THE END OF THE NINTH CENTURY IN WESTERN EUROPE. CONCLUSION
Reign of Odo in France—His Danish wars—His civil war with Charles the
Simple—Charles succeeds to the throne—He grants Normandy to
Hrolf—Lotharingia annexed to France—Robert and Rudolf rebel against
Charles the Simple—Murder of Charles at Peronne—Spain and the
Moors—Growth of the kingdom of the Asturias under Pelagius and the
three Alfonsos—Its continued progress—Summary of the
period—Feudalism, its military and political meaning—Conclusion.
We left the much-vexed Neustrian realm handed over to a king whose title
to the crown lay in his strong hand and his good sword, and not in any
hereditary right. Odo count of Paris was not sprung either on the
father’s or the mother’s side from the house of the Karlings. His father
was Robert the Strong, a count of Angers and Blois under Charles the
Bald, one of the few Frankish chiefs who won a reputation in the
struggle with the Vikings. When Robert fell by a Danish arrow, his son
appears a few years later in power by the middle Seine and Loire, and
especially in charge of Paris, where he won his great name and his crown
by the gallant defence of the city in 886-7.
Odo was without doubt the best candidate that could have been chosen for
the West Frankish throne. The sole legitimate heir of the
Karlings—Charles the Simple, the posthumous son of Lewis the
Stammerer—was only eight years of age, and to hand the kingdom over to a
minor would have been a piece of madness. Nevertheless the choice of Odo
was a bad alternative at the best: he was but one among a dozen
personages of equal position, each of whom believed himself to be his
new master’s equal. Between 850 and 887 all the greater counties of
Neustria and Aquitaine were becoming hereditary. [Sidenote: Growth of
the Great Fiefs in France.] Charles the Bald and his short-lived
successors had everywhere bought a temporary freedom from trouble by
appointing the son to fill the father’s place, and in the next
generation the rulers of the counties and duchies looked upon their
title to succeed to their ancestor’s governorship as fixed and absolute.
In every one of these districts, which were afterwards to be known as
the ‘Great Fiefs,’ the first commencement of hereditary rule dates from
the fatal days between the battle of Fontenay and the deposition of
Charles the Fat. The first sovereign in the county of Toulouse who
passed on his dominions to his son dates from 852: in Flanders the date
is 862: in Poitou 867: in Anjou 870: in Gascony 872: in Burgundy 877: in
Auvergne 886. To all these rulers Odo was but a fortunate equal, whom
they had consented to elevate to the throne because of the imminent
danger which the kingdom was suffering from the Viking raids. In spite
of the oaths that they had sworn him they could not in their own minds
look upon him as a king of the same sort as the Karlings had been. In a
time when hereditary right was beginning to count so highly, it was a
fatal weakness in a king to owe his power to the old Teutonic right of
election alone. In reading the chronicles of this period of French
history we are reminded in a striking manner of the troubles of the
kings of the Spanish Visigoths. We find once more the utter confusion
that ensues from the elective system when the nobility is too strong,
and the royal name has been lowered by a series of weak or incapable
rulers.
In Odo’s first year he was comparatively free from troubles within; the
Vikings were spread all over the face of the land, and even the
turbulent counts of Neustria refrained from rebellion in face of the
danger, while Wido of Spoleto, the rival of the new king, had to quit
the realm for want of followers. The election of Odo received its best
justification when in June 888 he smote the great army of the Danes at
Montfaucon in Champagne, and drove them from the valleys of the Meuse
and Marne. The whole realm concurred willingly in his second coronation
at Rheims, where he was invested with a crown, which his neighbour
Arnulf had sent him, in token of friendship as well as of a claim of
suzerainty.
Even the distant and ever-rebellious south bowed for a time before the
sceptre of Odo: when he marched into Aquitaine Ramnulf count of
Poictiers, who had thought for a moment of establishing himself as an
independent duke south of the Loire, struck no blow against him, but did
instant homage. [Sidenote: Wars of Odo with the Danes.] But while Odo
was in Poitou the Vikings had again gathered in great force on the lower
Seine, under chiefs among whom we descry for the first time the name of
Hrolf or Rollo, the future duke of Normandy. They laid siege for the
third time to Paris: the brave town held out for many months, but Odo,
less able to defend his old fief as king than he had been as count,
followed the deplorable precedent of Charles the Fat, and gave them
money to take themselves off to Brittany.
Of course they returned ere long, but when they once more invaded
central France, Odo inflicted a crushing defeat on them at Montpensier:
their chief Oskytel was captured with many of his men. Like Guthrum in
England the vanquished Dane offered to become a Christian, but as he
issued from the baptistery, count Ingo, the standard-bearer of Odo, cut
him down. ‘Never trust a Dane, baptized or unbaptized,’ said the
murderer, and his master left him unpunished, as if he felt that the
cynical plea was sufficient justification (892).
[Sidenote: Civil Wars of Odo and Charles the Simple.] Just when he
appeared to be strongest, Odo was in truth nearing his greatest danger.
The Danes being for a time driven off, the unruly counts of France, free
from the impending terror, began at once to conspire against their king.
He was too much one of themselves for them to regard him as their
absolute master, and too strong-handed for them to feel their new
hereditary fiefs safely their own. In 893 some of the great nobles sent
for the boy Charles the Simple, the heir of the Karlings, from his
refuge in England. Richard, duke of Burgundy, William, count of
Auvergne, Heribert, count of Vermandois, and Fulco, archbishop of
Rheims, were the chief of the rebels. There followed six years of
desperate civil war: Odo was far too strong for the fourteen-year-old
boy whom his treacherous vassals had raised up against him: again and
again he drove Charles from the cities where he had fortified himself,
and chastised the rebels who adhered to him. But some one of the counts
of Neustria or Aquitaine was always rising in favour of the Karling.
Driven from one district he reappeared in another, and the land had no
rest. It was to no purpose that Odo once offered to make his rival king
of Aquitaine and rule himself in Neustria alone: such a compromise would
not have suited his ambitious vassals, who were inspired not by any real
loyalty to the ancient house, but by a wish to gain complete local
independence.
At last Odo, worn out with the struggle, died on the last day of the
year 898. His brother and heir Robert refused to continue the struggle
against the heir of the Karlings, and did homage to Charles the Simple,
receiving from him confirmation as ruler of the ‘Duchy of France’—the
lands of Paris, Orleans, Tours, Chartres, Beauvais, and Le Mans. Thus
the civil war ended, but at the cost of the establishment of one more
great fief, and that one comprehending the whole of the heart of
Neustria, a very kingdom in itself.
[Sidenote: Charles the Simple, King of France, 899-929.] Charles the
Simple was now undisputedly king of the whole realm of the West Franks,
and was recognised as its ruler for thirty-one years, till his untimely
death in 929. He had by this time reached the age of twenty, and had
gained much experience in the uncertainties of war and in the bearing of
adverse fortune (899). He was a man of energy and resource, the worthy
brother of the long-dead Lewis III., and his nickname ‘the Simple,’
given him because he was too prone to trust his treacherous vassals, and
was so often deceived by them, is rather a title of honour than the
reverse. From the very first his position was far weaker than that of
any of his predecessors had been. The great fiefs had now become
definitely hereditary: any endeavour to prevent the reversion of the
father’s land to the son was regarded as a usurpation on the king’s
part, and resented by the whole body of vassals of the realm. In every
part of Neustria and Aquitaine the counts and dukes had now become
semi-independent sovereigns, and it was only in the royal demesne, and
in the lands of the great ecclesiastical fiefs, that the king retained
monarchical power.
Charles was by no means destitute either of ambition or of energy. He
did his best to assert his royal authority over his vassals, and to
cope with the never-ending Danish invasions. He did not forget the
traditional policy of the Neustrian Karlings, their desire to unite
with their own realm the whole or part of Lotharingia, the plan that
had led his grandfather Charles the Bald into so many unhappy wars.
More fortunate than his ancestor, Charles succeeded in laying hands on
a large portion of the disputed realm. The Austrasians had grown weary
of their union with Germany while ruled by the turbulent and
tyrannical Zwentibold, whom Arnulf had set over them. After Arnulf’s
death they cast out and slew his bastard, and adhered for a time to
Lewis the Child. But when the young Lewis followed his father to the
grave, the Lotharingians refused to concur with the other Teutonic
races in setting Conrad the Franconian on the throne. [Sidenote:
Lotharingia joined to France, 912.] Headed by the count of Hainault,
Reginald-with-the-Long-Neck, they declared that they would have none
but a Karling to reign over them, and threw themselves into the arms
of Charles the Simple. From 912 onwards he reigned as their king, and
found his best supporters among their warriors, for Austrasia was not
yet so feudalised as Neustria, and the love of the old royal house was
still strong within its borders.
The Viking raids never ceased during the reign of Charles. The civil war
of 893-8 had given the Danes an opportunity of returning to Neustria,
and they were not slow to take it. When the chroniclers of the time are
not recounting the rebellions of Charles’s undutiful subjects, they are
generally occupied in detailing Danish ravages. But it is now to be
observed that the inroads of the Vikings are not nearly so dangerous to
the realm as they had once been: the spell of the invincibility of the
Northmen had been broken, and whenever they appeared they were fiercely
withstood by the local counts and dukes. The land no longer gave them
such rich prey, for the open towns had now surrounded themselves with
walls, and were not as formerly the defenceless victims of every raider
who could muster a few hundred men at his back. Still the invaders never
ceased to come, for many of their former fields of action were now
closed: in England Alfred and his son were too strong for them, and in
Germany they never had their old good fortune after their great defeat
at Louvain. France, therefore, had now to bear the brunt of their
attacks, and all their hordes concentrated themselves on the coast
between the Scheldt and the Garonne.
[Sidenote: Hrolf on the Seine, 910-11.] It was in 911 that Charles the
Simple took a step which was to change the aspect of the great struggle
with the Danes. Their main army was now lying on the lower Seine, and
their chief camp was at Rouen, a great city which they had sacked and
desolated and made their own. Their war-lord was now the sea-king Hrolf,
or Rollo as the Franks called him, who had asserted his power by right
of superior ability above all the other jarls. Hrolf’s bands ranged far
and wide in the Seine valley, and had fought at Chartres a bloody but
indecisive battle with the host of the Franks, headed by the king’s
greatest vassals, the dukes of France and Burgundy and the count of
Poitou.
Despairing, as Alfred had despaired thirty years before, of ever being
able to drive away the Dane, Charles took the same step that the great
king of Wessex had taken. He determined to offer the Viking leader a
great tract of land as a settlement for his followers, if he would
consent to draw them all together and to conclude a stable peace. The
experiment had been made before by the Frankish monarchs, with no
encouraging results, and the tale of Charles the Fat and king Godfred
must have been fresh in the minds of the Vikings. [Sidenote: Treaty of
Clair-sur-Epte, 911.] Nevertheless the offer was made once more: if
Hrolf would settle down, he should have an ample _Danelagh_—as the
English would have called it—for his men. Charles proffered him Rouen
and the lower valley of the Seine, and with them the hand of his
daughter Gisela. The Northman blustered and affected to despise the
king’s offer, but presently he began to haggle and to speak of terms.
The monarch of the West Franks and the veteran sea-king met at
Clair-sur-Epte, and there the bargain was concluded. Hrolf asked and
received all the lands from the river Epte to the sea, a grant which the
Danes interpreted as giving them all the coastland from the mouth of the
Somme to the borders of Brittany. Charles added to this the easy promise
of the suzerainty of Brittany itself, when Hrolf should succeed in
conquering the unruly princes of that land, who for many years had paid
no allegiance to the Frankish crown.
