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93-634: Timeline The Ostrogothic Kingdom , officially the Kingdom of Italy ( Latin : Regnum Italiae ), was a barbarian kingdom established by the Germanic Ostrogoths that controlled Italy and neighbouring areas between 493 and 553. Led by Theodoric the Great , the Ostrogoths killed Odoacer , a Germanic soldier and erstwhile leader of the foederati . Odoacer had previously become

186-597: A campaign to recover Pannonia and the strategically important town of Sirmium , formerly parts of the praetorian prefecture of Italy , which were now occupied by the Gepids . The campaign was successful, but it also led to a brief conflict with imperial troops, where the Goths and their allies were victorious. Domestically, the Acacian schism between the patriarchates of Rome and Constantinople, caused by imperial support for

279-713: A defensive measure, and in part as a counterbalance to the influence of the Empire. His daughters were wedded to the Visigothic king Alaric II and the Burgundian prince Sigismund , his sister Amalfrida married the Vandal king Thrasamund , while he himself married Audofleda, sister of the Frankish king Clovis I . These policies were not always successful in maintaining peace: Theodoric found himself at war with Clovis when

372-410: A large divide between the two classes. During the middle and late Republic, as this influence gradually eroded, plebeians were granted equal rights in most areas, and even greater in some. For example, only plebeians could serve as the tribune of the plebs . There were quotas for official offices. One of the two consulships was reserved for plebeians. Although being a patrician remained prestigious, it

465-637: A life of dissipation and excess, which would send him to a premature death. Eventually, a conspiracy started among the Goths to overthrow her. Amalasuntha resolved to move against them, but as a precaution, she also made preparations to flee to Constantinople, and even wrote to Justinian asking for protection. In the event she managed to execute the three leading conspirators, and her position remained relatively secure until, in 533, Athalaric's health began to seriously decline. Amalasuntha then turned for support to her only relative, her cousin Theodahad , while at

558-530: A peaceful disposition, immediately sent envoys to announce his ascension to Justinian and to reassure him of Amalasuntha's safety. Justinian immediately reacted by offering his support to the deposed queen, but in early May 535, she was executed. This crime served as a perfect pretext for Justinian, fresh from his forces' victory over the Vandals, to invade the Gothic realm in retaliation. Theodahad tried to prevent

651-524: A plebeian (although this law was frequently violated for several decades). Many of the ancient patrician gentes whose members appear in the founding legends of Rome disappeared as Rome acquired its empire, and new plebeian families rose to prominence. A number of patrician families such as the Horatii, Lucretii, Verginii and Menenii rarely appear in positions of importance during the later republic. Many old families had patrician and plebeian branches, of which

744-548: A very small number of holders. The historian Zosimus states that in Constantine's time, the holders of the title ranked even above the praetorian prefects . In the late Western Roman Empire , the title was sparingly used and retained its high prestige, being awarded, especially in the fifth century, to the powerful magistri militum who dominated the state, such as Stilicho , Constantius III , Flavius Aetius , Comes Bonifacius , and Ricimer . The patrician title

837-452: Is also evidenced in the East from 367 to 711, possibly referring to the senior-most holder of the office and leader of the patrician order ( taxis ). The feminine variant patrikia ( πατρικία ) denoted the spouses of patrikioi ; it is not to be confused with the title of zostē patrikia ("girded patrikia "), which was a unique dignity conferred on the ladies-in-waiting of

930-582: Is illustrated by the fact that several senior ministers of Odoacer, like Liberius and Cassiodorus the Elder, were retained in the new kingdom's top positions. The close cooperation between Theodoric and the Roman elite began to break down in later years, especially after the healing of the ecclesiastical rift between Rome and Constantinople (see below), as leading senators conspired with the Emperor. This resulted in

1023-456: Is in his foreign policy rather than domestic affairs that Theodoric appeared and acted as an independent ruler. By means of marriage alliances, he sought to establish a central position among the barbarian states of the West. As Jordanes states: "...there was no race left in the western realms which Theodoric had not befriended or brought into subjection during his lifetime." This was in part meant as

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1116-513: The Henotikon , as well as Anastasius' Monophysite beliefs, played into Theodoric's hands, since the clergy and the Roman aristocracy of Italy, headed by Pope Symmachus , vigorously opposed them. Thus, for a time, Theodoric could count on their support. The war between the Franks and Visigoths led to renewed friction between Theodoric and the Emperor, as Clovis successfully portrayed himself as

1209-467: The plebs abandoned Rome for the nearby Monte Sacro . Marius was elected consul for the first of three years in a row. Civil wars would follow with the first breaking out in 238, another in 249 followed by a third in 253. From 235 through 284 the average reign of a Roman Emperor was just 18 months, down from average just over 9 years during the first centuries of the Empire. Patrician (ancient Rome)#Late Roman and Byzantine period After

1302-599: The Aemilii , Claudii , Cornelii , Fabii , Sulpicii , and Valerii all continued to thrive under the Principate . The distinction between patricians and plebeians in ancient Rome was based purely on birth. Although modern writers often portray patricians as rich and powerful families who managed to secure power over the less-fortunate plebeian families, plebeians and patricians among the senatorial class were equally wealthy. As civil rights for plebeians increased during

