Backround: The Dark Ages, as defined in the Britannica Encyclopedia, was the early medieval period of western European History. The Dark Ages began at the fall of Rome in 476 BC and ended in 800 BC.. During this terrible time period, there was much warfare and barbarians. The Dark Ages began in September, 476 AD, when Romuluas was killed by a German prince and the Gauls and the Roman Empire fell. This prince, Odovacar, took control of the rest of the Italian army and lead them to Constantinople. After this, there were multiple rulers throughout Europe, all of which were non-Roman and were immigrants from the barbaric tribes listed below. BBC quotes "The 'dark ages' which followed were dark not only because written sources were few and far between, but because life became nasty, brutish and short."
Who Were the Barbarians: (in ancient times) a member of a community or tribe not belonging to one of the great civilizations (Greek, Roman, Christian). (Google Definitions)
Where Were They From: The barbarians came from many countries, including Germany, France, and Africa.
What Parts of Europe Did They Conquer: The barbarian tribes conquered many areas of Europe, but most famously, as stated above, Rome. The Gauls were the leaders of this attack.
Why Were They So Feared: The barbarians were so feared because they were harsh and brutal.
Did Their Presence Lead to Changes in Europe: The barbarians left a negative effect in Europe.
Who Were the Barbarians: (in ancient times) a member of a community or tribe not belonging to one of the great civilizations (Greek, Roman, Christian). (Google Definitions)
Where Were They From: The barbarians came from many countries, including Germany, France, and Africa.
What Parts of Europe Did They Conquer: The barbarian tribes conquered many areas of Europe, but most famously, as stated above, Rome. The Gauls were the leaders of this attack.
Why Were They So Feared: The barbarians were so feared because they were harsh and brutal.
Did Their Presence Lead to Changes in Europe: The barbarians left a negative effect in Europe.
Barbaric Tribes
Barbaric tribes began attacking the Europeans after the fall of Rome. A few of the most well known tribes were the Angles and Saxons, Franks, Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Vandals, VIkings, Gauls, Magyars, and lastly the Huns. I will be going more into depth with the Vikings and the Gauls.
The Vikings
The Vikings, or the Northsman, were Scandinavian warriors who were seafaring. Members of their tribes were adventurous, and although at sea they were raiders, back a home they were independent farmers. Eventually, they earned the name vikingr which means "pirate."
The Gauls
The Gauls were French Warriors. The Gauls and Romans had always been enemies because they were constantly attacking each other.