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