Barbarians of Europe
Group
Noteworthy Details
Demise
Huns
Origin: Central Asia
Ravaged Central and
Western Europe
Unified by Attila in 434 A.D. Ravaged
North Italy. Chased Italian refugees into
Lagoon of Venice. Became the city of
Venice.
Attila died in
453. Subjects
revolted and
defeated the
Huns.
Visigoths
Origin: Scandinavia
North of lower Danube,
Eastern Euro, Sacked
Rome, Gaul Kingdom,
then Spain
Introduced cavalry warfare. Sacked Rome
in 410. Began the decline of the Roman
Empire. Created monarchy in Gaul,
centered in Toulouse. Driven out by the
Franks and into Iberian Peninsula.
Last King,
Roderick, killed
by Moors in
711
Ostrogoths
Origin: Scandinavia
North of Black Sea,
Between Europe and
Asia, Moved to North
Italy
Absorbed by Huns in 370. Regained
freedom upon Attila’s death. Theodoric led
them to invade North Italy, overthrown by
Byzantine.
Absorbed into
other groups
after defeat by
Byzantine.
Vandals
Franks
Lombards
Location
Origin: Scandinavia
Overran Gaul, Spain, N. Africa. Under King
South Poland in 100 A.D. Ginseric, ravaged Rome in 455. Caused so
Threatened by Huns,
much damage and destruction that Vandal
Moved west settled in
became term for a person who destroys
North Africa
property of others.
Defeated by
Byzantine in
534
Under Clovis, defeated Romans, Gauls,
Visigoths, and others. Controlled almost all
of Europe for nearly 400 years.
Greatest King = Charlemagne
Crowned Emperor of the West by Pope Leo
III. France named for Franks.
Charlemagne
dies, splits into
France,
Germany, &
Italy
Origin: Island in Baltic
Such a threat to papal supremacy that Pope
Sea
Steven II called Franks, led by Pepin III (the
Settled in Austria, moved Short) to help. North Italy named for them,
into N. Italy.
Lombardy.
Defeated in 754
by Franks.
Origin: Along the Rhine
River
Controlled much of
Western Europe
Group
Location
Noteworthy Details
Demise
1st half of the Anglo-Saxon power that
dominated England for the next 400 years.
Defeated by
Danes; then
Normans who
intermixed with
them.
Angles
Origin: Schleswig,
Germany
then England
Saxons
Origin: Denmark
Conquered Gaul, then
England
2nd half of the Anglo-Saxon power that
dominated England for the next 400 years.
Defeated by
Danes; then
Normans who
intermixed with
them.
Gauls
Gaul – west of Rhine
river, North of Pyrenees,
Italy and Asia Minor.
Led by priests known as druids, traveled
into Italy and had some success battling
Romans. Under Julius Ceasar, Gaul fell and
eventually became home of Franks.
Galatians are descendants of the Gaul.
Became part of
Roman Empire.
Scandinavians of
Denmark
Vikings of the 6th and 7th century throughout
England, France, the Netherland, Belgium,
and Luxembourg. United by Harold
Bluetooth in 950, later converted to
Christianity. 1016 Dane warrior Canute
became King of England.
Christianity and
intermixing
Scandinavia, then North
France and England
Vikings who invaded N. France in 800.
Stayed there in what is now Normandy.
1066 William the Conqueror took English
throne. Normandy and England and France
battle for land for many years. 1450
Normandy permanently restored to France
as a province.
Normans
intermix with
Anglo-Saxons.
Danes
Normans