What happened to Rome after its fall?

[old_abe]

Much has been written about the birth of rome, its conquests and its decline but there has not been enough written about rome after its fall.

After Atilla the hun died and the huns lost their power and territory, who ruled rome? was it the visigoths? vandals? ostrogoths?

What state was rome in during the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th centuries etc?
did it experience peace? or was it the target of endless attacks by various tribes?

We know much about the eastern roman empire which gradually changed into the byzantine empire.

And can someone please tell me what happened to gaul, germania, spain etc during this time?

[Lord_Cronus]

Mafia could answer this one better than any of us I'm sure. If I recall correctly it seems that the western empire, or what was left of it, remained in civil war until it was reunited under the Holy Roman Empire. Or, the Second Reich as the germans called it.

[MafiaMaster]

As far as I know, after the fall of Rome, there were the Dark Ages. This is also the time called Medieval, which is Latin for Middle Ages. The Dark Ages was basically a time of change, in a sense. The lands were in Chaos and Europe was experiencing havoc. The only thing that the people had was their faith in Christianity. It had nothing to do with the Holy Roman Empire, but just feudalism and the growth of seperate lands: France, England, Spain, Germany, etc. Make slight sense?

[EvolvedSaurian]

Mafia could answer this one better than any of us I'm sure. If I recall correctly it seems that the western empire, or what was left of it, remained in civil war until it was reunited under the Holy Roman Empire. Or, the Second Reich as the germans called it.

First Reich.

The second began in 1871 when Prussia unified Germany. It ended in 1918.

We all know the rest.:(

[Belisarius]

As far as I know, after the fall of Rome, there were the Dark Ages. This is also the time called Medieval, which is Latin for Middle Ages. The Dark Ages was basically a time of change, in a sense. The lands were in Chaos and Europe was experiencing havoc. The only thing that the people had was their faith in Christianity. It had nothing to do with the Holy Roman Empire, but just feudalism and the growth of seperate lands: France, England, Spain, Germany, etc. Make slight sense?

VERY simply, Vandal tribes took over North Africa, Visigoths took over Spain, Ostrogoths took over Italy, Franks and other German tribes like the Burgunii, took over Gaul. The Western Empire did not so much fall, as fade away. With native Roman leaders and landlords being replaced by "barbarian" versions over time.

[MafiaMaster]

Exactly as Belisarius said. The Western Empire did not fall, but fade away. But after their 'fading away,' it turned into the dark ages or what we commonly called, Medieval Times. It was a time of Feudalism, Chivalry and Knights. It can be pretty interesting.

[Obelia]

What state was rome in during the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th centuries etc?
did it experience peace? or was it the target of endless attacks by various tribes?

There was a really good series about the barbarians on the BBC recently. I managed to catch some of the end of it. It covered the tribes that lived around Rome, some of whom were wiped out by the Romans, and some of whom succeeded them as the Goths.

It was presented by one of the Monty Python guys, Terry Jones. That might help you to look it up if it comes out on DVD, because I can't remember what it was called. It might just be "The Barbarians".

Anyway, that's worth looking up since it covers some of the time after the fall of Rome, as well as giving some good insight into the Roman propaganda machine.

[Belisarius]

What state was rome in during the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th centuries etc?
did it experience peace? or was it the target of endless attacks by various tribes?


6th Century: Rome was reconquered by the Eastern empire along with much of southern Italy.
7th Century: Rome was ruled by its bishop, but fought over by the Lombards, Eastern Romans, and the Franks.
8th and 9th Century: Part of Charlemagne's Empire and then what became known as the Holy Roman Empire.

[mister]

As far as I know what was left of the empire after the end of the Western Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire which became what we know as the Byzantine Empire that launched an attempt at reconquering lands that once belonged to the Roman Empire.To make a long story short it eventuall lost it's newly conquered territories and ended up conquered by the Ottomans.