Thomas Hodgkin's monumental six-volume history of Rome and its barbarian conquerors is a classic work of scholarship and storytelling. This volume concentrates on the Visigothic invasion of Italy in the fifth century CE, and examines the complex interactions between the barbarian conquerors and the Roman population they encountered. Hodgkin's style is fluent and engaging, and he brings historical figures to life with vivid detail. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

ITALY AND HER INVADERS PART ONE THE VISIGOTHIC INVASIONTHOMAS HODGKINBOOK I THE VISIGOTHIC INVASIONINTRODUCTION. SUMMARY OF ROMAN IMPERIAL HISTORY.CHAPTERS I. EARLY HISTORY OF THE GOTHS II. JOVIAN, PROCOPIUS, ATHANARIC. III. VALENTINIAN THE FIRSTIV. THE LAST YEARS OF VALENS V. THEODOSIUSVI. THE VICTORY OF NICAEA VII. THE FALL OF GRATIANVIII. MAXIMUS AND AMBROSEIX. THE INSURRECTION OF ANTIOCHX.THEODOSIUS IN ITALY AND THE MASSACRE OF THESSALONICAXI. EUGENIUS AND ARBOGASTXII. INTERNAL ORGANISATION OF THE EMPIREXIII. HONORIUS, STILICHO, ALARIC XIV. ALARIC'S FIRST INVASION OF ITALYXV. THE FALL OF STILICHOXVII. ALARIC'S THREE SIEGES OF ROME. XVIII. THE LOVERS OF PLACIDIAXIX. PLACIDIA AUGUSTA XX. SALVIAN ON THE DIVINE GOVERNMENTPREFACE.IN the following pages I have endeavoured to meet the requirements of two different classes of readers. For the sake of the general reader, who may not have his Gibbon before him, nor a Latin Dictionary and Classical Atlas at his elbow, I have taken for granted as little special knowledge of Roman history as possible, I have generally kept the text clear of untranslated quotations, and I have explained, with even tedious minuteness, the modern equivalents of ancient geographical designations, and have sometimes used the modern name only, at the cost of an obvious anachronism.On the other hand, as I have proceeded with my work, and become more and more interested in the study of my authorities, I have begun to indulge the hope that I might number some historical scholars among my audience. To these, accordingly, I have addressed myself almost exclusively in the notes, whether at the foot of the page or at the end of the chapter; and these notes, for the most part, the general reader may safely leave unstudied. Should my book be fortunate enough to come into the hands of a scholar, he is requested to pardon many an explanation of things to him trite and obvious, which I should never have introduced had I been writing for scholars alone.It will be observed that when sums of money are spoken of, I have generally given the equivalent in sterling. This does not, however, convey much information to the mind unless it be also stated what was the "purchasing power" of a sum equivalent to a pound sterling in those days. I would gladly have added a chapter on "The History of Prices under the Empire" and had collected some materials for that purpose, but I feared to weary my readers with a discussion which might have interested only a few. The general conclusion at which the most careful modern enquirers seem to have arrived is thus stated by Gibbon: about the year 470, the value of money appears to have been somewhat higher than in the present age. The general rise of prices since Gibbon's time may justify us in making this statement somewhat stronger. It is probable that in Imperial Rome £100 would have had about the same command over commodities which £200 has in our own day. But of such enormous differences in value, when measured by the precious metals, as exist between the England of Victoria and the England of the Plantagenets there is here no question.The volumes now published form a chapter of history which is complete in itself; but if life and health be continued to me, I hope to narrate hereafter the fortunes of the Ostrogoths and Lombards, and thus to bring my work down within sight of the august figure of Charles the Great.THOS. HODGKIN.BENWELLDENE, NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, 5th December, 1879.