The Holy Roman Empire

James Bryce

• Publisher: Jazzybee Verlag
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9783849650124
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Roman Ancient History
• Index: History

Bryce approached the subject of the Holy Roman Empire from only one angle, but that a very important one. What interested him was to trace the history of the imperial idea from the founding to the termination of the Holy Roman Empire. He was not interested in its actual history save in so far as that narrative illuminated his major thesis. He endeavored to interpret and to evaluate the influence of a great political idea in medieval and modern history. The facts throughout the book were reduced to that minimum necessary to give coherence and cohesiveness to the subject. The only descriptive chapter in the work is that entitled "The city of Rome in the middle ages, " which is a masterpiece of historical composition, without equal in English literature.

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF IMPORTANT
EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE EMPIRE

bc 48	Battle of Pharsalus. Julius Caesar receives the power of a tribune for life, and (bc 45) a perpetual dictatorship.
31	Battle of Actium. Octavianus (Augustus) becomes master of the whole dominions of Rome.
ad 9	Defeat of the Roman army under Varus in Westphalia: consequent abandonment of the policy of conquering Germany.
64	First persecution of the Christians under Nero.
292	Division of the Empire into four areas of government: first appearance of the East as a separate realm.
313	Recognition of Christianity by Edict of Constantine as a lawful religion.
325	Constantine presides in the First General Council of Nicaea which condemns the Arians and issues the Nicene Creed.
326-8	Constantinople or New Rome, founded by extending the site of the ancient Greek colony of Byzantium, becomes the seat of imperial government.
361	Efforts of Julian to restore pagan worship in the Roman Empire.
364	Division of the Empire by Valentinian I into an Eastern and a Western realm.
376	A large body of Goths permitted to cross the Danube into the Empire: subsequent war between them and the Emperor Valens: he is defeated and killed in the battle of Adrianople in 378.
395	Final Division of the Empire between Arcadius who receives the Eastern and Honorius who receives the Western provinces.
409	Abandonment of Britain by the Roman armies.
410	Capture and sack of Rome by the West Goths under Alarich.
412	Foundation of a West Gothic monarchy in Southern Gaul by Athaulf (who marries Placidia daughter of Theodosius the Great), and (419) by his successor Wallia.
395-430	St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo in Africa: he composes his De Civitate Dei between 413 and 426.
429	The Vandals enter Africa, having traversed Gaul and Spain, and found a kingdom there.
443-75	The Burgundians form a monarchy in Southeastern Gaul.
462-72	Euric, king of the West Goths, conquers Spain and establishes there the Gothic monarchy which lasts till the Arab conquest.
455	Invasion of Italy and sack of Rome by the Vandal Gaiserich.
451	Fourth General Council held at Chalcedon: settlement of the doctrine of the Nature of Christ and consequent alienation of the Monophysites of Egypt and Syria.
451-2	Attila invades Gaul and is repulsed near Chalons-sur-Marne. He then enters Italy and destroys Aquileia.
476	Odoacer deposes the Emperor Romulus Augustulus and assumes the rule of Italy, which is however nominally reunited to the Eastern half of the Empire.
481-511	Reign of Clovis king of the Franks: he enters Gaul, overcomes Syagrius, ruling at Soissons, defeats the Burgundians and the West Goths (of Aquitaine), and establishes the Frankish monarchy, which includes Gaul and Western Germany, the Burgundians being reduced to dependence.
489-526	Theodorich the Amal leads the East Goths across the Alps, defeats Odoacer, and reigns over Italy and Sicily.
529-34	The Emperor Justinian revises and consolidates the Roman law and issues the Code Digest and Institutes.
533	Belisarius, sent by Justinian, reconquers Africa fro...

Table of contents

• PREFACE TO THE EDITION OF 1904
• CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE EMPIRE
• CHAPTER II: THE ROMAN EMPIRE BEFORE THE ENTRANCE OF THE BARBARIANS
• CHAPTER III: THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS
• CHAPTER IV: RESTORATION OF THE EMPIRE IN THE WEST
• CHAPTER V: EMPIRE AND POLICY OF CHARLES
• CHAPTER VI: CAROLINGIAN AND ITALIAN EMPERORS
• CHAPTER VII: THEORY OF THE MEDIAEVAL EMPIRE
• CHAPTER VIII: THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND THE GERMAN KINGDOM
• CHAPTER IX: SAXON AND FRANCONIAN EMPERORS
• CHAPTER X: STRUGGLE OF THE EMPIRE AND THE PAPACY
• CHAPTER XI: THE EMPERORS IN ITALY: FREDERICK BARBAROSSA
• CHAPTER XII: IMPERIAL TITLES AND PRETENSIONS
• CHAPTER XIII: FALL OF THE HOHENSTAUFEN: RENEWED STRIFE OF PAPACY AND EMPIRE
• CHAPTER XIV: THE GERMANIC CONSTITUTION: THE SEVEN ELECTORS
• CHAPTER XV: THE EMPIRE AS AN INTERNATIONAL POWER
• CHAPTER XVI: THE CITY OF ROME IN THE MIDDLE AGES
• CHAPTER XVII: THE EAST ROMAN EMPIRE
• CHAPTER XVIII: THE RENAISSANCE: CHANGE IN THE CHARACTER OF THE EMPIRE
• CHAPTER XIX: THE REFORMATION AND ITS EFFECTS UPON THE EMPIRE
• CHAPTER XX: THE PEACE OF WESTPHALIA: LAST STAGE IN THE DECLINE OF THE EMPIRE
• CHAPTER XXI: FALL OF THE EMPIRE
• CHAPTER XXII: SUMMARY AND REFLECTIONS
• CHAPTER XXIII: THE PROGRESS OF GERMANY TOWARDS NATIONAL UNITY
• CHAPTER XXIV: THE NEW GERMAN EMPIRE
• EPILOGUE
• APPENDIX
• Footnotes: