Collapse of Rome produced a very unique and interesting environment. An environment of constant flux where old structures and ways died out.
It was a fast and constantly changing times. Over the course of 100 years entire unique civilizations with unique languages and cultures would emerge from beyond Roman borders, conquered themselves new kingdom, reach its zenith, then go in decline and be conquered by yet another such civilization from even further beyond. Visigoth, Ostrogoth, Vandals, Lombards, Venedi and so on. We know little of any of these people, yet the mark they left on our world continues even to modern times.
With nothing more to unite once one Roman people, many of them went their own way and created their own Kingdoms and countries. Modern France, Spain, Portugal and Romania are all franments of once united Rome. Fragments that one day simply decided they do not need Rome anymore and went to be independent. Overtime each develop their own unique language and culture. Much like countries of Latin America, that used to be provinces of Spanish colonial empire are not independent nations. They still speak the same language, but regional variations already start to develop. I would not be surprised that in 500 years' time we will talk about Mexican or Chilean languages.
Various barbarian tribes, such as Lombards, Goth or Vandals invaded Rome and its core Italian lands. These events often viewed negatively as destruction of Roman society and way of life but that is simplification. As one Goth leader once said: "A poor Roman play Goth, a rich Goth play Roman" That means that Goth and likely other invaders were interested to learn from Rome and pick its habits and way of life. Rich and privileged Goth actually wanted to be like Romans, hence play Roman part of the quote. Romans in turn were adopting some of the Goth own culture. Such fusion of Roman original culture with those of many barbarians that came to invade it eventually gave birth to our modern countries and cultures.
If anything, it is Roman culture that made its way out of boundaries of Rome and made its way to far corners of the world. Even Lithuanian Dukes of 1200 used Latin as their official language. It was not as much of barbarians who invaded Rome, so much as Romans went out to take over every place in Europe and rule over it. Rome stopped being Rome or contained within its organized boundaries, it spilled out of it and spread everywhere like pandemic.
One of such spearheads was Catholic Church, that Christianized the Europe as far as Ireland and Norway, places far out of reach of Roman legionaries. With that old division between Rome and outside was undone.
In general migration level was very high. People would either relocate voluntarily or be displaced by invasions and such. Vandals alone managed to get from somewhere around Baltic Sea all the way to what is now Tunisia. Such migration lessened differences between people. If before one can say that this or that people lived here or there, then afterwards it became increasingly superfluous.
A new fused cultural and social space eventually have birth to our modern countries. In times of High Roman empire there was no cohesive idea of what French or German was, much less Pole or a Finn or even Spanish. Roman used to divide the world in different cultural and geographic regions. For example, what is now northern Italy was called Cisalpine Gaul and France Transalpine Gaul instead. For a Roman differences between northern Italy and France were less so than between themselves and northern Italy. However, that have changed the course of Dark Ages.
The importance of Dark Ages in shaping our modern world and out understanding of it is vastly underestimated. Thing that we understand exist since times immemorial actually came to be during this time. Unfortunately, there are very little documented sources from these times as Roman bureaucracy have collapsed, and it was not immediately replaced by something else.
Dark Side of Dark Ages
However Dark Ages are called this way for a reason. For an average former Roman citizen, it was a horrible time to live. Society he got used to was no more. Protection and prosperity that Roman Empire has provided have disappeared. World became dangerous, one could never know it another invader over the horizon would appear to conquer and then kill, rape and steal. Population has declined, social institutions stopped functioning.
People begun relocating to defensible hard to reach areas for protection. Places like Venice were founded precisely because it was hard to reach by invaders. In fact, Byzantine (Eastern Roman) empire only survived because its capital was in such hard-to-reach place. Many invaders would take all their lands but would fail to breach walls of Constantinople, giving Byzantines time to rebuild and strike back.
There were still attempts to restore Rome to its former self. For example, when Justinian of Byzantine empire reconquered Rome in 530 but that did not last. After celebrations ended, Roman elites and Justinian soon clashed over appointment and other issues. Eventually Ostrogoth took it back.
However, stability will not return. Neither would prosperity. Christians would close and partly disassemble Coliseum because they considered games there anti-Christian. However, even without Christian interference it was likely impossible to supply coliseum with more gladiators for games. This would be just one of examples of how life had diminished for ordinary Roman.
Good times were thing of the past. Dark Ages were an unhappy and unpleasant times for a Roman. A time they thoroughly resented and pass on this resentment to us in calling these times Dark Ages.
These negative traits of Dark Ages are what would eventually lead to their end. Post-Roman world wanted stability and safety from barbarians and constant invasions. Eventually that stability came in the form of one other invader, the Franks.
End of Dark Ages
Franks begun like many other barbarian tribes before them, they conquered and eventually carved themselves a kingdom in what was once a Roman Empire. They displaced Goth and took control of what is now France and around half of what is now Germany.
However, from there things went different. Frankish leader Charlemagne reached some sort of deal with the Pope and Pope crowned him Holy Roman Emperor. That was another attempt to bring Rome back. It is debatable as to how much of Rome it brought back, but it did give birth to a new era. Early Middle Ages.
Charlemagne and Franks did bring with them a new period of order and stability. It was a feudal and rather oppressive order, but it did put an end to occasional barbarian invasions. Charlemagne feudal pyramid created enough security in areas under his rule.
By High Middle Ages a feudal nobility would devolve into infamous robber barons. However, in Early Middle Ages they were protectors from Viking Raids and other such invaders.
Pope's crowning of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor gave him enough sanction to govern not only Franks but Romans as well. That gave him at least some acceptance from Romans as well.
Good will between Pope and Franks managed to create a new system for the next 700 or so years.
The Charlemagne's feudalism would gradually spread to other parts of Europe. First by Franks own conquests of different Germanic Tribes. Then by their offshoots feudalism would get to Spain, Poland and eventually England.
Just like other transitional eras, Early Middle Age was characterized by a conflict between old ways and new ones. Just because Charlemagne because Holy Roman Emperor barbarians would not stop raiding and pillaging. They had to be stopped.
However, Franks were fully intendent to actually stop them. By force when they could, by cunning and deals when force did not make it. Franks begin with other Germanic tribes, such as Saxons, Swabians, Bavarians or Jutes. They were gradually subjugated or were forced to exile to. Some went for modern England. Feudalism first reached Elbe, then continued past it.
There were setbacks too, for example Viking raids in Normandy. Vikings were too mobile for Franks to simply defeat on the battlefield. Viking would steal everything fast and then sail away before Frankish knights could get to the area.
To stop Viking raids in Normandy Franks gave one Viking leader a Ducal title (together with power and land of course), turning him against his brethren. That was effective, as agile and swift Vikings found it impossible to raid territory of someone who was as apt at Viking style warfare as they themselves were
Despite occasional setbacks here and there, the feudal system was gradually spreading, destroying or assimilating its opponents. Vikings were the last who stood in its way. In modern England they raided England and even attempted to rule it, establishing so called Danelaw. Danelaw however met opposition from Saxons who were already there. In ensuing battles, they mutually exhausted each other, giving William the Conqueror opportunity to invade and capture England, brining feudalism with him.
Norman conquest of England could be considered the end of transitional period between Dark and Middle Ages. Afterwards the feudal system with its inflexible laws and ways-controlled society for next 300 years. I will write about it in next article.
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