The Viking therefore received the hand of the king’s daughter, promised
to submit to baptism, and ‘became the man’ of Charles the Simple. A
well-known story tells how Hrolf refused to bow the knee himself to the
Frank, when the oath of homage had to be given, and deputed one of his
chiefs to be his proxy, and how the Dane, with designed clumsiness, when
he bent before the king’s feet, succeeded in upsetting king and throne
together. But Charles overlooked the insult in return for the tangible
benefits that the submission of Hrolf involved, and loaded the Danes
with gifts on their departure.
[Sidenote: The Duchy of Normandy.] The Viking chief therefore settled
down to live as a Frankish duke at Rouen: he had himself baptized,
according to his promise, and the majority of his warriors followed his
example. Contrary to what might have been expected, the experiment of
planting the Northmen on the lower Seine proved a complete success for
the Frankish king. The majority of the Danish war-bands in Gaul drifted,
one after the other, to join Hrolf’s followers, and to receive from him
a fixed settlement in his new duchy. By sacrificing a part of his realm,
Charles the Simple had saved the rest. The duke of Normandy, no longer
_rex piratarum_, but the king’s trusted vassal, was on the whole very
faithful to the oaths that he had sworn at Clair-sur-Epte. He adhered to
king Charles in all his troubles, and sent him a contingent of Danes
whenever he was asked for aid. It was only when Charles had been deposed
by rebels that Hrolf again turned loose his plundering bands upon
France, and became once more the scourge of Neustria.
The summer of 912 saw Charles both freed from his Viking war by the
cession of Normandy, and hailed as king of Lotharingia by the
Austrasians. The next eight years were the most fortunate period of his
reign: he waged no important wars abroad, and had no very serious
troubles at home. But his authority over the greater part of France was
very limited: more especially in the lands south of the Loire nothing
but lip-service was granted him: neither tribute nor military aid could
be expected from the great counts of the South. Yet weak as he was,
Charles the Simple was still stronger than his great vassals cared that
he should be. [Sidenote: Rebellion of Robert of France.] Three of the
greatest magnates of his realm resolved to compass his deposition: their
chief was Robert duke of France, who in his old age began to covet the
crown that he had refused to claim in 899. His confederates were Rudolf,
second duke of Burgundy, and Heribert count of Vermandois. They
commenced their operations by bidding the king dismiss his chief
minister and favourite, count Hagano. When he refused, they sent him a
formal disavowal of their allegiance, and after a space proclaimed
Robert of France king of the West Franks.
Civil war at once began: supported by the Lotharingians and the Normans
king Charles made head against the rebels, though they raised against
him all the warriors of France and Burgundy. The armies met at Soissons
for a decisive engagement: the troops of the Karling were beaten, but in
the moment of victory the rebel king was pierced by a Norman lance, and
by Robert’s death the rising was left without a leader (923).
The great vassals were cowed for a moment by their chief’s fall, and
sorely distracted by a Danish invasion. Rollo had launched against the
territories of the rebel dukes a great horde of Northmen, and the
invaders were joined by a fresh army from England under Regnald, whom
Edward the Elder had just deposed from the kingship of Northumbria.
[Sidenote: Continued civil wars.] But in spite of the ravages of the
Danes, who swarmed into Burgundy, and threatened to establish a second
Danelagh in the valley of the Saone, the rebels resolved not to submit
to their rightful lord. They now proclamed as anti-king Rudolf duke of
Burgundy, for Hugh, son of Robert of France, refused to take up his
father’s claims. Charles might have fought down the insurrection, for a
great Norman army was coming to his aid, if he had not fallen by
treachery. Heribert of Vermandois offered to submit to him, and begged
him to come to a conference at Peronne. The simple king hastened to the
meeting, and was seized and thrown into a dungeon (923). The only drop
of bitterness in the cup of the rebels was that Edgiva, the English wife
of Charles, escaped with her son Lewis to the court of her father king
Edward the Elder. There was still an heir of the Karling house safe
beyond the seas.
For four troubled years Rudolf of Burgundy reigned as king of France,
and Charles the Simple lay in durance at Peronne. Rudolf was but a
phantom king: Aquitaine refused to acknowledge him: the Danes ranged all
over his realm and beset his native duchy of Burgundy with especial
fury. His own confederates in the rebellion paid him scanty homage, and
went each on his own way. After a space Heribert of Vermandois
quarrelled with Rudolf, and to spite the new king drew Charles out of
his dungeon and proclaimed him once more monarch of the West Franks. But
Rudolf bought over the double traitor to rejoin him: and for a second
time Heribert seized the person of his natural lord and master.
[Sidenote: Murder of Charles the Simple, 929.] This time Charles did not
escape with mere imprisonment: the cruel and treacherous count starved
him to death at Peronne. At last Rudolf the Burgundian could call
himself without dispute king of France (929).
Here we must leave the history of the western realm, at a moment when it
had reached much the same wretched condition that Germany attained at
the time of the death of Conrad I. More unhappy than their eastern
neighbours, the Franks of Neustria and Aquitaine were not yet to see any
such great rulers as Henry the First and Otto the Great set over them.
They were destined to drink the cup of feudal anarchy to the dregs, ere
a strong monarchy was once more to arise among them. The fight between
the Karlings and the dukes of France was to drag on for two generations
more, ere Hugh Capet finally gained the crown that his grandfather
Robert and his great-uncle Odo had worn. And when the house of the dukes
of France had seized the throne, they were to be for long ages as
powerless as the Karlings whom they had supplanted.
As yet the only favourable symptom in the condition of France was the
comparative immunity from Viking raids that it was beginning to enjoy.
Thanks to the feudal horseman and the feudal castle, thanks still more
to the narrowing of Danish ambition to the Norman duchy and its
neighbouring lands of Maine and Brittany, the kingdom was beginning to
enjoy a certain measure of peace from the outer enemy. Unfortunately the
great vassals of the crown only used their opportunity to redouble their
wicked feuds, and the nation’s worst foes were to be those of its own
household for many a long day.
[Sidenote: History of Spain, 700-918.] There is still one region of
Europe at which we have cast no glance for a hundred years. But the
fortunes of Spain lie far apart from those of the Frankish empire, and
during the ninth and tenth centuries form no part of the general history
of Christendom. We have had occasion to mention, however, that the
Moslem conquerors of the peninsula paid for forty years a wavering
allegiance to the Ommeyad caliphs, and were ruled for a time by a series
of ephemeral viceroys, most of whom came to violent ends. Of the fate of
those of them who ventured to attack the Frankish empire, we have spoken
while dealing with the annals of Charles Martel and Pippin the Short.
In 756 Spain became separated from the caliphate of Bagdad. After the
massacre of the Ommeyad house by their Abbasside successor, one member
of the older family escaped to Spain. The young Abderahman, after long
struggles, put down all those who opposed him, and became an independent
sovereign. He ruled at Cordova for more than thirty years, and not
unprosperously, though he was vexed all through his life by incessant
rebellions, such as that of the chiefs who in 778 called in Charles the
Great against him, and led the Franks to the gates of Saragossa.
But while Abderahman was ruling in great state at Toledo and Cordova,
and winning the admiration of all the Moslem world by his courage, his
wisdom, and his magnificence, a little cloud was arising in the west,
which was in later days to overshadow all Mohammedan Spain.
After the destruction of the Visigothic kingdom in 711-12, the viceroys
of Spain had overrun well-nigh the whole land, and planted it thickly
with colonists from Arabia, Syria, and Africa. But they had never
completely subdued the extreme north-west of the peninsula. The
Cantabrian and Asturian highlands had always been the last refuge of
broken tribes from the first dawn of Spanish history. There the Galaeci
and Astures had long withstood the Roman legions: there, in a later age,
the Suevi had resisted the Visigoths for more than a century. And now,
in the same rugged hills, the last of the Visigoths took refuge from the
advancing Saracen. [Sidenote: Pelagius in Asturia.] The annals of this
rugged region are very scanty, but we learn that a certain count
Pelagius, a chief with a Roman name, and perhaps, therefore, of native
Spanish rather than Gothic blood, maintained himself with success
against the Moslems. The narrow rocky tract between the Bay of the
Biscay and the Cantabrian mountains presented few attractions to the
Saracens, who preferred to settle in the fertile plains of Andalusia and
Valencia, and they paid no heed to Pelagius when he drove their
scattered garrisons out of the Asturias, and built up for himself a
little kingdom in the hills. He is said to have reigned for eighteen
years (718-36) over the Asturians. On his death his son Favila and his
son-in-law Hildefuns (Aldefonsus, Alfonso) followed him on the throne.
The last-named, whose pure Visigothic name recalls that of the sainted
archbishop of Toledo, was the founder of the greatness of the new
kingdom. Taking advantage of the civil wars of the Saracens, he issued
from his hills, and threw himself upon the neighbouring province of
Galicia, where a few Berber chiefs held down a discontented population
of Christians. The natives rose to aid him, and the Mohammedan settlers
were driven out of the land, and chased down into the plains of northern
Spain (751).
[Sidenote: Conquests of Alfonso I.] Alfonso followed the flying foe, and
made himself a lodgement on the southern slope of the Cantabrian hills,
occupying the towns of Astorga and Leon, and pushing his incursions as
far as the north bank of the Douro. He is said to have driven the
Saracens completely out of the broad _Tierra de Campos_, the plain of
Leon, and to have left it behind him an uninhabited desert, when he drew
back to his fastnesses in the mountains. He laid Oporto, Zamora, and
Salamanca in ruins, but was not strong enough to occupy them and add
them to his kingdom.
Alfonso died in 757, just at the moment when the peninsula was falling
into the hands of Abderahman the Ommeyad. The kings of Cordova proved
more formidable foes to the new Christian state than the old viceroys of
Spain had been, and for some generations its growth was comparatively
slow. For fifty years the kings of Asturias and Galicia are mere names
to us: it would appear that they were often constrained to pay tribute
to the Ommeyad princes, and that they found their chief safety in the
civil wars with which the Moslems were so continually vexed.
Alfonso II. (791-842) successfully repelled the last Moslem attempt to
reconquer Galicia. He appears once in Frankish history as sending
ambassadors to Charles the Great, to say that he considered himself the
‘man’ of the great king, and to offer his homage. But the Franks did not
acquire any real suzerainty over Asturias, or come into any contact with
its borders. [Sidenote: The County of Barcelona.] The reign of Charles,
however, left its mark on Peninsular history in another quarter: it was
he who conquered from the Saracen the ‘march of Spain,’ which, under its
later name of the county of Barcelona, became the second great Christian
state beyond the Pyrenees. At first the ‘Spanish March’ was a dependency
of the duchy of Septimania, but ere long they were separated, and the
count of Barcelona became as free from any active interference on the
part of the Frankish kings as were his neighbours, the counts of
Aquitaine.
The long reign of Alfonso II. was a period of rapid growth and extension
for the kingdom of Asturias. He pushed his arms forward as far as the
Tagus, and in one expedition he took and sacked Lisbon. But he drew the
line of his garrisons at the Douro, which remained for some time the
limit of the occupation of the Asturians. They were engaged for a whole
generation in repeopling the deserted plains of Leon, which had long
been a waste march between the Christian and the Moslem.
[Sidenote: Successes of Alfonso III.] Another Alfonso, third of the
name, who ascended the throne in 866, was the next prince who pushed
forward the Asturian border. To the kingdom that he inherited he added
Old Castille, northern Portugal, and the land beyond the Douro, the
_extrema Durii_, which keeps its name of Estremadura till this day.
Mohammed king of Cordova could make no head against him, for a rising
under a chief named Omar-ben-Hafs had torn his northern dominions from
his grasp, and while endeavouring to subdue the rebel, he had to leave
the king of Asturias to press forward unopposed.
