Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/115

 THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS 79 however, and he also had enemies in the West. Barbarians within and without the Empire were now everywhere re- belling, invading, and devastating. In northwestern Africa a Moorish prince tried to rule independently, and farther east Roman Africa was subject to Libyan inroads. The Huns not only appeared in Thrace, but, bursting through the gates of the Caucasus near the Caspian Sea, penetrated to Syria and Asia Minor. Asia Minor was also being devas- tated by some native tribes, the Isaurians. In Constanti- nople the Gothic troops, on their return from the West after the death of Theodosius, murdered the Roman regent, but were later massacred or driven from the city. Stilicho had to give the Vandals and Alani lands just northeast of Italy in Noricum; presently he had to defeat a host of them who invaded Italy together with Ostrogoths and the Quadi ; they then withdrew from Italy and wandered about over Gaul. Burgundians and Alamanni also established them- selves west of the Rhine. The troops in Britain set up an emperor of their own named Constantine, who crossed over to Gaul and left Britain henceforth to defend itself if it could. Soon both this usurper and the Alani, Vandals, and Suevi had forced the passes of the Pyrenees and entered Spain. But most dangerous of all the barbarians at this time were the Visigoths in the Balkan peninsula under their leader Alaric. After the death of Theodosius, Sti | icho Alaric had failed to get the generalship which versus Theodosius had promised for his assistance in the West, and the imperial government also stopped paying the Goths tribute. Thereupon the Goths ravaged the vicin- ity of Constantinople and then went south into Macedonia and Epirus. Stilicho had come out against them with troops that the death of Theodosius had left in Italy, but the government at Constantinople told him to return to Italy and to send their troops back to Constantinople, where, as we have seen, they revolted against the government. Meanwhile Alaric captured Athens, Corinth, Argos, and Sparta, — all famous Grecian cities. Since the Eastern