The End of the Ancient World

498 Pages·2013·16.918 MB·English

by  Ferdinand Lot

THE HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION
THE END OF THE
ANCIENT WORLD
THE HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION
General Editor C. K. Ogden
The History of Civilization is a landmark in
early twentieth Century publishing. The aim
of the general editor, C. K. Ogden, was to
“summarise in one comprehensive synthesis
the most recent findings and theories of
historians, anthropologists, archaeologists,
sociologists and all conscientious students of
civilization.” The History, which includes
titles in the French series L’Evolution de
I’Humanite, was published at a formative time
in the development of the social sciences, and
during a period of significant historical
discoveries.
A list of the titles in the series can be found at
the end of this book.

PLATE I
Constantinople
THE TWO CAPITALS
Ivory in the Vienna Museum
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First published in 1931 by Routledge, Trench, Trubner
Reprinted 1996, 2000 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park,
Abingdon, Oxon, 0X14 4RN
&
270 Madison Ave,
New York NY 10016
Transferred to Digital Printing 2008
© 1996 Routledge
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
utilized in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, in any information storage
or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
British Cataloguing in Publication Data
ISBN: 0-415-15600-9
ISBN European Civilization (11 volume set): 0-415-15616-5
ISBN History of Civilization (50 volume set): 0-415-14380-2
ISBN 978-1-13620-233-9 (ebk)
Publisher’s Note
The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint
but points out that some imperfections in the original may be apparent.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
Introduction . . . . . . . 1
Part One
THE CRISIS OF THE THIRD CENTURY AND
THE RESTORATION OF THE EMPIRE
I. The Political Crisis of the Third Century . . 5
II. The Restoration of the Roman World . . 13
III. The Roman Empire and the Church in the Fourth
Century . . . . . . . 28
IV. Economic Retrogression of the Roman World . 55
V. The Constantinian Monarchy, Its Nature. Reforms
and Services . . . . . . 86
VI. The Caste System . . . . . . 100
VII. The Large Estate versus The State and the
Weak : The Patronage System . . 128
VIII. The Decay and End of Ancient Art . . 135
IX. The Decadence of Literature ; The Disappearance
of Ancient Philosophy and Science . . 151
X. The Corruption of Public Spirit . . . 171
Part Two
THE DOWNFALL
I. Rome and the Barbarians in the Second Half of
the Fourth Century (350 to 395) . . 187
II. The Roman Empire in the West from 395 to 476 201
III. The Roman Empire in the East from 395 to 518 216
y
vi CONTENTS
Part Three
AFTER THE DOWNFALL
CHAPTER PAGE
I. Italy after the Disappearance of the Western
Empire from 476 to 526 . . . . 237
II. The Persistence of Roman Political Institutions
in the West : The Problem of the Disappear­
ance of the Empire . . . . . 243
III. The Return of the Empire : Justinian and the
“ Reconquista ” . . . . . 255
IV. The Failure of Justinian’s Work . . . 267
V. Visigothic Spain . . . . . . . 276
VI. The Lombard State . . . . . . 285
VII. The Papacy and Italy from the Middle of the
Sixth to the Middle of the. Eighth Century
(5 5 4 -7 5 3 )................................................................... 207
VIII. The Seizure of Gaul by the Franks . . . 310
XI. The Descendants of Clovis . . . . 324
X. The Decay and End of the Merovingians . 337
XI. The Merovingian Monarchy : Institutions . 346
XII. Economic Life . . . . . . . 365
XIII. Intellectual and Artistic Life : Education . 371
XIV. Religious Life . . . . . . . 385
XV. Lay Society . . . . . . . 394
Conclusion . . . . . . 403
Bibliography . . . . . . . 409
Index 437
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PLATE
I. The Two Capitals, Rome and Constantinople Frontispiece
II. Ivories Representing Stilicho, Serena and their
Son Eucher . . . . . facing p. 200
III. Jewels from the Tomb of Child eric . facing p. 201
Left: The King’s Seal and various glass and gold
ornaments.
Right: Fragments of Sword, Francic battle axe and
“ fram£e
Map
I. The Roman Empire, at the End of the 4th Century 186
II. The Dismemberment of the Roman Empire . . 236
III. Mediterranean World under Justinian . . 268
vii