In Alfonso’s time the county of Castille and the kingdom of Navarre took
their rise. The former was a border march against the Moor, intrusted by
the king to the bravest of his vassals. The latter was founded by a
Gascon count Sancho, who though a vassal of the Frankish crown made
conquests on his own account beyond the Pyrenees, and obtained the aid
of the king of Asturias by doing him homage.
Alfonso strengthened his realm by building the great frontier fortresses
of Zamora, Simancas, and Osma, to protect his new acquisitions from the
raids of the Moslems. In 910 his son Garcia removed his residence from
the Asturian town of Oviedo to Leon, south of the hills, as if to mark
the advance of his borders into the plains of northern Spain.
The progress of the Christians southward and eastward was never to be
checked, though it was often delayed for a space when strong rulers sat
on the throne of Cordova. Three centuries before, it was the Goths who
had been a turbulent unruly aristocracy, ruling a nation of serfs, and
the Saracen had swept their monarchy off the face of the earth in two
years. [Sidenote: The Spanish Moors.] Now the Moslem had become even as
his Gothic predecessor, luxurious, proud, untrue to his king, a hard
master to the peasantry who paid him toll and tribute. Religious
persecution was not rare, and Andalusia could count many martyrs; the
accusation of having blasphemed the name of Mohammed always stirred the
Moslem crowd to sudden cruelty, and victims of all ages and conditions,
from an archbishop of Toledo down to obscure monks and trades folk,
suffered on that charge. While the conquerors were losing their ancient
strength, the new Christian kingdom in the north-west was breeding an
iron-handed race of men in its rugged mountains, a race whose life was
one constant crusade against the Infidel. They had lost in their common
danger all memory of the ancient grudges that separated Visigoth and
Roman,[70] and had become a perfectly homogeneous people, welded
completely together by the day of adversity. The stubborn Spanish
nation, poor, proud, warlike, and fanatically orthodox, was the natural
product of the time when Christianity and freedom could only be
preserved by accepting exile in the Cantabrian hills, and a life of
constant struggle against the Saracen. The Mohammedan aristocracy,
cultured, wealthy, luxurious, turbulent, and selfish, could not in the
end resist such enemies. Though brave and numerous, they were divided by
countless local, family and national feuds—the Arab hated the Syrian and
the Berber, while all three despised the Spanish-born Moslem. Their
monarch at Cordova only existed by playing off one faction against
another, and was often deprived for whole years of his control over an
important town or province.
Footnote 70:
It is noteworthy to mark how Roman and Gothic names are found side by
side in the lists of kings of Asturias. Roman names like Pelagius,
Aurelius, Mauricatus, alternate with Gothic names like Hildefuns
(Alfonso), Beremud (Bermudo), and Favila.
It is small wonder then that the Asturian kingdom waxed, while the
caliphate of Cordova waned. Perhaps we ought rather to marvel that the
Moslems ruled in Spain so long and with so much splendour, in spite of
all their feuds and civil wars. It is strange that in the midst of so
much turbulent disorder they should have been able to found a very
nourishing literature, and to leave their mark on the face of the land
in the shape of such triumphs of architecture as the great Mosque of
Cordova, or the Alcazar of Seville. Certainly the Saracen was seen at
his best in Spain; in the other lands that he conquered, decay and
decline came on him much more rapidly. The Abbassides of Bagdad had sunk
into decrepitude some time before the Ommeyads of Cordova met with their
fall. Syria, Egypt, and Persia became the prey of Turk and Mameluke and
Tartar long ere Andalusia yielded to the Christian. Arabia itself sunk
back into torpor with astonishing rapidity and ease. It was certainly in
Spain that the conquering Moslems retained longest all the best and
worthiest characteristics of the days of their early greatness.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: Summary.] We leave Europe at the end of our period in a day
of gloom and depression. The picture indeed has its bright points: in
Spain the balance had definitely turned in favour of Christendom, and
the crescent was already beginning to wane. At Constantinople the rule
of the Basilian dynasty promised a period of stationary prosperity, even
if no strong emperor should arise to lead the Byzantine armies once more
to victory. But in those great lands of Central Europe which then, and
always, have formed the heart of Christendom, the outlook was very
black—blacker than it had been at any time since the evil days of the
seventh century. If the attacks of the Vikings were visibly slackening,
and if the Saracens had last been driven out of southern Italy, so that
the invaders from without were for a time checked, yet the state of
affairs within showed no signs of mending. The empire was dead: the
papacy was falling into premature decay and corruption.
In the midst of all the treason and selfishness, the wars, murders, and
rebellions of the dismal age that lies between the battle of Fontenay
and the end of the tenth century, there is one thought only that can
afford the student any consolation. After the break-up of the empire of
Charles the Great, while Dane, Saracen, Hungarian, and Slav were
simultaneously besetting the gates of Christendom, there was a very
serious danger that the fabric of civilised Europe might crumble to
pieces beneath their blows. That it did not do so must be attributed to
the unexpected powers of resistance developed by the disintegrated
fractions of the Frankish empire under the feudal system. Disastrous as
were most of the effects of that system, it at least justified its
existence by saving Christendom from the foe without. What the
successors of Charles the Great had failed to do when all the military
force of the empire was at their backs, was accomplished by the petty
counts and margraves whose power was developed on the ruins of the
central authority. It was the mailed feudal horseman, and the
impregnable walls of the feudal castle, that foiled the attacks of the
Dane, the Saracen, and the Hungarian.
While the emperor or king was expected to protect every corner of the
realm, and as a matter of fact protected none of it, the governors of
the _gaus_ and marks proved, on the whole, to be equal to the task, when
once they had got their hands free and were not fettered by the close
supervision of their master. Europe lapsed, indeed, into utter
decentralisation, and lost for centuries the administrative unity which
the reign of Charles the Great had promised. A heavy blow was dealt at
the slowly developing culture and civilisation which the eighth century
had produced. It was not without justice that the ninth, tenth, and
eleventh centuries have been called ‘the Dark Ages.’ Literature and art
sank back to the level from which Charles the Great had for a time
raised them; history has once more to be reconstructed from the
scantiest materials. Architecture was stagnant, save in the single
department of castle-building—the one development that these centuries
produced. The internal history of continental Europe, when it ceases to
be a series of Danish, Saracen, and Magyar raids, becomes a dismal
record of tiresome local feuds and private wars. The remains of the old
Teutonic liberty, which had survived in slowly dwindling measure,
finally disappear as feudalism is perfected, and the freeman becomes
everywhere the vassal of some greater or smaller lord.
But all the details of this unhappy change must not blind us to the fact
that Christendom was saved from destruction by the men of the feudal
age. In spite of all the faults of their system, its selfishness, its
particularism, its feuds, its degradation of the lower classes, it
served the required end in producing the condition of military
efficiency which was needed to beat off the invading hordes from
without. [Sidenote: The feudal horsemen.] The problem with which Europe
had to deal was that of facing quickly-moving assailants, whose object
was primarily plunder rather than fighting, and who therefore had to be
caught and brought to bay if they were to be checked. The slowly-moving
masses of foot-soldiery which the Frankish empire put into the field
were quite unable to deal with this problem. The light cavalry of the
Magyars and Saracens could ride around or away from them: the Dane took
to his ships and disappeared when they tardily crept up to drive him
from his prey. The local count or duke who could put a few hundred
mailed horsemen of approved valour into the field, men bound to him by
every tie of discipline and obedience, and trained to war from their
youth up, was really a far more formidable foe to the plundering
invader. Even if he could not check the raiders for want of numbers, his
troop of riders hung round the intruders, cut off their stragglers,
intercepted them at every defensible pass or ford where the few can
withstand the many, circumvented them by cross-roads which the native
must know better than the stranger.
[Sidenote: The feudal castle.] No less important than the rise of the
mailed horseman was the rise of the feudal castle. In the Frankish
empire fortified places had hitherto been rare: save the towns that
possessed ancient Roman walls there seem to have been none that could
defend themselves: Frankish ideas of fortification went no further than
heaping up a mound, surrounding it with a ditch, and crowning it with a
palisade. Such temporary strongholds were inadequate, and safety from
the Dane was only found by the use of permanent fortifications of firm
masonry. Every town that had not perished surrounded itself with a
ring-wall: fortified bridge-heads were built to shut up the rivers to
the Viking ships. But most important of all were the castles, which rose
up on every hand, to form safe residences for the chiefs who had once
dwelt in open villas, and to serve as bases for the defence of the
country-side. Few in number at first, they gradually spread over the
breadth of the land, as each lord who was able reared himself a
stronghold. The existence of these castles changed the whole face of
war: when an enemy appeared there were now countless places of refuge to
seek, and the invader, instead of sweeping easily over the district in
search of plunder, found that it could for the future only be procured
at the cost of a series of lengthy sieges. There was hardly any sure
method known of reducing a strong place, save the expedient of starving
it out: but to sit three months before a castle till famine should
reduce it, was not what Dane or Magyar desired. Their booty would be
limited, while the delay would allow the whole military strength of the
country to be mustered against them. Hence it may be truly said that the
rise of the feudal castle was the best remedy that could have been found
against the pressing evils that threatened Christendom in the ninth
century.
[Sidenote: Conclusion.] The military triumph was a political disaster.
At a moment when the kingly power was shaken by the unhappy civil wars
of the descendants of Charles the Great, when almost every province was
disputed by two lords, it was absolutely fatal that the control of the
warlike strength of Europe should pass into the hands of a crowd of
petty magnates, each intent on his own aggrandisement, and caring nought
for the general welfare of the kingdom so long as his own county was
well guarded. The price at which Christendom bought its safety was
enormous: nevertheless no price was too high when the future of Europe
was at stake. Any ransom was worth paying, if thereby Rome was saved
from the Saracen, Mainz from the Magyar, Paris from the heathen of the
North.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPENDIX
TABLES OF SOVEREIGNS
(1) For VANDAL KINGS see table on page 12.
(2) For FRANKISH KINGS see tables on pages 166 and 260 and 413.
(3) For LOMBARD KINGS see table on page 183.
(4) EMPERORS AT CONSTANTINOPLE
Zeno, 474-91.
Anastasius I., 491-518.
Justin I., 518-27.
Justinian I., 527-65.
Justin II., 565-78.
Tiberius Constantinus, 578-82.
Maurice, 582-602.
Phocas, 602-10.
Heraclius, 610-41.
Heraclius Constantinus, 641.
Heracleonas, 641-42.
Constantinus (Constans II.), 641-68.
Constantine IV. or V., Pogonatus, 668-85.
Justinian II., 685-95.
Leontius, 695-98.
Tiberius Apsimarus, 698-705.
Justinian II. (restored), 705-11.
Philippicus, 711-13.
Artemius Anastasius, 713-15.
Theodosius III., 715-17.
Leo III., Isaurian, 717-41.
Constantine V. or VI., Copronymus, 741-75.
Leo IV. the Khazar, 775-80.
Constantine VI. or VII., 780-97.
Irene, 797-802.
Nicephorus I., 802-11.
Stauracius, 811-12.
Michael I., Rhangabe, 812-13.
Leo V., the Armenian, 813-20.
Michael II., the Amorian, 820-29.
Theophilus, 829-42.
Michael III., the Drunkard, 842-67.
Basil I., the Macedonian, 867-86.
Leo VI., the Wise, 886-912.
Constantine VII. or VIII., Porphyrogenitus, 912-59.
(5) OSTROGOTHIC KINGS IN ITALY
Theodoric, 493-526.
Athalaric, 526-34.
Theodahat, 534-36.
Witiges, 536-40.
Hildibad, 540-41.
Eraric, 541.
Baduila (Totila), 541-52.
Teia, 552-53.
(6) VISIGOTHIC KINGS IN SPAIN
Euric, 466-83.
Alaric II., 483-506.
Theodoric and Amalric, 506-22.
Amalric alone, 522-31.
Theudis, 531-48.
Theudigisel, 548-49.
Agila, 549-54.
Athanagild, 554-67.
Leova I., 567-72.
Leovigild, 570-86.
Reccared I., 586-601.
Leova II., 601-03.
Witterich, 603-10.
Gundimar, 610-12.
Sisibut, 612-20.
Reccared II., 620-21.
Swinthila, 620-31.
Sisinand, 631-36.
Chinthila, 636-40.
Tulga, 640-41.
Chindaswinth, 641-52.
Recceswinth, 652-72.
Wamba, 672-80.
missing: Erwig, 680-87.
Egica, 687-701.
Witiza, 701-10.
Roderic, 710-11.
(7) POPES
Simplicius, 468-83.
Felix III., 483-92.
Gelasius I., 492-96.
Anastasius II., 496-98.
Symmachus, 498-514.
Hormisdas, 514-23.
John I., 523-26.
Felix IV., 526-530.
Bonifacius II., 530-32.
John II., 532-35.
Agapetus I., 535-36.
Silverius, 536-37.
Vigilius, 537-55
Pelagius I., 555-60.
John III., 560-74.
Benedict I., 574-78.
Pelagius II., 578-90.
Gregory I., 590-604.
Sabinianus, 604-07.
Bonifacius III., 607.
Bonifacius IV., 607-15.
Deusdedit, 615-18.
Bonifacius V., 618-25.
Honorius I., 625-38.
Severinus, 638-40.
John IV., 640-42.
Theodorus I., 642-49.
Martin I., 649-54.
Eugenius I., 654-57.
Vitalian, 657-72.
Adeodatus, 672-76.
Donus I., 676-78.
Agatho, 678-82.
Leo II., 682-83.
Benedict II., 683-85.
John V., 685.
Conon, 685-87.
Sergius I., 687-701.
John VI., 701-05.
John VII., 705-08.
Sisinius, 708.
Constantine, 708-15.
Gregory II., 715-31.
Gregory III., 731-41.
Zacharias, 741-52.
Stephen II., 752-57.
Paul I., 757-68.
Stephen III., 768-772.
Hadrian I., 772-95.
Leo III., 795-816.
Stephen IV., 816-17.
Paschal I., 817-24.
Eugenius II., 824-27.
Valentinus, 827.
Gregory IV., 827-44.
Sergius II., 844-47.
Leo IV., 847-55.
Benedict III., 855-58.
Nicholas I., 858-67.
Hadrian II., 867-72.
John VIII., 872-82.
Martin II., 882-84.
Hadrian III., 884-85.
Stephen V., 885-91.
Formosus, 891-96.
Bonifacius V., 896.
Stephen VI., 896-97.
Romanus, 897.
Theodorus II., 897-98.
John IX., 898-900.
Benedict IV., 900-03.
Leo V., 903.
Christophorus, 903-04.
Sergius II., 904-11.
Anastasius III., 911-13.
Lando, 913-14.
John X., 914-28.
(8) CALIPHS.
Abu Bekr, 632-34.
Omar, 634-43.
Othman, 643-56.
Ali, 656-61.
OMMEYADS.
Muavia I., 661-79.
Yezid I., 679-83.
Muavia II., 683.
Merwan I., 683-84.
Abdelmelik, 684-705.
Welid I., 705-15.
Soliman, 715-17.
Omar II., 717-20.
Yezid II., 720-24.
Hisham, 724-43.
Welid II., 743-44.
Yezid III., 744.
Ibrahim, 744.
Merwan II., 744-50.
ABBASSIDES.
Abul Abbas, 750-54.
El Mansur, 754-75.
El Mehdy, 775-85.
El Hadi, 785-86.
Haroun-el-Raschid, 786-809.
El Amin, 809-13.
El-Mamun, 813-33.
El-Motassem, 833-41.
Wathek, 841-47.
El Motawakkel, 847-61.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
INDEX
Aachen, capital of Charles the Great, 340;
cathedral of, 381;
partition of, 389;
Lothair I. driven from, 409;
seized by Charles the Bald, 434;
sacked by the Danes, 439.
Abbasside caliphs, rise of the, 315.
Abdallah, Moorish chief, invades Italy, 458.
Abdallah-Abu-Sahr, conquers Africa, 238.
Abd-el-Melik, caliph, 249, 250.
Abderahman besieges Constantinople, 247.
—— viceroy of Spain, slain at Poictiers, 292, 294.
—— king of Cordova, 345, 364, 506-507.
Abotrites, Slavonic tribe, 360, 361, 427.
Abu Bekr, first caliph, 216.
Abu Obeida, Saracen chief, 217, 218.
Acroinon, battle of, 311.
Adalbert, stirs up civil wars, 473;
beheaded, 473.
Adalhard dismissed by Louis the Pious, 386;
recalled, 391.
Adaloald, king of the Lombards, 195.
Adelchis, son of Desiderius, 347, 348, 363.
Adelgis, duke of Benevento, imprisons Lewis II., 457.
Africa, kingdom of Vandals in, 8;
conquered by Belisarius, 76-79;
conquered by Saracens, 238, 251.
Agatho, pope, 278.
Agila, Visigothic king, 133.
Agilulf, Lombard king, 170, 193;
his conversion to Christianity, 193;
wars with the empire, 194.
Agobard of Lyons, conspires against Lewis the Pious, 394;
deposed, 399.
Aistulf, Lombard king, 327;
conquers Ravenna and Benevento, 327;
threatens Rome, and is subdued by Pippin, 329;
besieges Rome, 330;
defeated by Pippin and dies, 331.
Alahis, duke of Trent, rebels against Berthari and Cunibert, 275.
Alamanni, ask protection of Theodoric, 25;
subdued by Chlodovech, 60;
by Charles Martel, 290;
by Pippin the Short, 323.
Alaric II. king of Visigoths, slain by Chlodovech, 26, 63.
Alboin, Lombard king, 183;
invades Italy, 184;
murder of, 186.
Alcuin, at court of Charles the Great, 341, 379, 380.
Alexandria taken by Saracens, 220, 237.
Alfonso I., his conquests from the Moors, 507.
—— II., wars of, with the Moors, 508.
—— III., wars of, 509.
Ali, son-in-law of Mohammed, 240.
Amalafrida, sister of Theodoric, wife of Thrasamund, 28;
murdered, 75.
Amalaswintha, daughter of Theodoric, 29;
her regency for Athalaric, 74-79;
Theodahat her colleague, 80;
murdered, 80.
Amalric, Visigothic king, 26, 63;
slain by the Franks, 115.
Amblève, battle of, 266.
Amorium, siege of, 255;
destroyed by Saracens, 487.
Amrou, Saracen leader, 220, 237.
Anastasius I., emperor, 46;
character of, 47;
quells rebellion of Isaurians, 48;
war with Persia, 48;
his heterodoxy, 51;
troubles with Blue and Green factions and with Vitalian, 51;
death, 52.
—— II., dethrones Leontius, 254;
his orthodoxy, 279;
rebels against Leo the Isaurian, 310.
Anatolic theme, 242.
Anbasa-ibn-Johim invades Gaul, 292.
Anchialus, battle of, 316.
Andalusia, conquests of East-Romans in, A.D. 106, 133-134.
Andernach, battle of, 434.
Andreas murders Constantinus-Constans, 246.
Ansegisel, son of St. Arnulf, 178.
Ansprand, regent for king Luitprand, 279, 280;
king of the Lombards, 280.
Antioch taken by Persians, 92, 155;
by Saracens, 219.
Antonina, wife of Belisarius, 70, 94, 95.
Aquitaine conquered by Chlodovech, 62;
invaded by Saracens, 271, 292;
rebellions of, against the Franks, 292, 296, 323, 332, 337, 422.
Arabia before Mohammed, 213.
Ariadne, empress, 37, 46, 47.
Arianism in Africa, 8, 10, 11;
in Spain, 62, 130, 141;
suppressed by Reccared, 142.
Aribert, Lombard king, 272, 273.
—— II., 279, 280.
Arichis of Benevento rebels against Charles the Great, 348.
Arioald, Lombard king, 196.
Arles besieged by Franks, 26, 63;
gained and lost by Saracens, 296;
kingdom of, 437.
Armenia conquered by Saracens, 250.
Arnulf, St., bishop of Metz, 178.
—— duke of Carinthia, rebels against Charles the Fat, 443;
invades Italy, 464;
reign of, 468-471;
defeats the Danes, 469.
Artavasdus, rebellion of, 313.
Artemius Anastasius. _See_ Anastasius II.
Ased-ibn-Forat, Saracen leader, 448.
Asturias, kingdom of, 506-510.
Athalaric, king of Ostrogoths, 74, 79.
Athaloc, bishop, rebellion of, 142.
Athanagild, Visigothic king, 133, 134.
Audoin, Lombard king, 182.
Augustine, St., his mission to Kent, 202.
Austrasia, origin of name, 162.
Authari, Lombard king, 170, 192;
his wars with the Franks, 192, 193.
Auximum taken by Belisarius, 86.
Avars, the, on the Danube, 146, 183;
their wars with the empire, 149, 151, 153;
invade Italy, 195;
threaten Constantinople, 207;
besiege it, 210, 211;
subdued by Charles the Great, 361, 362.
Baduila (Totila), king of the Goths, 97;
conquers North Italy, 99;
takes Rome, 100;
conquers Sardinia and Sicily, 102;
defeated by Narses and slain, 104.
Balearic islands won by the Franks, 364.
Barcelona taken by the Franks, 365;
county of, 508.
Bardas Caesar, regent for Michael III., 490;
murdered by his nephew, 491.
Bari, Moorish kingdom of, 452;
retaken by Lewis II., 457.
Basil I., the Macedonian, favourite of Michael III., 491;
murders his benefactor, 492;
his reign, 493;
his internal administration and wars, 492;
aids Lewis II. against Moors, 457.
Basiliscus rebels against Zeno, 38.
Basques, resist the Goths, 223, 224, 229;
slay Roland the Frank, 353.
Bathildis, mother of Clothar III., 257.
Bavarians, origin of the, 118;
rebel against the Franks, 261;
subdued by Charles Martel, 290;
conversion of, 297;
annexed by Charles the Great, 356.
Begga, daughter of Pippin the Elder, 178.
Belisarius, early history of, 70;
governor of Daras, 69;
defeats Persians, 69;
leads troops against ‘Nika’ rebellion, 73;
conquers Vandals, 76-78;
his triumph and consulship, 79;
conquers Ostrogoths, 81-88;
refuses Gothic crown, 87;
recalled by Justinian, 88;
second Persian war, 93;
disgraced, 95;
commands again in Italy, 99-101;
defeats the Huns, 108;
disgraced and restored, 108.
Benedict III., reconciles the sons of Lothair, 425;
his quarrel with Photius, 453.
Benevento, origin of duchy of, 187;
invaded by Charles the Great, 349;
by Moors, 450;
by Byzantines, 460.
Berengar of Friuli, king of Italy, 445;
his wars with Wido, 463;
deposed, 463;
regains his kingdom, 465;
defeats Lewis of Arles, 466;
defeats the Moors, 466;
murdered, 467.
Bernard, king of Italy, 377;
rebels, 389;
death, 390.
Bernard of Septimania, minister of Lewis the Pious, 386.
Bertha, marries Ethelbert of Kent, 161.
—— wife of Pippin the Short, 329;
reconciles her sons, 336.
Berthari, Lombard king, 273;
deposed and restored, 273, 274;
his reign, 275.
Bessas, governor of Rome, 99, 100.
Biorn, jarl, ravages Neustria, 425.
Blue and Green factions, 50;
in the ‘Nika’ sedition, 71-73;
armed by Maurice, 154;
by Phocas, 157.
Bodolin slays Childerich I., 258.
Boethius, his imprisonment and death, 30.
Bohemia conquered by Charles the Great, 361;
revolts, 434.
Boniface, St. (Winifrith), missionary to Germany, 291;
archbishop of Transrhenane Germany, 297;
reforms the Church, 324;
anoints Pippin, 326;
martyrdom of, 329.
Bonus, patrician, defends Constantinople, 210.
Bordeaux taken by Danes, 421.
Boso, king of Arles, 437.
Bretons, independence of, 5, 59;
rebellions of, 359, 366, 421, 432, 502.
_Breviarium Alarici_, Gothic law book, 132.
Brunhildis marries Sigibert I., 133;
stirs up wars, 163;
imprisoned by Chilperich, 164;
marries Merovech, 165;
her regency, 165-168;
her second regency, 172;
third regency, 174;
murdered, 174;
character, 175.
Buccelin, defeated by Narses, 106, 119.
Buccellarii, 131, 242.
Bulgarians, ravage Moesia, 49;
settle there, 248;
defeated by Justinian II., 249;
wars of with Constantine Copronymus, 316;
with Constantine VI., 319;
with Nicephorus I., 480;
defeated by Leo V., 482.
Burgundy, kingdom of, 5;
attacked by Franks, 26;
subdued by Franks, 115.
—— Lower, kingdom of, founded by Boso, 437.
—— Upper (or Transjurane), kingdom of, founded by Rudolf, 445.
Cardam, king of Bulgaria, 319
Carloman, son of Charles Martel Mayor of Austrasia, 298;
his campaigns, 323;
abdicates, 324;
opposes war with Lombards, 328.
—— son of Pippin the Short, crowned at Soissons, 355;
quarrels with Charles, 337;
death, 338.
—— king of Bavaria, 427;
rebels against Lewis the German, 427;
invades Italy, 433, 461;
illness and death, 437-438.
—— son of Charles the Bald, conspires against his father, 429.
—— king of France, 426;
buys peace from the Danes, 441;
killed hunting, 441.
Carthage, taken by Belisarius, 78;
by Saracens, 232, 251.
Casilinum, battle of, 106, 119.
Castille, county of, 509.
Charibert I., king of Paris, 160.
—— II. king of Aquitaine, 178.
Charles Martel, 264;
leader of Austrasians, 265;
defeats Neustrians, 266, 267;
his rule as mayor, 267-269;
wars with Saxons and Frisians, 289-290;
subdues Aquitaine, 292;
defeats Saracens at Poictiers, 293-294;
conquers Provence and Septimania, 296.
—— the Great, crowned at Noyon, 335;
subdues Aquitaine, 337;
character of, 338-343;
conquers Lombards, 347-348;
expeditions against Saxons, 346-351, 353-355, 366;
invades Spain, 352;
conquers the Slavs, 362;
the Avars, 362-363;
wars with East-Romans, 363;
with Saracens, 365;
with Danes, 368;
his introduction of the theory of the empire, 369;
coronation as emperor, 373;
administration, 375-379;
encouragement of art and learning, 379;
death, 382.
—— son of Charles the Great, king of Neustria, 359;
conquers Bohemia, 361;
dies, 377.
—— the Bald, king of Suabia, 400;
imprisoned by his brothers, 397;
king of Neustria, 402;
wars with Lothair, 407;
subdues Aquitaine, 421;
vexed by Vikings, 419-422;
attacked by Lewis the German, 422, 426;
issues edict of Pistres, 429;
buys peace from the Danes, 420-434;
invades Provence, 428;
invades Austrasia, 432-434;
emperor, 433; death, 435.
Charles, king of Provence, 426;
death, 430.
—— king of Aquitaine, 429.
—— the Fat, king of Suabia, 427;
invades Italy, 433;
emperor, 438;
buys peace from the Danes, 440;
fails to relieve Paris, 442;
dethroned 443;
death, 443.
—— the Simple, 441;
rebels against Odo, king of France, 499;
cedes Normandy to Hrolf, 501;
civil wars of, 504-505;
murdered, 505.
Childebert I., king of Paris, 111;
conquers Burgundy, 114;
wars with Visigoths, 115;
death, 121.
—— II., king of Austrasia, 164;
wars with Lombards, 170-192;
with Neustrians, 171;
death, 171.
—— III., king of the Franks, 264.
—— son of Grimoald, usurper, 256.
Childerich I., king of Austrasia, 257-259.
—— II., last king of the Franks, 268, 323;
dethroned, 325.
Chilperich I., king of Soissons, 160;
murders his wife, 161;
wars with Sigibert, 163;
atrocities of, 168;
death, 169.
—— II., king of Neustria, 266;
invades Austrasia, 266;
defeated by Charles Martel, 266-267;
death, 268.
Chindaswinth, king of Visigoths, 225;
his strong administration, 226.
Chinthila, king of Visigoths, 225.
Chlodomer, king of Orleans, 111;
slain by Burgundians, 114.
Chlodovald (St. Cloud), 114.
Chlodovech I. (Chlodwig), king of the Franks, 25, 26, 58;
conquers Northern Gaul, 59;
marries Chrotehildis, 59;
subdues Alamanni, 60;
his conversion, 61;
wars with Burgundians, 62;
conquers Aquitaine, 63;
king of all the Franks, 64.
—— II., king of Neustria, 179, 256, 257, 264.
Chlothar I., king of Soissons, 111, 112;
murders his nephews, 114;
conquers Burgundy, 115;
wars with Visigoths, 119;
defeated by Saxons, 120;
sole king of the Franks, 121;
death, 122.
Chlothar II., king of Neustria, 169;
wars with Austrasians, 174;
murders Brunhildis, 174;
decline in power of, 178.
Chlothar III., king of Neustria, 257, 258.
—— IV., king of Austrasia, 267.
Chosroes I., king of Persia, 69;
makes peace with Justinian, 69;
receives embassy from Witiges, 86;
war with Justinian, 92-96;
with Justin II., 147.
—— II., placed on throne by Maurice, 151;
war with Phocas, 155;
with Heraclius, 205-211;
death, 212.
Chramn, son of Chlothar I., 120;
burnt alive, 121.
Christophorus, rebellion of, 317.
Chrotehildis (Clotilde) wife of Chlodovech, 59, 60.
Clair-sur-Epte, treaty of, 502.
Claudius, general of Reccared, 142.
Clement, bishop, opposes Boniface, 324.
Clepho, king of the Lombards, 186.
Code of Justinian, 109;
abridged by Leo the Isaurian, 307;
by Basil I. 492.
Colchis won by Justinian, 108.
Conrad of Franconia, king of Germany, 475;
his troubled reign, 476;
defeated by Saxons, 476;
death, 477.
Constans II. _See_ Constantinus.
Constantine IV.. or V.., Pogonatus, emperor, 246;
saves Constantinople from Saracens, 247;
war with Bulgarians, 248.
—— V. or VI., Copronymus, 312;
his iconoclastic zeal, 314-315;
wars with Saracens, 315;
with Bulgarians, 316;
death, 317.
—— VI. or VII., 318;
his minority, 318;
seizes power, 319;
dethroned by Irene, 320.
—— VII. or VIII. Porphyrogenitus, 494.
Constantinople, position and importance of, 35;
siege of by Avars and Persians, 210, 211;
first siege by Saracens, 247;
Council of, 248, 278;
second siege by Saracens, 301-303;
Council of, 314;
Synod of, anathematises the pope, 454.
Constantinus (Constans II.), emperor, 237;
wars with Saracens, 238-239;
with Slavs, 240; his ‘Type,’ 241;
attacks Lombards, 244, 274;
quarrel with Pope Hadrian, 276;
African war, 245;
murdered, 246.
Coronate, battle of, 275.
Cosmas, rebels against Leo III., 311.
Crete conquered by Saracens, 484.
Crumn, Bulgarian king, his victories, 480-482.
Ctesiphon taken by Saracens, 219.
Cunibert, king of Lombards, 275;
crushes rebellion of Alahis, 275.
Cunimund, king of Gepidae, 183.
Cyprus, invaded by Saracens, 237;
recovered by Basil I., 493.
Cyzicus, held by Saracens, 247.
Dagobert I., 178;
his wars, 179;
aids Sisinand, 223.
—— II., sent to Ireland, 259;
restored and crowned, 259;
slain, 259.
—— III., 264.
Damascus, taken by Persians, 205;
by the Saracens, 217.
Danelagh, the, 431.
Danes. _See_ Vikings.
Dannewerk, the, 367.
Daras built by Anastasius, 49;
battle of, 69;
besieged by Chosroes, 93;
taken by Persians, 147.
Dastagerd, sacked by Heraclius, 211.
Decretals, the False, 454-456.
Desiderata, wife of Charles the Great, 338.
Desiderius, Lombard king, 331;
allied to Charles the Great, 338;
quarrels with the Papacy, 346;
dethroned by Charles, 348.
Digest of Justinian, 103.
Dizabul, khan of the Turks, 147.
Droisy, battle of, 171.
_Ducatus Romanus_, the, 189, 191, 287.
Eastphalians, the, resist Charles the Great, 349, 351, 354, 356.
Ebbo, archbishop of Rheims, 386;
conspires against Lewis the Pious, 394;
banished, 399.
Eberhard, feuds of, 473.
Ebermund, surrenders to Belisarius, 82.
Ebroin, Mayor in Neustria, 257;
imprisoned, 258;
tyranny of, 259;
murdered, 260.
_Ecloga_ of Leo the Isaurian, 304.
Edessa taken by Persians, 95.
_Edictum Rotharis_, Lombard code, 197.
Egica, Visigothic king, 231, 232.
Egypt, conquered by Persians, 206;
by Saracens, 220;
revolts from Caliphs, 234.
Einhard, chronicler, 268, 339.
El-Mamun, caliph, wars of, with empire, 486;
takes Tyana, 487.
El-Motassem, caliph, wars of, with empire, 487;
takes Amorium, 487.
El-Samah, Saracen leader, 271.
Elsloo, treaty of, 440.
Empire, the Holy Roman, theory of, 376.
Engeltrud, empress, 354, 366;
defends Rome, 464.
England, Vikings in, 418, 431.
Engrians, the, 349, 351.
Erchinoald, Mayor in Neustria, 180.
Eraric, Ostrogothic king, 97.
Erwig, Visigothic king, 231, 232.
Eudo, duke of Aquitaine, defeated by Charles Martel, 267;
his wars with Saracens, 271, 292-293.
Eudocia, daughter of Valentinian III., married to Hunneric, 10.
Euphemius, rebellion of, 448.
Euric, king of Visigoths, 5, 58.
Eutharic marries Amalaswintha, 29.
Eutychius, exarch, loses and recovers Ravenna, 282-283;
besieges Rome, 283.
Exarchate of Ravenna, 190;
conquered by Lombards, 282, 327;
given to Papacy by Pippin, 331.
Exhilaratus, duke of Naples, 281.
Faenza, battle of, 97.
False Decretals, the, 454-456.
Faroald, duke of Spoleto, 187;
destroys Classis, 193.
Feudalism, merits and defects of, 413-415.
Fiefs, the great, in France, 497.
Fiesole besieged by Belisarius, 86.
Fontenay, battle of, 408.
Forimpopoli, stormed by Grimoald, 274.
Formosus, pope, crowns Arnulf emperor, 464.
Franks in Gaul, 5;
converted to Christianity, 61;
constitution of the, 122.
_See_ under names of kings.
Fraxinet, Moorish colony at, 462.
Fredegundis marries Chilperich, 161;
murders Sigibert, 164;
evil deeds of, 168;
her wars against Austrasia 171;
death, 172.
Fridian, St., 263.
