The Restoration of Rome : Barbarian Popes and Imperial Pretenders

In 476 Ad, The Last Of Rome's Emperors, Known As 'augustulus,' Was Deposed By A Barbarian General, The Son Of One Of Attila The Hun's Henchmen. With The Imperial Vestments Dispatched To Constantinople, The Curtain Fell On The Roman Empire In Western Europe, Its Territories Divided Among Successor Kingdoms Constructed Around Barbarian Military Manpower. But, If The Roman Empire Was Dead, Romans Across Much Of The Old Empire Still Lived, Holding On To Their Lands, Their Values, And Their Institutions. The Conquering Barbarians, Responding To Rome's Continuing Psychological Dominance And The Practical Value Of Many Of Its Institutions, Were Ready To Reignite The Imperial Flame And Enjoy The Benefits. As Peter Heather Shows In Dazzling Biographical Portraits, Each Of The Three Greatest Immediate Contenders For Imperial Power--theoderic, Justinian, And Charlemagne--operated With A Different Power Base But Was Astonishingly Successful In His Own Way. Though Each In Turn Managed To Put Back Together Enough Of The Old Roman West To Stake A Plausible Claim To The Western Imperial Title, None Of Their Empires Long Outlived Their Founders' Deaths. Not Until The Reinvention Of The Papacy In The Eleventh Century Would Europe's Barbarians Find The Means To Establish A New Kind Of Roman Empire, One That Has Lasted A Thousand Years. A Sequel To The Bestselling Fall Of The Roman Empire, The Restoration Of Rome Offers A Captivating Narrative Of The Death Of An Era And The Birth Of The Catholic Church-- Part One: A Copy Of The Only Empire. Gens Purpura ; A Philosopher In Purple -- Part Two: The Conquerer Of Many Nations. By The Authority Of God ; Sailing To Byzantium -- Part Three: The Father Of Europe. Christmas Day, 800 ; The Centre Cannot Hold -- Part Four: Second Coming. Charles The Great And Leo The Pope ; Habemus Papam: Papal Lift-off -- Epilogue: The Godfather (part 3). Peter Heather. First Published In 2013 In Great Britain By Macmillan--title Page Verso. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 441-456) And Index. Cover THE RESTORATIONOF ROME: Barbarian Popes & Imperial Pretenders Copyright Dedication Contents List of Illustrations List of Maps and Figures PROLOGUE Part One: ‘A COPY OF THE ONLY EMPIRE’ 1: GENS PURPURA GETICA CONSTANTINOPLE SINGIDUNUM EPIDAMNUS RAVENNA 2: A PHILOSOPHER IN PURPLE CASSIODORUS THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ROMAN THE 2,000th YEAR OF GOTHIC HISTORY SEMPER AUGUSTUS DEATH IN RAVENNA THE ROMAN EMPIRE OF THE GOTHS Part Two: ‘THE CONQUEROR OFMANY NATIONS’ 3: ‘BY THE AUTHORITY OF GOD’ ANEKDOTA THE WHOLE BODY OF THE LAW NIKA TO AD DECIMUM AND BEYOND 4: SAILING TO BYZANTIUM TWILIGHT OF THE GOTHS COSTING THE EARTH? OF ELEPHANTS AND COUCHES THE SEVEN CITIES OF ASIA LEGACY Part Three: THE FATHER OF EUROPE 5: CHRISTMAS DAY, 800 LIONS (NO TIGERS) AND BEARS THE HAMMER OF THE FRANKS THE DONATION OF CHARLEMAGNE THE PERILS OF POPE LEO 6: ‘THE CENTRE CANNOT HOLD’ THE GODFATHER (PART 1) ‘NO SLAUGHTER WAS EVER WORSE’ THE END OF TAXATION THE FIRST REICH THE CREATION OF EUROPE ANDTHE END OF EMPIRE Part Four: SECOND COMING 7: CHARLES THE GREAT ANDLEO THE POPE EMPERORS AND PATRIARCHS KINGS AND BISHOPS THE GODFATHER (PART 2) CHRISTIANITY IN OUR TIME? 8: HABEMUS PAPAM: PAPAL LIFT-OFF THE FORGING OF PAPAL AUTHORITY PORNOCRACY BARBARIAN POPES THE HARMONY OF DISCORDANT CANONS EPILOGUE: THE GODFATHER (PART 3) Notes Abbreviations PROLOGUE 1. GENS PURPURA 2. A PHILOSPHER IN PURPLE 3. ‘BY THE AUTHORITY OF GOD’ 4. SAILING TO BYZANTIUM 5. CHRISTMAS DAY, 800 6. ‘THE CENTRE CANNOT HOLD’ 7. CHARLES THE GREAT AND LEO THE POPE 8. HABEMUS PAPAM: PAPAL LIFT-OFF EPILOGUE: THE GODFATHER (PART 3) Primary Sources Bibliography Acknowledgements Index In 476 AD, the last of Rome's emperors, known as "Augustulus" was deposed by a barbarian general, the son of one of Attila the Hun's henchmen. With the imperial vestments dispatched to Constantinople, the curtain fell on the Roman empire in Western Europe, its territories divided among successor kingdoms constructed around barbarian military manpower. But, if the Roman Empire was dead, Romans across the old empire still lived, holding on to their lands, the values of their civilization, and their institutions. The conquering barbarians, witnessing the continuing psychological dominance of Rome, were ready to reignite the imperial flame and enjoy the benefits of its civilization. As Peter Heather shows in dazzling biographical portraits, each of the three greatest contenders--Theoderic, Justinian, and Charlemagne--operated with a different power base but was astonishingly successful in his own way. Though each in turn managed to put back together enough of the old Roman West to stake a plausible claim to the Western imperial title, none of their empires long outlived their founders' deaths. Not until the reinvention of the papacy in the eleventh century would Europe's barbarians find the means to establish a new Roman Empire, one that has lasted a thousand years. A sequel to the bestselling The Fall of the Roman Empire, The Restoration of Rome offers a captivating narrative of the death of an era and the birth of the Catholic Church. "In 476 AD, the last of Rome's emperors, known as "Augustulus" was deposed by a barbarian general, the son of one of Attila the Hun's henchmen. With the imperial vestments dispatched to Constantinople, the curtain fell on the Roman empire in Western Europe, its territories divided among successor kingdoms constructed around barbarian military manpower. But, if the Roman Empire was dead, Romans across the old empire still lived, holding on to their lands, the values of their civilization, and their institutions. The conquering barbarians, witnessing the continuing psychological dominance of Rome, were ready to reignite the imperial flame and enjoy the benefits of its civilization. As Peter Heather shows in dazzling biographical portraits, each of the three greatest contenders--Theoderic, Justinian, and Charlemagne--operated with a different power base but was astonishingly successful in his own way. Though each in turn managed to put back together enough of the old Roman West to stake a plausible claim to the Western imperial title, none of their empires long outlived their founders' deaths. Not until the reinvention of the papacy in the eleventh century would Europe's barbarians find the means to establish a new Roman Empire, one that has lasted a thousand years"-- Provided by publisher Prologue Part 1. "A copy of the only empire" Gens Purpura A philosopher in purple Part 2. "The conqueror of many nations" "By the authority of God" Sailing to Byzantium Part 3. The father of Europe Christmas day, 800 "The centre cannot hold" Part 4. Second coming Charles the Great and Leo the Pope Habemus Papam : papal lift-off Epilogue : The godfather (Part 3).