OSTROGOTHIC KINGDOM (493-535) in Italy
     first of "barbarian" or successor kingdoms in Italy
     end of “Roman” political organization in west

THEODORIC (493-526): capital at Ravenna
     King of the Ostrogoths ( = Eastern Goths, Arians)
     authorized by Eastern Roman Emperor to march against Huns;
     Theodoric slays Odoacer; accepted by Senate and People of Rome

Roman Christian intellectuals support for Theodoric:
     CASSIODORUS: Roman Senator writes History of Theodoric
                  retires to monastery, gathering Latin manuscripts
     BOETHIUS: Roman scholar at court of Theodoric
               translations of some Greek writings into Latin
         Consolation of Philosophy: stoical tradition
               written in prison after arrest for treason

Arianism as major weakness of Ostrogothic Kingdom:
      Byzantine Emperor remains hostile to Arian heresy
      523 Imperial law excludes pagans, Jews & heretics (Arians)
           from public office: insult to Theodoric (d. 526)

EMPEROR JUSTINIAN (527-565)
    Wars against Persia, Vandals, Goths

The Reconquest of Italy  (Greek historian PROCOPIUS)
    attacks Vandal Kingdom in Africa to regain Mediterranean;
    decisive victory, population rises against Vandals
    then disastrous, 20 year long Italian campaign: 535-554
    Gothic resistance led by Totila, enters Rome in 542
     (note role of Totila in Gregory’s Life of St. Benedict)

Justinian's wars as beginning of "Dark Ages" in Italy,
   Imperial reunification short lived,
   Italy invaded again by Lombard in 568

Building projects under Justinian:
   Constantinope: Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom)
                                    largest church in Christendom
   Ravenna: outpost of Eastern Byzantine Empire in Italy
            mosaics of Justinian and Theodora (SLIDES)

Codification of Roman Law:
        most important legacy of early Eastern Empire
   438 Theodosian Code: first attempt at codification
   529 JUSTINIAN'S CODE (CORPUS IURIS CIVILIS) in 2 vols;
      result is influence of Roman law on barbarian legal
      codes & canon (church) law in medieval western Europe

LOMBARD KINGDOM in Italy 568-774:
     military victory due to exhaustion
           of Roman Italy, plague, famine, following J's wars
     capital established at Pavia (northern Italy)
     Lombard legal code 643: written in Latin
           wergeld system: fines to replace vendetta