A group of Germanic tribes, including the Bulgars, Goths, Vandals, Frisians, Alans, Suebi, Franks, and other Slavic groups, are referred to as barbarians. The term also refers to non-Greek people, especially if they ramble when speaking. The term was also used to describe individuals who were not of Greek or Roman descent. As a result, any ethnic group that existed during the rule of the Romans and lacked an established sociopolitical framework was referred to as a barbarian. Numerous social, political, and fiscal effects resulted from the migration. The fall of the civilizations of Rome, Athens, and Alexandria was one of the social consequences. The collapse of the Roman Empire and an increase in people's freedom are two examples of the political repercussions. Lastly, the economic effects comprise development of trade routes and intensification of agriculture.
The Barbarian migration is a period during which the people migrated from Germany and Scandinavia between 300CE-700CE years. It marked the change to the early middle age from the late antiquity. The Huns ferocity to other tribes triggered the movement (Logan, 2002). Significant transformations in the Barbarian frontiers and the Roman Empire Revolution precipitated the immigration. The migrations occurred in two phases that marked the defeat of the Roman Empire. First, the leaders who had allied with Rome occupied the lands during the 5th century. The Visigoths entered as refugees and other Germanic tribes. Initially, they were tolerated as friends but rebelled, later on, to even sack Rome. On the second phase, Slavic tribes settled in the central and Eastern parts of Europe.
The invasion of the other nations into the Roman borders is viewed differently by scholars of history. It had pronounced effects on the progress of Europe as a continent. Whereas some historians consider it as the beginning of the Dark Age, others view is as the start of another civilization. For instance, the events shaped the continent politically, economically and socially. The migration led to the medieval civilization. Some of the reasons for the failure of the Roman Empire culminated into the new forms of social, political and economic life of the new kingdom. Following the invasion, the early civilizations of Alexandria, Athens, and Rome were destroyed alongside the fall. The Middle Age refers to a period following the fall of the rule of the Roman domain.
Political impacts of the Barbarian Migration
The gradual and forced movements of people from the North to the South and Western territories under Rome contributed to a shift in the structures of governance. All the activities in the period of migration following the collapse of the Empire from 4th to the 11th century referred to as the medieval age or the dark period. Most of the economic, social and political events were not much impactful, and their records are not clear. However, the archeological evidence proves that it involved the spread of the Germanic tribes' ways of life in the previous Western Roman areas. Further, the political events of the time led to the popular freedom present in the modern states of the West. The governance forms adopted was a monarch system in which kings and grafs were elected by the meeting of people, the Sovran. Although the leaders were the heads of the states, they did not have absolute power over the determination of the great assembly of the freemen. The officials had the authority to summon the whole citizenry upon the call by the Sovran in the case of war or for other extraordinary reason. Different Germanic states were ruled by grafs while others lived under kings. The structures of their governments were either monarchical or republican.
The rule of the kingdom was on a limited hereditary pattern selected from the family by the assembly. On the other hand, the graf was an elective position, and the Sovran would choose anyone irrespective of their background. Thus, the historical families of kings included the Balthas of the West Goths and the Mervings in the Salian Franks. The generation or clan where a king was found was the most ancient among the folks usually a god traced in their origin. The assembly would designate a family of choice even where a ruler did not exist. The principle upon which the Germanic tribes used in politics was the sovranty of the freemen. Since the time, the aspect has never been diluted although it has undergone several transient changes.
The spring of kingship and special considerations are given to them gave life to the principle of royalty. He was more powerful as a graf and would influence the decision of the sovran in a manner that would not infringe their constitution. The tendencies of concentrating power on one family and forming a group were favorable to the institution of a monarchy. Some states like the Saxon were exceptional because their kingship did not have centripetal royal powers. The East Germans had chiefs who guided the council concerning matters of their states. No kings existed among them but used republican forms of leadership. The natural leaders exhibited their strength in wars and became chiefs of the tribes. More immigrants in the Roman Empire led to more civil wars, internal strife, contesting for the throne and bankruptcy made the central government weak. The depreciation of the coinage was the greatest limitation alongside war from the separatist parts of the territory. Migratory patterns of the Germanic tribes in the medieval Europe were triggered by the fall of the imperialism and led to the rise of Republican and Monarch systems.
