The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-06-15

" NhHN Ntnn t<uan 70 - WV
Prof yirlsr never l0-- sight % the fsr'
that M. Rnman Empire IN Tho West Vas
Dissolved. rather than Disrupted " w.
except tho Huns and th- lomhard-, the
INV aaLrr- Who ocgup,sd one province after
another iri not regard themselves a. d.
s~truyrr- ~ ia. Empir. I'm tho contrary,
tl.ir ~hraal-r, prufe--<-d 10 act under the
aIihunty " N the name ~ mo rmTsror
or smother Thus, ~h-u Alartc. VII" hal
i--n pru-lsua~i Ming Of the v,-igoth-.
entered Italy ~ ~. first dead" ~ N" hffh
c-utury. h. bure from the Emperor Arradius
the commission of Mag,sisr mihtum and
had NO other aim but 10 estort from the
fmT-rur Honoriu- the !ulhlm~n, of a prom
~. ,p t-tmit him 10 occupy the province
81 lllyrruIn. ~. in lieu ther"of. Ia ohtain
an indemnify an gold When. IN ,lo, JUS,
cigh, hundred wears after III" capture Il
tho ci,y by the Gaul-. Alsric entered Rome,
b" SEEMED - -cared by his own act that,
al the end e ,hr-e days. I've Departed, having
treated the Christian churches with great
respect lnds-d. with the exception Of
tine Palace of Sallu-t. there - No proof that
aAv huilding was burned. There il reason
20 believe tina, Alaric's designs were shared
aud expressed by has brotb-r-in-law and
N"'FN~pi' -tNNhhiIuhH' "a mn
2-N FIR, Il was my intention to make
myself MASTER Of the Empire. and assume
! the dignity Of u Cesar Augustus. trans
forming the Roman and into the land 81
the Cloths. But experience has convinced
INC that this would be- impossible. inasmuch
a. Rpine'- e. mination over the world
! wa- established. not only by force. hut by
Law, and discipline as well. Thu uncon-
g..II.Ll- - -. - ~. E.sI. ,pAlas
| them incapable Of obeying laws. yet without
laws Res pubhca ron cat Therefore, ! in
tended by the armed force Of the Goths
10 restore the ancient glory OF the Roman
name Unable To be the destroyer OF the en-
pre-. | wished To regenerats u by peace.
u was in strict pursuance OF These views
that in ISL the Visigoths. who, by thist time.
were occupying Southern Gaul and the
greater part Of Spain fought on the Roman
side against the Huns under Attila in the
decisive battle ON the Catalaunian plains.
The kings Of the visisoths long continued
Ia regard themselves a. lieutenant-. first
Of the Western and then Of the Eastern
Emperor. and. AZ we shall presently see.
Theodoric. the King o. the Ostrogoths.
regarded himself. 81 far a. his Roman sub
jects were concerned. as subordinate TO the
Byzantine Emperor.
Tho case Of the vandals was different.
They did not profess 20 make their con-
quests in the name Of an emperor. nor did
they seek confirmation Of their title TO their
dominions by accepting a. ONCE at an
emp~roris hands. Tn tho contrary. they
treated with the Empire AZ an independent
power. Their example. however. exerted
ne great influence upon other barbarian
invaders. partly because their permanent
abiding place within the empire was North
Africa. and partly because their tenure Of
independent power was short. The unique
story Of the vsndals deserves particular
attention. and may be briefly outlined.
When In the early years Of the fifth cen
fury. Sulicho thims-lf a RomAnIzed VandalD
summoned the lesions guarding the Rhine
tn come To his ard Ia Italy against Alaric.
the Nandal- crossed that river, together
with the tlan- and Sueyi. and, having
traver-ed Gaul. wer" already IN Spain IN
4. -. en-. More tam once they came
into co7f,ct with the Nisigoth-. 10y whom
they wef. b-'s,.n; they were, Therefore.
men. and they also had the reputation of
being greedisr. more perfidious and more
cruel than any other bartarians. There
j. no doubt that their religious fana-
tacism urged them to ferocious Intolerance.
In A. n. i27 we find them all united under
the sway 20 tiens--ic. Who had become
their sole ch,eft ain NJ his brothers. death
Gen-aric, who had been famed by a fall from
has hor-e, was an undersi1-d man. OF halt
ing speech, but quick 81 resolve. daring and
cruel Like all the Vandals, he belonged
to the AriAn -ct. After has succcssfui
encounter IN AN with the SIevi, who &C.
cupted the northwestern part 81 SPAN.
he led his tnts--men INTO Africa IN the follow
lng wear. What then took place was n
migration, a. we'll A. an invasion. for Cen
~.ric carried over all the old men. women
and children, A. his armed men did not
number more than 5000. they could not
have suficed for conquest had not tho
provinces 81 North Africa been already
weakened by dIsCord. and had Their" not
l--n ia them All herr,Ical party favorable
Ia the invader A. u Was, tho NandslS
advanced, ravaging IN" land, demoliShIng
CATHOLIC churches, murde ring SON. Of the
bishops and priests. and cnslavIng many
others 10 rapid vas their progress that,
10y the year an, only three ii the principal
citles, Clrta, Hippo and Carthag" remained
=, tn. Romans II was nj tins time that
the Bishop ~ Carthage, ~. Augustine.
\me years later UenserIc acquired
Ju~-sssion 81 Carthage, and theno.forth
t-gan Ia make maritime expeditions tn
IA" neIghloring islands, and particularly
10 Sicily. In az a treaty 81 peace was
by which the Romans retained
po--eSsion 81 Mauritania and Western
while the Nandals remained
OF IN" prucon-ulaf proNince oi
Bvysr-na Eastern Numidia and
Sicily.
By tins treaty the Nandals were not
merely IEImittcd to inhahIt tho country
the fouttng of Fosd.rdh the footing
upon which many invaders had been per
To settle within the ImIerai Cun-
bat gained the unconditional right
Il occupying II. a pnvleg. never tetur-
Ia any barbarian tniss The
'oncc-sion 81 -uch a privilegr implie-i a
,rritabl" dl-memt-rment 81 III" Empire.
he tsginning nj mn entirely new stat.
pf things. IL H. n, M" same lime pointed
,ut by Prof. Nillsn that, although the Van
lal- we're believed amt with truth. 10 10
he most cruel Of all haTianans. their ruic
Was far less oppressive than has isen usually
'hought. especially 81 far ~ the lower
rlass"s ~ tho conquered IEople were con-
They chiefly -ettlsd N the prov
noe Of Carthage. remaining gathered to-
sharing the lands they had r.'izsd
and enjoying POSSESSION 81 them without
saving taxes. The Icpons who suffered
nest were the great landowner. Who.
tr>poil'd of th"ir properly. werr REDUCED. II
hey remained ia the country, toth"C ondt!on
Il stewards, m"nIsl-. and sometimes ~slaves,
compelled To manage or CultiN ate for the
Of the Nandsls lands which w.r.