
The Alamanni and Rome focuses upon the end of the Roman Empire. From the third century AD, barbarians attacked and then overran the west. Some - Goths, Franks, Saxons - are well known, others less so. The latter include the Alamanni, despite the fact that their name is found in the French ('Allemagne') and Spanish ('Alemania') for 'Germany'. This pioneering study, the first in English, uses new historical and archaeological findings to reconstruct the origins of the Alamanni, their settlements, their politics, and their society, and to establish the nature of their relationship with Rome. John Drinkwater discovers the cause of their modern elusiveness in their high level of dependence on the Empire. Far from being dangerous invaders, they were often the prey of emperors intent on acquiring military reputations. When much of the western Empire fell to the Franks, so did the Alamanni, without ever having produced their own 'successor kingdom'.
This study investigates the historical trajectory of the Alamanni people and their complex, often misunderstood relationship with the Roman Empire from the third century AD through the rise of the Franks. John F. Drinkwater, a specialist in Roman history, utilizes a synthesis of archaeological data and primary historical records to challenge the traditional narrative of the Alamanni as mere barbarian invaders. He argues that the group's historical obscurity stems from their profound economic and political dependence on the Roman state, which ultimately prevented them from establishing a lasting successor kingdom.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars recognize this work as a significant contribution to the study of late antiquity, particularly for its focus on a group often overshadowed by the Goths or Franks. Readers frequently note the academic rigor and the author's ability to synthesize disparate archaeological data into a coherent historical narrative.
Page Count:
419
Publication Date:
2007-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0191537772
ISBN-13:
9780191537776
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