Frisians, ravages of the, 261;
subdued by Pippin II., 262;
by Charles Martel, 267-270;
converted to Christianity, 200, 330.
Fulda Abbey, founded, 324.
Gainas, the Goth, 34.
Gaiseric (Genseric), Vandal king, conquers Africa, 7;
his rule, 8;
his victories, 9.
Gall, St., 263.
Galswintha married to Chilperich, 134;
murdered, 162.
Geilamir dethrones Hilderic, 75;
defeated by Belisarius, 77, 78;
surrenders, 79.
Genoa sacked by Franks, 117.
George of Pisidia, poems of, 307.
Gepidae defeated by Theodoric, 16;
exterminated by Avars and Lombards, 146-183.
Gerberga, wife of Carloman, 339, 345.
Germanus, patriarch, deposed by Leo III., 311.
—— nephew of Justinian, 102.
Gesalic, rebels against Amalric, 26, 63.
Givald’s Dyke, siege of, 421.
Godebert, king of Lombards, 273.
Godfred, Danish king, 367;
invades Frisia, 416.
—— Viking leader, ravages Neustria, 422;
ravages Austrasia, 439;
makes peace with Charles the Fat, 440;
murdered, 442.
Godfrid, duke of Suabia, 262.
Gondomar, king of Burgundy, 114, 115.
Gozelin, bishop, defends Paris, 440.
Gregory I., pope, 198;
character, 200; policy and activity of, 201-202;
treaty with Agilulf, 195, 202;
regard for Phocas, 157;
for Brunhildis, 202.
—— II., pope, refuses to acknowledge Philippicus, 279;
quarrels with Leo the Isaurian, his letters to Leo, 282;
holds synod against Iconoclasm, 284;
consecrates Boniface, 291.
—— III., pope, his disputes with Leo the Isaurian, 284;
with Luitprand, 285;
asks aid of the Franks, 286.
Gregory IV., pope, aids rebellion against Lewis the Pious, 396-397.
—— exarch of Africa, rebels, 238.
Grifo, son of Charles Martel, 298;
rebels, 322;
claims Bavaria, 325.
Grimoald, Mayor in Austrasia, 179;
his usurpation and death, 256-257.
—— duke of Benevento, murders king Godebert, 273;
his wars with East-Romans, 244, 273-274;
his government, 274.
—— son of Pippin II., 262-264.
—— II., duke of Benevento, resists Charles the Great, 349.
Guadalete, battle of, 234.
Gundimar, Visigothic king, 222.
Gundobad, king of Burgundy, 5, 25, 26;
his war with Chlodovech, 62.
Gundovald, rebellion of, 170, 379.
Gunthamund, Vandal king, 11.
Guntram, king of Burgundy, aids Childebert II., 168;
his wars with Visigoths, 140, 142, 170;
with Lombards, 191, 192.
Hadrian I., pope, invited to Council of Nicaea, 318;
quarrels with Lombards, 345.
Hadrian II., pope, humbles Lothair II., 428;
his friendship with Lewis II., 453, 458.
Harald, king of the Danes, 393.
Haroun-al-Raschid, caliph, invades Asia Minor, 319-320;
sends embassy to Charles the Great, 359;
his war with Nicephorus I., 479-480.
Hatto, bishop of Mainz, minister of Lewis the Child, 473-476.
Helisachar, chancellor of Lewis the Pious, 385.
Helmichis conspires against Alboin, 85.
Hemming, Danish king, 368.
_Henoticon_, of Zeno, 46.
Henry, count, slays Godfred, 442;
slain in battle, 442.
—— duke of Saxony, rebellion of, 476;
made king, 477.
Heracleonas, emperor, 234;
deposed, 235.
Heraclius leads fleet against Phocas, 156;
emperor, 203;
disasters of, 204;
victories over Persians, 208;
211; defeated by Saracens, 217;
death, 220.
Heraclius Constantinus, commands against Saracens, 220;
his short reign, 235.
—— exarch of Africa, defeats Persians, 150;
rebels against Phocas, 156.
Heribert, count of Vermandois, 503-505;
rebels against Charles the Simple.
Hermanfrid, Thuringian king, 114.
Hermenegild rebels against his father, 138;
death, 140.
Hermengarde, wife of Lewis the Pious, 386;
death, 390.
—— daughter of Lewis II., 459;
marries Boso, king of Aries, 437.
Hessi, Eastphalian duke, 351.
Hijrah, the, 214.
Hildebrand, Lombard king, 327.
Hildegarde, queen of Charles the Great, 338.
Hilderic, Vandal king, 28;
dethroned by Geilamir, 75;
murdered, 77.
—— count, rebels against Wamba, 229.
Hildibad, Gothic king, wins battle of Treviso, 96;
dies, 97.
Hildwin, chancellor of Lewis the Pious, 386;
conspires against him, 394.
Hincmar, archbishop of Rheims, 456.
Hisham, caliph, invades Anatolic themes, 311.
—— king of Cordova, 365.
Hormisdas, Persian king, 149;
deposed, 151.
Hrolf, becomes duke of Normandy, 501;
aids Charles the Simple, 511.
Hruotland (Roland), death of, 353.
Hukbert, duke of Bavaria, 290.
Hunold, duke of Aquitaine, 296;
rebels against Pippin and Carloman, 323;
against Charles the Great, 337.
Hunneric, king of the Vandals, 10, 11.
Hungarians. _See_ Magyars.
Huns, Cotrigur, threaten Constantinople, 108.
Hunwulf, brother of Odoacer, 14.
Hygelac, Danish king, 113, 415.
Hypatius, nephew of Anastasius, 51, 52;
proclaimed emperor in the ‘Nika’ sedition, 71-73.
Iconoclasm, origin of, 308-309;
edict of Leo the Isaurian, 281;
troubles resulting from, 310-312;
condemned by Council of Rome, 284;
affirmed by Council of Constantinople, 314;
condemned by Council of Nicaea, 318;
restored by Leo V., 483;
put down by Theodora, 489.
Iconoduly, extravagancies of, 308;
restored by Irene, 318;
by Theodora, 489.
Illus, minister of Zeno, 38, 43;
his rebellion, 44.
Image-worship. _See_ Iconoclasm.
Ingo murders Oskytel, 498.
Ingunthis, wife of Hermenegild, 137.
Institutes of Justinian, 110.
Ireland, Vikings in, 417-418.
Irene, empress, regency of, 318;
conspires against her son, 319;
blinds him, 319;
dethroned by Nicephorus, 320.
Irminsul, Saxon sanctuary, cast down by Charles the Great, 346.
Isaurians favoured by Leo I., 36;
and Zeno, 38;
rebel under Longinus, 48.
Islam, religion of, 312-315.
Isperich, Bulgarian king, 248.
Italy, Goths in, 19-24;
reconquered by Justinian, 80-104;
Lombard, invasion of, 181;
its divisions, 187-189;
Moors in, 450-466.
_See_ under Lombards and Papacy, 272-288.
Jebel-Tarik (Gibraltar), 234.
Jerusalem taken by Persians, 205;
by Saracens, 219.
Jesse of Amiens conspires against Lewis the Pious, 394;
death, 399.
Jews persecuted by Phocas, 156;
persecuted by Visigoths, 143, 223, 232.
John I., pope, sent by Theodoric to Constantinople, 31.
—— VI., pope, his secular activity, 278;
receives estates from Aribert II., 280.
—— VIII., crowns Charles the Bald, 433;
crowns Charles the Fat, 438, 462.
—— the Patrician, defends Syracuse, 460.
—— of Cappadocia, minister of Justinian, 71;
disgraced, 90.
—— the Bloody, officer of Belisarius, 85.
Judith, wife of Lewis the Pious, 391;
twice forced into a convent, 395-397.
Julian, bishop of Toledo, 228, 231.
Julius Nepos, his kingdom, 6;
murdered, 13.
Justin I., emperor, 53;
persecutes the Arians, 30;
death, 54.
—— II., emperor, 145;
Avaric wars of, 146;
Persian wars of, 147;
his lunacy, 148.
Justinian I., nephew and colleague of Justin, 53;
emperor, 65;
character of, 65;
marries Theodora, 65;
foreign policy of 68;
first Persian war, 69;
‘Nika’ sedition, 71;
subdues the Vandals, 76-79;
Gothic wars of, 81-88;
his buildings, 89-90;
financial oppression, 90;
second Persian war, 93;
theological views of, 107;
legal work of, 109-110.
—— II., emperor, 249;
wars of, 249-250;
dispute with pope Sergius, 278;
dethroned and banished, 251;
escapes, 252;
regains throne, 253;
his tyranny and death, 253.
Karlings, table of the, 413.
Kassim-ibn-Yussuf summons Charles the Great to Spain, 352.
Khaled, Saracen chief, 217, 218.
Khazars invade Persia, 211;
receive Justinian II., 252.
Killian, missionary to Thuringia, 263.
Kobad, king of Persia, wars of with Anastasius, 48;
with Justinian, 68.
Koran, the, 215.
Lafaux, battle of, 172, 260.
Lambert of Spoleto, king of Italy, 464;
war with Arnulf, 461-465;
death, 465.
Lantfrid, duke of Suabia, 290.
Lauresheim, chronicle of, 373.
Leander, bishop of Seville, 138.
Leo I., emperor, 36.
—— III., the Isaurian, emperor, 255;
defends Constantinople, 301, 303;
his edict against images, 281, 310;
quarrels with Gregory II. and III., 282, 284;
victories over Saracens, 311.
—— IV., the Khazar, his reign and wars, 317.
—— V., the Armenian, his usurpation, 482;
his Bulgarian war, 482;
represses image-worship, 483;
murdered, 484.
Leo VI., the Wise, character and reign of, 494;
his literary works, 494.
—— III., pope, delivered by Charles the Great, 372;
crowns Charles emperor, 373;
death, 387.
—— IV., pope, his victory over the Saracens, 451.
Leodegar (St. Leger), his rebellion, 258;
rules Neustria, 259;
murdered by Ebroin, 259.
Leon, the kingdom of, 509.
Leontius, emperor, 251, 253.
Leova I., Visigothic king, 134.
—— II., Visigothic king, 143, 221.
Leovigild, Visigothic king, 132, 135;
his wars, 136-139;
death, 140.
Lewis the Pious (or Débonnair) son of Charles the Great, king of
Aquitaine, 359;
conquers Barcelona, 364;
emperor, 383;
legislation of, 385-387;
peril, 388;
makes Partition of Aachen, 389;
second marriage of, 391;
twice deposed by rebellious sons, 393, 399;
his last war, 401;
death, 403.
—— the German, king of Bavaria, 389;
rebels against his father, 396, 401;
war with Lothair I., 407-408;
with Charles the Bald, 422;
conquers and loses Neustria, 426;
rebellions of his sons, 427;
his influence in Germany, 433;
death, 434.
—— II., emperor, 423;
wars with his brother Lothair, 425;
his dealings with the Papacy, 451-452;
campaigns against the Moors, 457;
imprisoned at Benevento, 457;
further victories over the Moors, 458;
death, 459.
—— the Saxon, rebels against his father, 427;
defeats Charles the Bald, 434;
attacks Neustria, 436;
his wars with the Danes, 438;
death, 439.
—— II. (the Stammerer), king of France, short reign of, 436.
—— III., king of France, 430;
his wars with the Danes, 438;
victory of Saucourt, 439;
death, 439.
—— the Child, king of Germany, 472;
his reign, 472-474.
—— king of Arles, 445;
invades Italy, 466;
blinded by Berengar, 466.
Liberius invades Spain, 133.
Lithosoria, battle of, 316.
Liutprand, Lombard king, 281;
conquers the Exarchate, 282;
arbitrates between pope and exarch, 284;
aids Charles Martel against Saracens, 285;
quarrels with Gregory III., 285;
death, 287.
