Abstract
The Fall of Rome (or more specifically the Western Roman Empire) remains a hotly debated subject in the history of Late Antiquity. The Battle of Adrianople can be argued to be the beginning of Rome's end, but the cause of the battle lay more with Rome's imperial mismanagement than any deliberate attempt at war from the barbarians. Rome turned against those who would have defended the empire, and for many centuries had done just that. Despite being forced into an antagonistic relationship with Rome, their reputation as the cause of Rome's calamity has remained to the present day. This thesis will first argue that the fault lies more with Rome than with the various barbarian tribes. After making that argument, it will investigate why the "barbarian invader" myth has remained in the public consciousness for more than 1500 years after Rome's fall.
Notes
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Graduation Date
2020
Semester
Spring
Advisor
Dandrow, Edward
Degree
Master of Arts (M.A.)
College
College of Arts and Humanities
Department
History
Degree Program
History
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0008010; DP0023150
URL
https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0023150
Language
English
Release Date
May 2020
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Masters Thesis (Open Access)
STARS Citation
Napier, Walter, "The Memory Remains: Why the Migration Period and the Fall of Rome Continue to be Mischaracterized as a Barbarian Invasion" (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-. 104.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2020/104