Thread by @Arby_K

The fall of the First Roman Empire 1/20

Prequel #1 - Like the Sea People or the Dorians or the Celts or the Persians before them, Germanic tribes arrived to raid southern Eurasia around 100 BC. But they were defeated by the Roman Republic led by Marius.

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1322968472117149696?s=20&t=ruVCk-NB32GbwtVHx0hbgQ

Prequel #2 - The Tetrarchy - When Emperor Diocletian divided the Roman Empire into four with four Emperors to manage it better. Though the plan collapsed soon after Diocletian abdicated, the idea of dividing an Empire too big to manage held value. 2/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1323657532057903105?s=20&t=aFWZZEMSlvrb5fP7_Wb58g

After reuniting the Empire, Constantine built a new capital for the Roman Empire, one that would rival Rome. In due time, the Second Roman Empire formed around this new capital - Constantinople. 3/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1323658273665421313?s=20&t=aFWZZEMSlvrb5fP7_Wb58g

With the execution of Constantine's eldest son, chances of a the Empire staying united reduced. His younger brothers fought amongst themselves for power and slowly a east-west split of the Empire began to take shape. 4/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1454052990797574152?s=20&t=dpgiPIy5IfSpn8d12qDnTA

The Roman Empire had the Rivers Rhine and Danube as its northern boundary. But with over a century of civil war, the boundary had started to become porous. The Germanic tribes. who had largely stayed north, now made their way into the Empire. 5/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1369249644824432648?s=20&t=E46EIimHL_Rd9wNYEIZDBA

Danube was soon breached. The Germans had an incentive to make themselves secure in the Empire, since the next horde of barbarians had arrived in the north - the Huns. 6/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1318564071990439938?s=20&t=2Rhs8ChFdGfDKEAB1AxI9A

Soon, Romans started relying more on the Germanic tribes to do their fighting for them. The Roman Empire had reached its peak with its military, but now had to outsource for what was once their core competency. 7/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1369250644687806471?s=20&t=QYD7IF6tywsOmECrBXoQPQ

Alaric and the Visigoths invaded Italy in 401. While Rome was busy, Rhine was breached by Vandals. Meanwhile the Empire abandoned Britain, and in 410 Alaric sacked Rome.

The First Roman Empire was losing in its fight against the Germanic tribes. 8/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1494634816947757059?s=20&t=QYD7IF6tywsOmECrBXoQPQ

The Vandals captured Africa, while the Franks, the Burgundians, the Visigoths and the Suevi all built formidable positions within the Empire. Majorian pushed back in the 450s only to be undone by Vandal King Gaiseric and his own commander, Ricimer. 9/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1370353979062845440?s=20&t=EQUNCO0qd03FFZa2bdMZHA

Meanwhile, Britain saw Angles, Saxons and Jutes arrive and slowly take over the management left behind by Rome. 10/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1338809154580828160?s=20&t=oeya_HpLQtJNpXUX522Sdg

The Second Roman Empire of Constantinople found allies from within and was able to push back the Germanic tribes. Though the situation of Constantinople was dire in 378, it was now the stable one. 11/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1390635038727806979?s=20&t=MGO2j6X6OugnVikmenCd8Q

In 473, Ricimer was succeeded by his nephew, Gundobad, in Rome. But he was kept busy with a civil war against his brothers. With the power behind the throne absent, the throne was superseded.

With that, the First Roman Empire ended in 476.

12/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1493545702429163522?s=20&t=MGO2j6X6OugnVikmenCd8Q

But Constantinople was still around and working. In 493, they sent the rebelling Ostrogoths to Italy. The Ostrogoths conquered the peninsula and formed their own Kingdom, subordinate to Constantinople, at least in theory. 13/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1390641185253859332?s=20&t=GHR0u5b0vFalz34SxdGjow

In Gaul, the Franks were supreme, though the Burgundians held out till 534. In Hispania, it was the Visigoths and the Suevi. Vandals retained Africa, while Ostrogoths ruled in Italy. The Germanic tribes had conquered the First Roman Empire. 14/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1328418200011169792?s=20&t=HSD-FrEVNQITcrgCKcVZhA

Constantinople next went against the Vandals. They allied with Ostrogoths to launch their conquest of Africa. After Africa was taken, Constantinople found reason to intervene in the affairs of the Ostrogoths of Italy. 15/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1389546052588511235?s=20&t=tphD1pp1DHSS9QrTrqywYw

Italy took longer to fall. But fall it did. However, internal strife in Constantinople meant they could not hold onto it for long. Another Germanic tribe stepped in to fill the power vacuum. 16/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1347532620175794177?s=20&t=l1WQWDxdQ_8ReB5wTXvrqQ

Alboin and the Lombards were the next masters of Italy. But their control was heavily contested by Constantinople. 17/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1488482081004875776?s=20&t=ruVCk-NB32GbwtVHx0hbgQ

It was only in 624 that the Visigoths finally conquered the Iberian peninsula fully. But within a century their Kingdom fell to invaders from the south. This led to a 700 year long attempt to reconquer the peninsula. 18/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1471805585066659841?s=20&t=YRwOSgO4oNX_QPMmQjDO9A

The lost Roman Empire endured, albeit in a different form, as the Papacy, pulling its weight over the Catholic Germanic Kings. In 800, the Pope revived the Empire by crowning the Frankish King Emperor. 19/20

https://twitter.com/Arby_K/status/1394618694001594368?s=20&t=CMUSVXneeABdlswk8jIZPg

Yes, I have used the term First Roman Empire for Roman Empire as a whole and Western Roman Empire after Constantinople was founded, leaving Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantine Empire to be called Second Roman Empire. 20/20