Logothetes, oppression by the, 90, 96.
Lombards, origin of the, 182;
table of Lombard kings, 183;
converted to Christianity, 193;
dealings of, with the Papacy,;
conquered by Charles the Great, 344-348.
Lothair I., son of Lewis the Pious, 389;
his rebellions against his father, 394-396;
reconciled with Lewis, 402;
emperor, 406;
wars with his brother, 407;
defeated at Fontenay, 408;
troubles with the Vikings, 419;
allied with Charles the Bald, 421;
abdicates, 422.
—— II., quarrels with his brothers, 425;
wars with the Vikings, 428;
allied to Charles the Bald, 425;
matrimonial troubles of, 428;
death, 431.
Lotharingia, name of, 428.
Louvain, battle of, 469.
Lügenfeld, the, 397.
Luitbert, Lombard king, 279-280.
Luitpold, duke of Bavaria, slain by Magyars, 474.
Lüneberg Heath, battle of, 438.
Lupus, Gascon duke, 337.
Lycandus, theme of, 494.
Magyars, appearance of the, 471;
ravage Italy, 465;
their attacks on Germany, 471;
slay Luitpold of Bavaria, 474;
further ravages of, 476.
Mallus, Frankish court, 175, 378.
Mantua, taken by Lombards, 194.
Manuel, takes Alexandria, 237.
March of Spain won by Charles the Great, 365;
development of, 508.
Marchfield, assembly of Franks, 269.
Martin I., pope, disputes with Constans II., 244, 376;
banished, 277.
Martina, wife of Heraclius, 218;
her intrigues, 235;
banished, 236.
Maurice, victories of, 149;
emperor, 150;
Persian war, 150-151;
Avaric war, 151-152;
Slavonic war, 153;
dethroned and murdered, 154.
Mayors of the Palace, their office, 123;
rising power of, 176;
table of, 260;
supersede kings, 259.
Mehdy, caliph, invades empire, 317.
Merovech marries Brunhildis, 165;
murdered by Fredegundis, 166.
Merovings, their government, 121-127;
table of the, 166;
end of the dynasty, 326.
Mersen, partition-treaty of, 432.
Mesopotamia attacked by Persians, 92;
conquered by Persians, 155;
by Saracens, 220;
ravaged by East-Romans, 493.
Mezecius, usurper in Sicily, 246.
Michael I., Rhangabe, emperor, 364, 481;
restores image-worship, 481;
deposed, 482.
—— II., the Amorian, conspires against Leo V., emperor, 484;
civil wars of, 484;
loss of Crete and Sicily, 485;
ecclesiastical policy of, 485.
—— III., the Drunkard, long minority of, 489;
depravity of, 490;
wars of, 491;
murdered by Basil the Macedonian, 492.
_Missi Dominici_, travelling commissioners of Charles the Great, 378.
Missionaries in Germany, 263, 291-330.
Mofareg-ibn-Salem, Moorish king in Italy, 452;
conquered by Lewis II., 457.
Mohammed, his character, 213;
career of, 214-215.
Mohammedanism, its good and evil points, 214-215.
Monophysite heresy, the, 38, 45, 50.
Monothelite heresy, 241, 276;
condemned by Council of Constantinople, 248, 278.
Monza, Basilica of, 193;
relics in, 226.
Moors rebel against Hunneric, II.;
against Hilderic, 75;
conquered by Saracens, 233;
invade Spain, 234;
their rule in Spain, 234, 506-510;
invade Italy, 450;
defeated by Lewis II., 457-458;
expelled by Berengar, 466.
Moslemah besieges Constantinople, 255, 301.
Moslems. _See_ Saracens.
Muavia, governor of Syria, 239;
caliph, 245;
his wars with Constans, 245.
Mummolus, general of Guntram, defeats the Lombards, 163, 187;
rebellion of, 170.
Musa, governor of Africa, 234.
Nanthildis, queen regent, 180.
Naples besieged by Belisarius, 82;
by Baduila, 98;
dealings of, with Moors, 461.
Narbonne held by Saracens, 271;
taken by Pippin the Short, 331.
Narses reinforces Belisarius, 86;
conquers the Goths, 102, 105;
legend of his message to Lombards, 184.
Navarre, kingdom of, 509.
Neustria, origin of name of, 187.
_See_ under names of kings.
Nicaea, Council of, confirms image-worship, 318.
Nicephorus I., emperor, 320;
war with Charles the Great, 363;
his Saracen and Bulgarian wars, 479-480;
his ecclesiastical policy, 479;
slain in battle, 480.
—— Caesar, rebellions of, 317, 318.
—— Phocas, conquers South Italy, 460.
Nicetas of Tarsus defends Syracuse, 460.
—— Oriphas, admiral, defeats the Moors, 457.
Nicolas I., pope, his quarrel with king Lothair, 428;
his quarrel with the patriarch Photius, 453;
uses the False Decretals, 454.
Nineveh, battle of, 211.
Nordalbingians, wars of, with Charles the Great, 349, 360, 366.
Noricum, evacuated by Odoacer, 14.
Norsemen. _See_ Vikings.
Odo, defends Paris, 440;
proclaimed king of France, 444;
Viking wars of, 495-496;
civil wars with Charles the Simple, 498;
death, 499.
Odoacer, Flavius, patrician, in Italy, 1;
his position, 4;
wars of, 13, 14;
defeated by Theodoric, 15;
slain, 18.
Omar, caliph, takes Jerusalem, 219;
conquests of, 237;
murdered, 239.
Ommeyad dynasty, rise of, 245;
fall of, 315.
Oscar, Danish jarl, 420, 421.
Oskytel, Viking chief, 498.
Ostrogoths, wars of, with Zeno, 40;
conquer Italy, 19;
settled in Italy, 22;
wars of, with Justinian, 80-105.
Othman, caliph, 238-239.
Othman-abu-Neza, Moorish chief, 292-293.
Otranto besieged by Baduila, 99.
Paderborn, diet of, 352.
Padua taken by Agilulf, 194.
Palermo taken by Belisarius, 81;
by the Moors, 449.
Pandects of Justinian, 109.
Pantheon plundered by Constans, 277.
Papacy, power of the, 198-199;
growth of importance of, 276;
its struggles with the emperors, 276-279;
relations of, with Charles the Great, 374.
Paris sacked by Danes, 420;
again, 425;
fortified by Charles the Bald, 430;
repels the Danes, 442;
fourth siege of, 498.
Paul the Deacon, 185, 244, 379-380.
Paulus, Visigothic count, rebellion of, 229.
Pavia, Gothic stronghold, 96;
taken by Alboin, 185;
besieged by Pippin, 329, 331;
taken by Charles the Great, 347-348.
Pelagius, king of Asturias, resists the Moors, 507.
Peredeo slays Alboin, 185.
Persian war of Anastasius, 48-49;
of Justinian, 68-69, 92-96, 107;
of Justin and Tiberius, 147-148;
of Maurice, 150;
of Phocas, 153;
of Heraclius, 205-212;
of the Saracens, 219.
Peter of Pisa, 341, 379.
Philippicus, usurper, 253;
his quarrel with Gregory II., 279.
Phocas dethrones and murders Maurice, 153;
disastrous reign of, 154, 155;
slain, 157.
Phœnix, battle of, 159.
Photius, patriarch, his quarrel with the Papacy, 453, 492.
Pippin I., the elder, 174;
Mayor of the Palace, 179.
—— II., the Younger, leads the Austrasians against Ebroin, 260;
his victory at Testry, 260;
his government, 261, 263;
death, 264.
Pippin III., the Short, Mayor of Neustria, 298;
his wars, 323;
ecclesiastical reforms, 324, 330;
king of the Franks, 325;
crowned by the pope, 329;
Lombard wars, 328-330;
his gift of the Exarchate to the pope, 331;
conquers Narbonne and Aquitaine, 331-332;
death, 333.
—— son of Charles the Great, ruler of Lombardy, 359;
conquers the Avars, 362;
death, 377.
—— son of Lewis the Pious, king of Aquitaine, 389;
rebels against Lewis, 394-396;
death, 401.
—— the younger, of Aquitaine, disinherited by Lewis the Pious, 401-402;
fights at Fontenay, 407;
wars of, with Charles the Bald, 419-421;
turns heathen, 431;
imprisoned for life, 431.
Pistres, edict of, 429.
Plague, great, of A.D. 542, 94.
Plectrudis, wife of Pippin II., 265-267.
Poictiers, battle of, 271, 293-294.
Pretextatus, bishop, 165;
murdered by Fredegundis, 168.
Procopius, historian, _Secret History_ of, 67.
Protadius, Mayor of Burgundy, 171-173.
Provence, kingdom of. _See_ Arles, 437.
Radbod, duke of Frisia, 262.
Radelchis, duke of Benevento, calls in the Moors, 450.
Raginfred, mayor of Neustria, 265;
rebels against Charles Martel, 290.
Ramnulf, count of Poictiers, usurpation of, 498, 501.
Ratchis, Lombard king, 327;
abdicates, 327;
rebels against Desiderius, 331.
Ravenna taken by Theodoric, 17;
by Belisarius, 87;
exarchate of, 188, 190, 198;
taken and lost by Luitprand, 282-283;
taken by Aistulf, 327;
given to the Papacy by Pippin, 331.
Reccared I., Visigothic king, 140;
converted to Catholicism, 142;
reign of, 143.
—— II., Visigothic king, 223.
Recceswinth, Visigothic king, 226-267.
Reginald, count of Hainault, rebels against Zwentibold, 470;
leagued with Charles the Simple, 474.
Reginbert, duke of Turin, rebels against Luitbert, 279.
Rhazates, Persian general, 211.
Rhodes captured by Saracens, 239.
Rimini taken by Belisarius, 85;
by Luitprand, 282.
Ripuarian Franks, 56;
subdued by Chlodovech, 59.
Robert the Strong, slain by Vikings, 496.
—— duke of France, submits to Charles the Simple, 499;
fights the Vikings, 501;
usurpation of, 503;
slain in battle, 504.
Roderic, Visigothic king, 231-233.
Rodoald, Lombard king, 198.
Roland (Hruotland), Chanson de, 353.
Rome taken by Belisarius, 82;
besieged by Witiges, 83-84;
taken by Baduila, 99;
recovered by Belisarius, 101;
retaken by Baduila, 102;
taken by Narses, 104;
ruled by Gregory the Great, 201-202;
visited by Constans, 245;
its importance in the 7th century, 276;
Council of, 284;
besieged by Lombards, 346;
threatened by Saracens, 451;
stormed by Arnulf, 464.
Romuald, duke of Benevento, 244, 273;
victories of, 274.
Romulus Augustulus, deposed, 1.
Roncesvalles, battle of, 353.
Rorik, Danish chief, 419.
Rosamund, wife of Alboin, 183;
murders him, 185.
Rothari, Lombard king, 196;
his conquests and laws, 197.
Rothrudis, wife of Charles Martel, 298.
Rudolf, duke, rebels against Charles the Simple, 503;
king, 504.
—— I., king of Transjurane Burgundy, 445;
does homage to Arnulf, 468.
—— II., dethrones Berenger, 467.
Rugians defeated by Odoacer, 14.
Rupert, St., converts the Bavarians, 263.
Saiones, or ‘king’s men,’ 22, 131.
Salerno, duchy of, 452;
overrun by Moors, 457.
Salian Franks, 56.
Samo, leader of Slavs, 177.
Saracens conquer Syria and Egypt, 214, 219;
invade Africa, 238, 245;
take Carthage, 251;
invade Spain, 234;
cross the Pyrenees, 271;
ravage Gaul, 292;
defeated at Poictiers, 293;
besiege Constantinople, 301-303;
wars with Charles the Great, 352, 364, 365. _See also_ under Moors.