Social Consequences of Migration
The migration of the Barbarians from their original homelands between River Order and the Elbe alongside the Celts had paramount implications on the society. First, the movements led to the extinction of the previous civilizations namely the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman. The second great impact of the migration was the spread of Christianity in Europe and Asia Minor. A stay in Rome for the centuries was the point of conversion of the Goths, Vandals, Burgundians and the Suevels. Besides, the study of arts and astrology were remnants of the successive centuries featuring the architecture of the imperialists.
Following the weakening of the Roman Empire, systems of property ownership changed in the revolutionized lands. For instance, the new federates retrieved two-thirds of their lands in the reign of Constantius. The landlords gave a third of their property to a guest they were not pleased to host using the old tradition. Therefore, it is clear that the Barbarians adopted the norms and traditions of the Romans in the long run. The process of dismembering the empire began by surrendering the lands to the German invaders. A system of federated states paved a way that led to the creation of independent nations. The order of the people and social statuses were introduced in the Germanic nations that emerged from wars and migration. Nobility was found as the folk chose kings. Similarly, the surrender of property to make the invaders into landlords created ranks in the society. The withdrawal of the federate states from the Roman Empire rule was significantly slow. It allowed their people to adopt significant civilization in the way of Rome before they earned independence. The influence is evident in the laws and customs that these Barbarian nations enacted in their independent states.
Economic Consequences
The ancient European economy was primitive under the exploitation of the Roman imperialist government. During the middle age, the continent was covered by dense forests and marshlands. The Germanic tribes practiced hunting and were pastoralists. They were described as pastoral people that practiced limited farming to sustain their families. Following the integration in the Roman Empire, the Barbarians became permanently agricultural states. Later on, the population increased and prompted further migration into more expansive regions. The consequences of moving into the new territories precipitated war due to resistance to Roman rule. It made the whole tribes conform to the ways of life of the rulers. The form of transportation was horses and ships. These acted as weapons during the conflicts and the form of carrying basic food items. Trade developed between nations as the Roman Empire sought to forge alliances to assist it in feeding its people. Major crops used for staple food were corn. The economic life of the Germanic nations was shaped by the same imperial civilization they destroyed. For instance, money was used as a medium of exchange. The leaders controlled its supply. Although the skirmishes used to devalue the coins, the emperors devised more powerful ones with gold. After the independence of the federates, landowners engaged in extensive agriculture. The independent nation-states adopted laws that governed their trade and farming activities based on the Roman customs. Therefore, the migration of the Barbarian led to the spread of agriculture, trade and sea travel sectors that shaped the modern Europe.
Conclusion
Indeed, the barbarian migration had several consequences. In fact, the fall of the Rome's power began with the entry of the Germanic tribes due to the Hun's wars. It has also been established that there rose new forms of republican and monarch systems of governance. The freedom of the common man was derived with the power of the assemblies or the sovran. Economically, the migration led to widespread losses of property and growth of agriculture through the continent. Similarly, trade among the nation states and continents expanded with new forms of empires and states. The social patterns of people adapted to the values and customs of the Roman Empire. Christianity also spread throughout the Europe due to the expansion of the imperialists and the warring groups from East and the West. Therefore, it is evident that the migration paved a way for the creation of the current sovereign nation-states present in Europe. The current development also owes much to the Roman civilization spread by the movements of the Barbarians in the middle age.
Bibliography
Blockmans, Wim, and Peter Hoppenbrouwers. Introduction to Medieval Europe 300-1500. London: Routledge, 2014.
Frassetto, Michael. The Early Medieval World: From the Fall of Rome to the Time of Charlemagne. London: ABC-CLIO, 2013.
Logan, Donald. A History of the Church in the Middle Ages. New York: Psychology Press, 2002.
