The Barbarian invasions (3rd – 9th century), also called the Migration period or Dark Ages is the early medieval period of Western European history marked by frequent warfare and the virtual disappearance of urban life.
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A Term in the Perspective of Romans and Greeks
TheBarbarian invasionsis a term used by the Romans and Greeks to refer to theMigration Period, which saw the spread of invasions of peoples within Europe, during thedecline of the Western Roman Empirefrom 375 AD until the beginning of the 9th century. The term Barbarian invasions are nowrarely used by historiansas it is seen as a period of intellectual darkness and barbarism.
Image source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbarian#/media/File:De_Neuville_-_The_Huns_at_the_Battle_of_Chalons.jpg
“Barbarian” Art and Architecture
The invading tribes, once established in their new territories, began to develop personalart and architectureon the site. They share some fundamental traits but also vary according to the region of establishment and pre-existing art and culture. Two of the most spread styles were those of theVisigothsand theFranks.
Visigothic Art and Crafts
The Visigoths entered Hispania (modern-day Spain and Portugal) in 415 and became the dominant people there until the 711invasions of the Moorishput an end to their reign.
This period in Iberian art is dominated by their style.Visigothic artis regarded in the English-speaking world as a strain of Migration art, while the Portuguese and Spanish-speaking worlds classify it asPre-Romanesque.
The branches of Visigothic art include their architecture, their crafts (especiallyjewelry), and even their script.
6世纪的唯一例子rchitecture are the church ofSan Cugat del Vallés in Barcelona, the hermitage and church ofSanta Maria de Lara in Burgos,The Chapel of Saint Frutuoso in Braga, and the church ofSão Gião in Nazaré.
Some of the features of their architecture are:
- Generally,basilica plan, sometimes with a Greek cross or a combination of the two.
- Horseshoe archeswithout keystones.
- An externalrectangular apse.
- Use ofcolumnsandpillarswithCorinthiancapitals of unique design.
- Barrel vaultswith domes on the crosses.
- Walls inashlar blocks, occasionally alternating with Roman brick.
- Decoration ofanimalorplant motifs.
Image source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visigothic_art_and_architecture
Merovingian Architecture: Traits and Style
Merovingian artandarchitecturedate back to the Merovingian dynasty of theFranks, which lasted from the5th century to the 8th centuryin present-day France and Germany.
The advent of the Merovingian dynasty in Gaul in the 5th century led toimportant changes in the field of arts.Sculpture regressedto become a simple technique for theornamentationof sarcophagi, altars, and ecclesiastical furnishing. On the other hand,goldworkingand the new means ofilluminating the manuscriptssupplemented the “barbarian” decoration in animal style, withLate Antique motifs, and other contributions from Syria or Ireland to constitute Merovingian art.
The unification of the Frankish kingdom under Clovis I (465 – 511) and his successors, corresponded to the need tobuild churches, and especially monastery churches, considered the power plants of the Merovingian church. The plans often continued thetradition of the Romanbasilicabut were also influenced bySyriaandArmenia. In the East, most structures werewooden, but thestonewas more common for significant buildings in the West, and southern areas that later fell under Merovingian rule. Most of the main churches have beenrebuilt, but many Merovingian plans have been rebuilt by archaeology.
Image source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merovingian_art_and_architecture
The “Barbarian Peoples”: Origin and Spread
Many of the migrations were movements ofGermanic, Hunnic, Slavic,andother peoples罗马Emp的领土然后下降ire, with or without accompanying invasions or war. The “Barbarian peoples” includedHuns, Goths, Vandals, Bulgars, Alani, Suebi,andFranks.Most of these tribes, like the Huns, theVisigoths,and theOstrogothscame from eastern Europe and migrated towards the far west of the continent, some like theVandalsspread through the Mediterranean sea while others like theSaxonsandFranksoccupied the northern regions of Germany, France, and Britain.
Image source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migration_Period
The Causes Behind the Migration
Various factors have contributed to this migrating phenomenon.Starting from 382, the Roman Empire and the individual tribes entered into treaties for their settlement in its territory. The Franks settled in the Roman Empire and were given thetask of protecting the northeasternborder ofGaulbut they soon violated the Roman rule andcrossed the Rhine. This event led to the beginning of a series of invasions by the Vandals and Suebi,giving power to both Germanic and Roman armies, which devastated Europe and the remnants of the Western Roman Empire.
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The Falling of the Western Roman Empire
There are contradicting opinions as to whetherthe fall of the Western Roman Empirewas aresultor acause of these migrations. The Eastern Roman Empire was less affected by migrations and survived until the Fall of Constantinople at the hands of the Ottomans in 1453. In the Modern Period, the period of migration was seen as contributing to the fall of the empire. In the place of the fall of Western Rome,Barbarian kingdoms arose in the 5th and 6thcenturies which decisively shaped the European Early Middle Ages.
Image source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbarian_kingdoms
Info sources:
https://www.penfield.edu/webpages/jgiotto/onlinetextbook.cfm?subpage=1492781
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migration_Period
https://www.britannica.com/event/Dark-Ages