Saragossa, Franks defeated at, 129;
Charles the Great at, 352.
Saucourt, battle of, 439.
Saxons, defeat Chlothar I., 120;
invade Austrasia, 265;
defeated by Charles Martel, 267, 289, 297;
rebel against Pippin the Short, 323;
subdued by Pippin, 332;
by Charles the Great, 346, 351;
later rebellions of, 351, 354, 355, 366;
rebel against Lewis the German, 408;
defeated by the Danes, 434;
rebel against Conrad I., 476.
Schism of Eastern and Western Churches, 453.
Sebastopolis, battle of, 250.
_Secret History_, the, 67, 68.
Senate, the Roman, sends embassy to Zeno, 1;
trial of Boethius in, 30;
reorganised by Baduila, 102.
Sergius, patriarch, 207-208.
—— pope, refuses obedience to Justinian II., 278.
—— V., crowns the emperor Lewis II., 423.
Sharbarz, Persian general, 205-210.
Sicard, of Benevento, murdered, 450.
Siconulf, first duke of Salerno, calls in the Moors, 450-452.
Sicily conquered by Belisarius, 81;
Constans in, 245;
attacked by the Moors, 447;
long wars in, 449;
finally reduced by Moors, 460.
Siegfred, Viking chief, 439;
invades Neustria, 441;
besieges Paris, 442.
Sigibert, king of Köln, ally of Chlodovech, 39;
his death, 64.
—— I., 160;
marries Brunhildis, 161;
his war with Lombards, 163;
with Chilperich, 163;
murdered, 164.
—— II., murdered by Chlothar II., 174.
—— III., king of Austrasia, 179, 256.
Sigismund, king of Burgundy, 26-27, 114.
Silverius, pope, and the Senate invite Belisarius to Rome, 83.
Siroes, king of Persia, murders his father, 212.
Sisibut, Visigothic king, 222;
his chronicle, 222;
reign of, 223.
Sisinand rebels against Swinthila, 179, 224;
made king, 225.
Slavs, cross the Danube, 151-152;
wars of, with the Franks, 178;
with Lombards, 195;
settle in Balkan peninsula, 240;
defeated by Constans, 241;
conquered by Bulgarians, 248;
subdued by Constantine V., 315;
rebel against Irene, 318;
on the Baltic, 360;
conquered by Charles the Great, 360-362;
revolt from the Franks, 409-414;
subdued by Arnulf, 470.
Soissons, battle of, 267;
council of, 326;
Robert of France slain at, 504.
Soliman, caliph, 254;
sends expedition against Constantinople, 255, 300.
—— -ibn-al-Arabi invites the Franks to Spain, 352.
Sophia, St., church of, burnt in ‘Nika’ riot, 73;
rebuilt by Justinian, 90.
—— empress, 146;
her regency, 148.
Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, 219.
Spain. _See_ under Visigoths, Saracens, 234.
Spoleto, duchy of, 187.
Stauracius, short reign of, 480-481.
Stephanus, minister of Justinian II., 250-251.
Stephen II., pope, asks aid of Pippin the Short, 328;
receives the Exarchate, 331;
embassy to Charles the Great, 338.
—— IV. crowns Lewis the Pious, 387.
—— V. crowns Wido emperor, 463.
—— VI., pope, 465.
Strasburg, Oaths of, 409.
_Strategicon_ of Maurice, 150.
Strategos, office of the, 243.
Suabians (Alamanni) rebel against the Franks, 262;
subdued by Pippin II., 262;
by Charles Martel, 290;
by Pippin the Short, 223.
Suevi, wars of, with Visigoths, 131-138;
subdued by Leovigild, 139.
Suidbert, missionary to Hesse, 263, 291.
Swinthila, Visigothic king, 223;
his wars, 224, 370.
Syagrius, ruler in Gaul, 5-57;
slain by Chlodovech, 58.
Symmachus, executed by Theodoric, 31.
Syracuse, Constans murdered at, 246;
besieged by the Moors, 448;
taken by the Moors, 460.
Syria, invaded by Kobad, 69;
by Chosroes, 92;
conquered by Saracens, 218.
Taginae, battle of, 104.
Tarasius, patriarch, 318.
Tassilo, duke of Bavaria, rebels against Pippin the Short, 332;
treaty of, with Charles the Great, 337;
deposed, 356.
Teia, Gothic count, 103;
king of the Goths, 104;
slain, 104.
Temporal power of the papacy, its commencement, 197;
established by Charles the Great, 344.
Terbel, Bulgarian king, 302.
Testry, battle of, 260.
Teutberga, wife of Lothair II., 428.
Themes, creation of the, 242;
map of the Asiatic, 243.
Theoctistus, count, minister of Michael III., murdered, 490.
Theodahat, Gothic king, 80;
murders Amalaswintha, 80;
at war with Justinian, 81;
deposed and slain, 82.
Theodelinda, wife of Authari, 193;
of Agilulf, 194-195.
Theodora, wife of Justinian, 66;
her early life, 67;
character, 68;
conduct during ‘Nika’ riot, 73;
death, 106.
—— wife of Theophilus, empress regent, 488;
restores image-worship, 489;
banished, 490.
Theodore, brother of Heraclius, 217, 218.
Theodoric, son of Triarius, rebels against Zeno, 41;
makes terms with him, 42;
death, 43.
—— son of Theodomir, early life of, 42;
takes arms against Theodoric, son of Triarius, 41;
ravages Thrace and Macedon, 43;
makes terms with Zeno, 43;
invades Italy, 16;
defeats Odoacer, 17-18;
king of Italy, 19;
character and administration of, 21, 22;
foreign policy, 24;
wars with Franks and Burgundians, 26, 60;
king of Spain, 27;
troubles of his later years, 29, 30;
death, 32.
Theodosius, brother of Constans, 241.
—— III., emperor, 254;
abdicates, 255.
Theodota, wife of Constantine VI., 319.
Theodotus, minister of Justinian II., 250-251.
Theophilus, emperor, 486;
wars with Saracens, 487;
favours Iconoclasm, 488;
marriage of, 488.
Theudebald, king of Franks, 118;
invades Italy, 106.
—— duke of Suabia, rebels against Pippin, 323.
Theudebert I., king of Ripuaria, 116;
invades Italy, 86, 116-117.
—— II., king of Austrasia, 171;
war with Theuderich, 173.
Theuderich I., king of Austrasia, III;
conquers Thuringia, 113;
death, 116.
—— II., king of Burgundy, 172;
his war with Theudebert, 173.
—— III., king of Austrasia, 258-259, 264.
—— IV., last of the Merovings, 268-297.
Theudis, regent in Spain, 27;
king of the Visigoths, 115, 128;
his defeat in Africa, 132;
slain, 133.
Theudigisel, victory of, at Saragossa, 119, 129;
king of Visigoths, 133;
slain, 133.
Theudoald, grandson of Pippin II., 264, 266.
Thomas, rebels against Michael II., 484.
Thorgisl, raids of, in Ireland, 418.
Thrasamund, Vandal king, 28.
‘Three Chapters’ of Justinian, 107.
Thuringia, conquered by Theuderich I., 113;
recovers its independence, 261;
converted to Christianity, 291, 324.
Tiberius Constantinus, emperor, 148;
makes peace with Avars, 149.
Tiberius Apsimarus, emperor, 252;
executed, 253.
Totila. _See_ Baduila.
Toulouse, Saracens defeated at, 271;
Danes at, 420;
county of, 497.
Transimund, duke of Spoleto, rebels against Luitprand, 285.
Treviso, battle of, 96.
Tribonian, quæstor of Justinian, 71;
aids Justinian’s legal reforms, 109.
True Cross, the, carried off by Persians, 205;
won back by Heraclius, 212;
restored to Jerusalem, 217;
taken to Constantinople, 219.
Tulga, Visigothic king, 225.
‘Type,’ the, of Constans, 241.
Urias, Gothic chief, takes Milan, 86.
Urso, Beneventan duke, 460.
Utrecht, see of, founded, 330;
sacked by Danes, 400, 439.
Vandals in Africa, 8;
table of kings of, 12;
their oppressive government, 28;
destroyed by Belisarius, 79.
Varahnes, Persian usurper, 151.
Verden, massacre of, 342, 355.
Verdun, partition-treaty of, 409.
Verina, empress, 38, 44.
Verona held by Goths, 87;
taken by Lombards, 185;
taken by Charles the Great, 347;
Berengar besieged in, 467.
Véséronce, battle of, 114.
Vigilius, pope, imprisoned by Justinian, 107.
Vikings, first ravages of, 400;
description of the, 414-17;
raids of, in Ireland, 417-418;
in England, 418-431;
in Germany, 419-438;
in Lotharingia, 419-469;
in Neustria, 419-442;
conquer Normandy, 501.
Vincy, battle of, 267.
Visigoths driven from Gaul, 62;
in Spain, 128;
become Catholics, 142;
government of the, 221;
conquered by Moors, 234.
Vitalian, pope, 245-277.
—— count, rebellion of, 51;
slain, 53.
Waifer, duke of Aquitaine, rebels against Pippin the Short, 332;
slain, 337.
—— duke of Salerno, 458.
Wala, count, exiled by Lewis the Pious, 386;
recalled, 391;
conspires against Lewis, 394;
banished to Corbey, 395;
death, 399.
Wamba, Visgothic king, 227-228;
crushes rebellion of Paulus, 229;
his laws, 230;
deposed, 231.
Warnacher, Mayor of Austrasia, 176.
Wathek, caliph, 490.
Welid, caliph, 254.
Wends, their war with Dagobert, 178.
Weregeld among the Franks, 125-126.
Westphalians, wars of, with Charles the Great, 349-354.
Wettin of Reichenau, vision of, 342.
Wido aspires to French throne, 444;
expels Byzantines from Benevento, 460;
wars with Berengar, 463;
with Arnulf, 460;
emperor, 463.
Wilfrid of York, 259.
William, count of Toulouse, 365.
Willibrord, apostle of Frisia, 263;
sends missionaries to Germany, 290-291.
Wiltzes subdued by Charles the Great, 360;
subdued by the Danes, 361-367.
Winfrith. _See_ Boniface.
Wintrio, duke, rebellion of, 172.
Witiges, Ostrogothic king, 82;
besieges Rome, 83;
subdued by Belisarius, 87;
taken captive to Constantinople, 88.
Witikind, Saxon chief, 351;
leads Saxons against Charles the Great, 353-354;
submits to Charles, 355.
Witiza, Visigothic king, 231.
Witterich, rebellion of, 144;
Visigothic king, 221.
Wulfoald, Mayor of Austrasia, 258;
restores Dagobert II., 259.
Yermak, battle of the, 218.
Yesdigerd, last king of Persia, 219, 238.
Yussuf invades Gaul, 296.
Zabergan, khan of the Huns, 108.
Zacharias, pope, makes peace with Lombards, 287;
encourages Pippin to seize Frankish crown, 326;
makes peace with Ratchis, 327.
Zeno, character and administration of, 37;
subdues rebellion of Basiliscus, 38-39;
makes Odoacer Patrician, 1, 39;
wars with the two Theodorics, 42;
sends Theodoric to Italy, 15-45;
his ecclesiastical policy, 45;
death, 45.
Ziadet-Allah, Moorish king, 448;
invades Sicily, 449.
Zotto, first duke of Benevento, 187.
Zwentibold, king of Lotharingia, 470;
rebellions of, 472.
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● Transcriber’s Notes:
○ Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected.
○ Sidenotes were moved to avoid splitting sentences.
○ Typographical errors were silently corrected.
○ Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only
when a predominant form was found in this book.
○ Text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_).
End of Project Gutenberg's The Dark Ages, Period 1, 476-918, by Charles Oman