D
djeter
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http://historyofscience.com/G2I/timeline/images/st_benedict_large.jpg
Well before Constantine’s decision to relocate the imperial capital to Byzantium, the Western Roman empire had suffered a long and steady decline. In every sphere: social, political, economic, cultural and demographic the Eastern empire had long enjoyed an enormous advantage over the West. How Catholic Romans evangelized the Barbarians and maintained the Church throughout the Barbarian Epoch that has been described as the “Dark Ages” is the topic of this selection from David Bentley Hart’s Story of Christianity. It’s a story that has some surprising twists and turns in it – some of which I’d like to pass on here. It certainly runs counter to everything I learned in school (back in the day).
The empire as a whole had endured incursions by ‘barbarian’ tribes (Germanic, Balkan and others) from the mid-third century on; but, with the general decline of the Latinate population of the West, the “barbarians” slowly began to displace the older peoples of the Roman West, often simply through migration, settlement and partial assimilation. “Barbarians” began to occupy agricultural regions left fallow by rural demographic attrition, and swelled the ranks of the imperial military assuming positions even of command and, ultimately, of aristocratic privilege.
In 402 and again the next year, Stilicho defeated the Goths, and Alaric (formerly an officer in the Roman army in the East who become chief of the Visigoths – takes a scorecard to recite some of these bios), briefly withdrew. There was in inexhaustible supply of barbarians however.
Stilicho repelled the Ostrogoths in 406 and the Gauls in 407; also in 407, he was even obliged to call upon Alaric’s aid. Yet in 408, under suspicion of plotting to seize the imperial throne for his sons, Stilicho was executed, and Roman purists in the government and military massacred the families of Gothic soldiers in the Roman army.
Naturally these Goths defected to Alaric and when the emperor Flavius Honorius refused to grant Alaric’s people land and compensation, Alaric led his forces against Rome itself. He besieged the city in 408 but relented when the Senate offered him tribute. Honorius, however, remained intransigent and the siege was resumed the next year. Again Alaric was paid off and withdrew.
In 410 however, weary of the emperor’s continued failure to honor his promises, Alaric again besieged Rome. Allies in the city opened the gates to him and — for the first time in 800 years — Rome was occupied by a foreign invader.
The Visigoths kept control of the city for three days, plundering it of many of its riches but causing little damage and leaving its citizens unmolested. Above all they took care not to touch the city’s churches. For these barbarians were Christians.
There is so much more in this story (the rest is here) Including more about the remarkable man (St. Benedict) pictured above.
It has always been my weakness to explain all this. How did Rome fall and the early Church of the Patristic fathers continue? How did the monastic centers and monasticism come about? Was there a decline of Rome and were the advent of the so-called ‘Dark Ages’ precipitated by the rise of Christianity? (Quick answer No, Mr. Gibbons). The real answers that theologian David Bentley Hart reveals here is far more complex (and far more interesting). He puts it all together in one compelling narrative.
Spend a little time with Church History today…
dj
Well before Constantine’s decision to relocate the imperial capital to Byzantium, the Western Roman empire had suffered a long and steady decline. In every sphere: social, political, economic, cultural and demographic the Eastern empire had long enjoyed an enormous advantage over the West. How Catholic Romans evangelized the Barbarians and maintained the Church throughout the Barbarian Epoch that has been described as the “Dark Ages” is the topic of this selection from David Bentley Hart’s Story of Christianity. It’s a story that has some surprising twists and turns in it – some of which I’d like to pass on here. It certainly runs counter to everything I learned in school (back in the day).
The empire as a whole had endured incursions by ‘barbarian’ tribes (Germanic, Balkan and others) from the mid-third century on; but, with the general decline of the Latinate population of the West, the “barbarians” slowly began to displace the older peoples of the Roman West, often simply through migration, settlement and partial assimilation. “Barbarians” began to occupy agricultural regions left fallow by rural demographic attrition, and swelled the ranks of the imperial military assuming positions even of command and, ultimately, of aristocratic privilege.
In 402 and again the next year, Stilicho defeated the Goths, and Alaric (formerly an officer in the Roman army in the East who become chief of the Visigoths – takes a scorecard to recite some of these bios), briefly withdrew. There was in inexhaustible supply of barbarians however.
Stilicho repelled the Ostrogoths in 406 and the Gauls in 407; also in 407, he was even obliged to call upon Alaric’s aid. Yet in 408, under suspicion of plotting to seize the imperial throne for his sons, Stilicho was executed, and Roman purists in the government and military massacred the families of Gothic soldiers in the Roman army.
Naturally these Goths defected to Alaric and when the emperor Flavius Honorius refused to grant Alaric’s people land and compensation, Alaric led his forces against Rome itself. He besieged the city in 408 but relented when the Senate offered him tribute. Honorius, however, remained intransigent and the siege was resumed the next year. Again Alaric was paid off and withdrew.
In 410 however, weary of the emperor’s continued failure to honor his promises, Alaric again besieged Rome. Allies in the city opened the gates to him and — for the first time in 800 years — Rome was occupied by a foreign invader.
The Visigoths kept control of the city for three days, plundering it of many of its riches but causing little damage and leaving its citizens unmolested. Above all they took care not to touch the city’s churches. For these barbarians were Christians.
There is so much more in this story (the rest is here) Including more about the remarkable man (St. Benedict) pictured above.
It has always been my weakness to explain all this. How did Rome fall and the early Church of the Patristic fathers continue? How did the monastic centers and monasticism come about? Was there a decline of Rome and were the advent of the so-called ‘Dark Ages’ precipitated by the rise of Christianity? (Quick answer No, Mr. Gibbons). The real answers that theologian David Bentley Hart reveals here is far more complex (and far more interesting). He puts it all together in one compelling narrative.
Spend a little time with Church History today…
dj