Italy and her Invaders. Part One. The Visigothic Invasion: Volume 1

ITALY AND HER INVADERS PART ONE THE VISIGOTHIC INVASION THOMAS HODGKIN BOOK I THE VISIGOTHIC INVASION INTRODUCTION. SUMMARY OF ROMAN IMPERIAL HISTORY. CHAPTERS I. EARLY HISTORY OF THE GOTHS II. JOVIAN, PROCOPIUS, ATHANARIC. III. VALENTINIAN THE FIRST IV. THE LAST YEARS OF VALENS V. THEODOSIUS VI. THE VICTORY OF NICAEA VII. THE FALL OF GRATIAN VIII. MAXIMUS AND AMBROSE IX. THE INSURRECTION OF ANTIOCH X.THEODOSIUS IN ITALY AND THE MASSACRE OF THESSALONICA XI. EUGENIUS AND ARBOGAST XII. INTERNAL ORGANISATION OF THE EMPIRE XIII. HONORIUS, STILICHO, ALARIC XIV. ALARIC’S FIRST INVASION OF ITALY XV. THE FALL OF STILICHO XVII. ALARIC’S THREE SIEGES OF ROME. XVIII. THE LOVERS OF PLACIDIA XIX. PLACIDIA AUGUSTA XX. SALVIAN ON THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT PREFACE. IN the following pages I have endeavoured to meet the requirements of two different classes of readers. For the sake of the general reader, who may not have his Gibbon before him, nor a Latin Dictionary and Classical Atlas at his elbow, I have taken for granted as little special knowledge of Roman history as possible, I have generally kept the text clear of untranslated quotations, and I have explained, with even tedious minuteness, the modern equivalents of ancient geographical designations, and have sometimes used the modern name only, at the cost of an obvious anachronism. On the other hand, as I have proceeded with my work, and become more and more interested in the study of my authorities, I have begun to indulge the hope that I might number some historical scholars among my audience. To these, accordingly, I have addressed myself almost exclusively in the notes, whether at the foot of the page or at the end of the chapter; and these notes, for the most part, the general reader may safely leave unstudied. Should my book be fortunate enough to come into the hands of a scholar, he is requested to pardon many an explanation of things to him trite and obvious, which I should never have introduced had I been writing for scholars alone. It will be observed that when sums of money are spoken of, I have generally given the equivalent in sterling. This does not, however, convey much information to the mind unless it be also stated what was the “purchasing power” of a sum equivalent to a pound sterling in those days. I would gladly have added a chapter on “The History of Prices under the Empire” and had collected some materials for that purpose, but I feared to weary my readers with a discussion which might have interested only a few. The general conclusion at which the most careful modern enquirers seem to have arrived is thus stated by Gibbon: about the year 470, the value of money appears to have been somewhat higher than in the present age. The general rise of prices since Gibbon’s time may justify us in making this statement somewhat stronger. It is probable that in Imperial Rome £100 would have had about the same command over commodities which £200 has in our own day. But of such enormous differences in value, when measured by the precious metals, as exist between the England of Victoria and the England of the Plantagenets there is here no question. The volumes now published form a chapter of history which is complete in itself; but if life and health be continued to me, I hope to narrate hereafter the fortunes of the Ostrogoths and Lombards, and thus to bring my work down within sight of the august figure of Charles the Great. THOS. HODGKIN. BENWELLDENE, NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, 5th December, 1879.