the Romans labeled as barbarians.

Facts About Ancient Roman Barbarians

• The word “barbarian” comes from the Greek word “barbaros.”
• The Romans often talked bad about the Greeks and looked down on them, but they did not consider them barbarians.
• The Romans often allied with various barbarian tribes. They would use one barbarian tribe to help them fight another.
• Many barbarians became part of the Roman Empire.
• Rome absorbed many aspects of the different barbarian cultures that they conquered.
• Barbarian men often served as soldiers in the Roman army.

Read also:The Roman Empire and Britain