The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians
Dec 2005 · Oxford University Press
4.2star
22 reviewsreport
Ebook
608
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
reportRatings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More
About this ebook
The 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.
Ratings and reviews
4.2
22 reviews
John John Frederick Webber
- Flag inappropriate
July 7, 2021
Barbarians indeed. But Christianity and its influence among the Roman Territories in Europe influenced them and their conquered Barbarian tribes to end their Empire.
Mariano Palacios
- Flag inappropriate
December 11, 2015
Very detailed, analytical, thorough book on the last century of the Roman Empire. Loved it.
7 people found this review helpful
Robert Ison
- Flag inappropriate
February 2, 2015
Bought it to take with me to Germany. Very well written. Should be used in classrooms, as well.
1 person found this review helpful
About the author
Peter Heather teaches at King's College, London. A leading authority on the barbarians, he is the author of The Goths, Goths and Romans, and The Huns.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
