Page "Migration Period" Paragraph 20

Guy Halsall argues that barbarian movement was the result of the fall of the Roman Empire, not its cause.

Archaeological finds confirm that Germanic and Slavic tribes were settled agriculturalists that were merely " drawn into the politics of an empire already falling apart for quite other causes ".

The Crisis of the Third Century caused significant changes within the Roman Empire, in both its western and eastern portions.

In particular, economic fragmentation removed many of the political, cultural and economic forces which held the empire together.

The rural population in Roman provinces was distant from the emperor, and there was little to differentiate them from other peasants across the Roman frontier.

In addition, Rome increasingly used foreign mercenaries to defend itself.

This " barbarisation " of the Empire was paralleled by changes within barbaricum.

The Roman Empire played a vital role in building up barbarian groups along its frontier.

Propped up with imperial support and gifts, armies of allied chieftains served as buffers against hostile barbarian groups.

The disintegration of Roman economic power weakened groups formerly dependent on Roman gifts for maintenance of their own power.

With the arrival of the Huns, this prompted many groups to invade the provinces for economic reasons.