Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/130

 94 THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE after the sack of cities, has seen nude corpses of both sexes lying about everywhere and torn by birds and dogs. And his rage rises to a white heat against certain nobles of Treves who, after the city had been burned and sacked thrice, could still ask the emperors for circuses. "Where would you hold these public spectacles ? " he asks, — "Over the graves and ashes, the bones and blood of the dead?" In another passage he gives us briefly the conclusion of the whole matter: "The whole Roman world is in misery and yet is luxurious. ... It is dying and it laughs." EXERCISES AND READINGS It is not intended that the student should attempt to memorize every detailed event and proper name in this chapter. These details have been given to aid him in forming a correct general impression for himself. Many of the emperors at this time are hardly worth remembering for themselves, but are named for the sake of clearness. The period is one of confusion, without commanding central figures, and I have not wished to make it seem too orderly and simple by omitting a good deal and overemphasizing a few points. The original sources are so scanty and most secondary accounts so wordy that outside reading may be done rather more profitably in connec- tion with other chapters than this. For a rather full account of the sources with translations of some of them see the work of C. H. Hayes, An Introduction to the Sources relating to the Germanic Invasions (New York, 1909). Sources for the Barbarian Invasions. Robinson, Readings in European History, vol. I, pp. 28.-33, 35~39> 44-5 1 * 57-59. Compare the following pairs of selections as to authorship, date, reliability, ground covered, and general tone and attitude: 10 and 14. 12 and 13, 8 and 9, 15 and 16. The General Character of the Invasions. Dill, Roman Society in the Last Century of the Western Empire (second edition revised), pp. 285-302. Secondary Narratives of the Invasions. Any chapter applying to this subject and period in either of the follow- ing:— Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Bury, Later Roman Empire. Hodgkin, Italy and Her Invaders. Odoacer and Theodoric. Oman, The Dark Ages, chap. 1, pp. I- 18.