The sun., 1905-09-03

peacef Was the end indeed come. the end
Of 40 much effort, Of 10 many glories, OF that
great history Of civil and military virtues
which had given uniform law and culture
to the realms OF Alexander; a. we'll o. to the
countries bordering on the inland and the
Western Seasp Or were tho cslsmities
OF the time. crushing and oalamitous as they
were TO individual citizens, only temporary
and limited In their range, such as tho
Empire had often before suffered. without
serious and lasting effects on the general
organization Of sooietyf Then again. a.
to the causes Of the calamity, were they
the decline OF Roman virility and skill In
statecraft, or were they the anger OF tho
old gods Of Rome for the desertion Of their
affairs, or the punishments sent by tho
Christians God for luxury and oppression
Of the weak: or were they mainly catas-
trophio blunders, economical and fscal'
Finally, what was to be the relation Of the
Empire, II II was to continue. to these strange
immigrants into her territory. and how
were they on their part going to behave
to the Power which had 30 long kept them
at bay?
Before collecting from the literary re-
mains OF the period various answers to
these questions Prof. Din adduces some
general considerations as to the character
Of the invasions Of the barbarians in the
fifth century and OF their settlements IN
the provinces which II Is necessary to bear
in mind. The modern person who has
only the popular conoep eption Of the events
Of that time is apt to think that the Western
Empire suocumbed to an overpowering
advance OF whole tribes and peo Piles ami
mated by hatred OF Rome. sweeping away
the remains OF an efYete civilization and
replacing II In Q sudden and cataclysmal
change by a spirit and by institutions
Of a perfectly different order. II such
were true account OF the fall Of the Roman
Empire the tone and behavior OF many
OF the Romans Of that time would be in.
explicable. Here and there, no doubt.
we hear In the contemporary literature
cries Of horror at the havoc and slaughter
which were caused by some violent incur
sion, Unquesdonably. too. the capture
Of the city OF Alario gave for the moment
a terrible shock to the ancient faith in tho
strength and stability Of Rome. This was
only a transltory feeling, however. Con-
fidence soon returned. The cities and re-
gions which are said to have been desolated
and ravaged reappear With apparently few
traces OF any catastro phe. The Govern
ment betrays no sign Of confusion or
despair. Individual observers may have
their doubts and questionings about tho
course Of events, but few seem absolutely
dismayed, and some display a confidence
and hopefulnees which would be quite
astonishing IL the old popular conception
OF the barbarian onslaughts were the true
one.
Our author holds that a very cnraory
glance at the history Of the empire should
reveal the secret Of the prevailing insouci-
dnce. The invasions Of the fifth century
we're nothing new. nor was there anything
very startling in the settlement Of Germans
on Roman soil. From the time Of Marius-
some five hundred years earlier-not q
century had passed without some violent
inroads OF German hosts. The myriads
annihilated on the field Of Aque sextie
were but the advance wave Of mighty
food which was always pressing toward
the west or south. Julius, Augustus.
Tiberius, had all to throw hack successive
attacks on the frontier Of the Rhine. Marcus
Aurelius spent eight campaigns in a ptrug-
gle with vast confederacy on the Danube.
In the third century Of our era almost every
province. and even Italy itself. was ravaged.
and the Goths. a comparatively new horde.
who had worked their way from Scandinavia
to the Ukraine, swept the Elxine In thou
sands Of vessels, and harried the towns OF
Asia Minor and Greece. In the reign Of
Probus the Germans captured and pillaged
sixty towns In Gaul. and overran the entire
province. Another formidable irruption
took place in the middle Of the fourth GEN.
tury. Enormous number Of Franks, Ale
manni and Saxons passed tho Rhine. A
great part OF Gaul was overrun, and forty
towns along the Rhine were sacked. Once
more, however, the invaders were driven
back with enormous loss.
Prof. Dill points out that the abortive
invasions In the third and fourth centuries
were, as regards the numbers and impetuos-
ity Of the assailants, moro formidable than
those which. in the fifth century, proved
successful. The Gothic host OF the reign
Of Claudius II. is said to have numbered
$40 900 men. The Germans, who spread
over the whole of Gaul In the reign Of Probus,
must have been even more numerous II
that Emperor slaughtered 10000 Of them,
a. he is said to have done. Yet 1t does
NOT appear JtAU, ~ CIl5oo DO dpp0uhS, tHC
Romans ever despaired Of the safety Of
the State. The truth seems to be that,
however terrible the plundering bands
might be to the unarmed population. yet.
In a regular battle, the Germans were i'm
menseiy inferior to the Roman troops.
The impetuous fury Of the invaders was no
match for the steady discipline and COOL
ness OF trained soldiers under Roman off,
GERS. Tho result Of q moral superiority
founded on q long tradition was that the
Roman veterans In the third and fourth
centuries were ready to face almost any
odds.
Much the Same thing may be said about
the great invasions Of tho opening years
OF the fifth century. A great army under
Radagisus, which, according to the lowest
estimate, numbered 10000 mon, crossed
the Alps and penetrated into Etruria. Yet
Stilioho, with force Of only $1,000 regular
troops and some Hun and Alan auxiliaries.
signally defeated that vast multitude and
the prisoners taken were 80 many that they
were sold for single aursrs apiece. In
A. d. l2e the city Of Aries was attacked
by a powerful foroe Of Goths, but they
were compelled by Astius to retire with
heavy loss. Two years later the Same great
General recovered the Rhineland from the