Of the fifth century some buildings are still preserved. The noble
church of St. Paul, although built up by the robbery of other fabrics,
was yet in a grand style, and put together with much taste: the robbery
is described in a statute of the emperor Majorian who forbade it. A
hundred and fifty years ago, there still existed, in the church of S.
Agata di Goti, a mosaic from which it appeared that this church was
built and dedicated by Ricimer.
But the history of the Roman nation is not yet run out, although the
Romans have ceased to be a state. Even literature survives, not only in
Rome, but also at Ravenna. We have still a number of small detached
poems, epitaphs, inscriptions on churches, many of which are ingenious
and fine: one can see that the times were not yet barbarous. Boëthius
was worthy of the best ages of literature. To the seventh and the eighth
centuries belong several of the schoolmen who are left to us; for
instance, Acron and Porphyrio. The Roman law continued to be much more
decidedly in force than is generally believed. A description of the
lingering influence of the Roman mind would be highly interesting and
much to be desired.