The Roman Empire and its Germanic Peoples

By Herwig Wolfram

Book Overview

The names of early Germanic warrior tribes and leaders resound in songs and legends; the real story of the part they played in reshaping the ancient world is no less gripping. Herwig Wolfram's panoramic history spans the great migrations of the Germanic peoples and the rise and fall of their kingdoms between the third and eighth centuries, as they invaded, settled in, and ultimately transformed the Roman Empire.

As Germanic military kings and their fighting bands created kingdoms, and won political and military recognition from imperial governments through alternating confrontation and accommodation, the "tribes" lost their shared culture and social structure, and became sharply differentiated. They acquired their own regions and their own histories, which blended with the history of the empire. In Wolfram's words, "the Germanic peoples neither destroyed the Roman world nor restored it; instead, they made a home for themselves within it."

This story is far from the "decline and fall" interpretation that held sway until recent decades. Wolfram's narrative, based on his sweeping grasp of documentary and archaeological evidence, brings new clarity to a poorly understood period of Western history.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520085116
• ISBN13: 9780520085114
• Release Date: December 1997
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 361 Pages
• Weight: 1.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.3" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Of Romans and Germans

Mr. Wolfram has definitely done his homework; this is a well-written and extremely informative, if a rather dry, look at the relationship between Roman and German for really the entire Roman Imperial Period, though naturally focusing mostly on the AD 300-600 area (not to sound petty, but I was hoping for more information on the Germans of the earlier centuries, other than the Cherusci in AD 9 and the Marcomannic Wars you don't hear much about them). Much of the book is about the various Germanic kings who carved out their own pieces of the Roman Empire in the 5th and 6th Centuries, like Gaiseric, Theodoric, Clovis, Odovacar, and others, and the movements and separate cultures and personalities of the major groups, the Goths, Vandals, Burgundians, and others are also profiled. I particularly appreciated the author's look at the events of AD 476 in Chapter Eight, the `Empire that Did Not End'. Also, he makes it clear that he sees the Barbarian `Invasions' as not invasions but immigration, from Italy to England. Also included are some useful genealogy charts and chronologies. Overall, a single great book on the early Germanic Kingdoms for those with a serious interest.

Worthy Topic.

After a brief narrative of early German history, he gives thorough details on the individual peoples or tribal confederations. Actually, you could read ch.15 first and then go to the Introduction. The main emphasis is on the Danubian Goths. He gives a good structural analysis of their institutions and how they blended with Roman culture. His thesis that the majority of Germanic peoples wanted to become part of the Roman World does seem to be valid to this ancient history buff. The German Kings do appear to have tried to maintain both the socio-economic conditions and Administration. It is a vivid picture of an often neglected subject. There is a good bibliography and a plethora of footnotes to research further. The omission of the Franks, who arguably were the most influential is why I'm deducting one star.

Not easy reading, but worth the effort

My reason for reading this book is that I wanted to know more about Roman Germany after visiting several sites in West Germany. I've had a lifelong interest in the Roman Empire and loved my Latin classes in high school. Since then I've occasionally read books about the Roman Empire. I am certainly not an expert in this field. This particular book is not easy reading. It is a serious, scholarly work in a solemn translation from the German. However, if one has the patience to plow through, it can be quite rewarding and provocative. I felt I was tracing the roots of our own culture when the author showed that so many of the tribes had a religion around a sacred sword. The author didn't mention Excalibur, but it immediately came to mind.Roman Germany turned out to be far different than I had simplistically imagined. It was not a matter of conquering and occupying. There was a lot of wheeling and dealing going on. One system simply evolved into another over time. This book was tremendously informative to me. I feel that my understanding of the so-called "Dark Ages" is radically improved. As I said, this is not an easy read. It takes time and concentration. But I felt it was worth it.

Quite Lovely

The author presents a truly enlightening study of how the Empire absorbed the Germanic tribes, as well as the ultimate effect of the powerful Roman cultural hegemony on outlying provinces. As an Ancient Rome buff, I find this a necessary counterweight to Gibbon's "Decline and Fall..."

Brilliant achievement

A stunning interpretation of the interactions between the Roman empire and the Germanic peoples who came to inhabit it. Demolishes the ides of "barbarian invasions" and demonstrates the lasting (and durable) power of Roman culture and politics.