1395-552: The Amals , was sent as a hostage to Constantinople, where he received a Roman education. In previous years, a large number of Goths, first under Aspar and then under Theodoric Strabo , had entered service in the Roman army and were a significant political and military power in the court of Constantinople. The period 477-483 saw a complex three-way struggle among Theodoric the Amal, who had succeeded his father in 474, Theodoric Strabo, and

1488-663: The Burgundians and almost evicting the Visigoths from their last holdings in southern Gaul. The position of predominance which the Ostrogothic Kingdom had enjoyed under Theodoric in the West now passed irrevocably to the Franks. This dangerous external climate was exacerbated by the regency's weak domestic position. Amalasuntha was Roman-educated and intended to continue her father's policies of conciliation between Goths and Romans. To that end, she actively courted

1581-456: The Mausoleum of Theodoric displays purely Gothic elements, such as its construction not from the usual brick , but of massive slabs of Istrian limestone, or the 300-ton single-piece roof stone. Maintenance, restoration, and in some cases new construction of functioning water systems in many cities outside of Ravenna also occurred in the Ostrogothic Kingdom. An official, the comes formarum

1674-602: The Roman Senate , and his rule was efficient and successful. He evicted the Vandals from Sicily in 477, and in 480 he occupied Dalmatia after the murder of Julius Nepos . An agreement was reached between Zeno and Theodoric, stipulating that Theodoric, if victorious, was to rule in Italy as the emperor's representative. Theodoric with his people set out from Moesia in the autumn of 488, passed through Dalmatia and crossed

1767-590: The Salii , the Flamines , and the Rex Sacrorum , were filled exclusively by patricians. While it was not illegal for a plebeian to run for political office, a plebeian would not have had the backing needed to win a seat. Since society was organized in this way, the patrician class was essentially in control of ancient Rome's government. In Cassius' accounts of ancient Rome, he details how important and advantaged

1860-741: The Western Empire fell, the term "patrician" continued as a high honorary title in the Eastern Empire . In many medieval Italian republics , especially in Venice and Genoa , medieval patrician classes were once again formally defined groups of leading families. In the Holy Roman Empire , the Grand Burgher families had a similar meaning. Subsequently, "patrician" became a vague term used to refer to aristocrats and

1953-531: The 554 invasion by the Franks and Alamanni . In the same year, Justinian promulgated the Pragmatic Sanction which prescribed Italy's new government. Several cities in northern Italy continued to hold out, however, until the early 560s. The war had its roots in the ambition of Justinian to recover the provinces of the former Western Roman Empire , which had been lost to invading barbarian tribes in

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2046-540: The Byzantine world. According to the late ninth-century Kletorologion , the insignia of the dignity were ivory inscribed tablets. During the eleventh century, the dignity of patrikios followed the fate of other titles: extensively awarded, it lost in status, and disappeared during the Komnenian period in the early twelfth century. The title of prōtopatrikios ( πρωτοπατρίκιος , "first patrician")

2139-468: The Empire. In the court hierarchy, the eunuch patrikioi enjoyed higher precedence, coming before even the anthypatoi-Latn . The title was also granted to important allied foreign rulers, as the early Bulgarian ruler Kubrat , whose ring A was inscribed in Greek XOBPATOY and ring C was inscribed XOBPATOY ПATPIKIOY, indicating the dignity of Patrikios (Patrician) that he had achieved in

2232-536: The Franks acted first and invaded Burgundy in 523, quickly subduing it. Theodoric could only react by expanding his domains in the Provence north of the river Durance up to the Isère . The peace with the Vandals, secured in 500 with the marriage alliance with Thrasamund, and their common interests as Arian powers against Constantinople, collapsed after Thrasamund's death in 523. His successor Hilderic showed favour to

2325-542: The Goths and Romans', demonstrating his desire to be a leader for both peoples. Under Justinian I , the Byzantine Empire embarked on a campaign to reconquer Italy in 535. Witiges , who was the Ostrogothic ruler at that time, could not defend the kingdom successfully and was finally captured when the capital Ravenna fell. The Ostrogoths rallied around a new leader, Totila , and largely managed to reverse

2418-520: The Goths. Theodoric then sent Tufa and his men against Odoacer, but he changed his allegiance again and returned to Odoacer. In 490, Odoacer was thus able to campaign against Theodoric, take Milan and Cremona and besiege the main Gothic base at Ticinum ( Pavia ). At that point, however, the Visigoths intervened, the siege of Ticinum was lifted, and Odoacer was decisively defeated at the river Adda on 11 August 490. Odoacer fled again to Ravenna, while

2511-628: The Imperial period, and the latest known members of the "original" patrician houses are Servius Cornelius Dolabella Metilianus Pompeius Marcellus or possibly the Cornelii Scipiones Salvidieni Orfiti . "Patrician" and "plebeian" are still used today to refer to groups of people of high and lower classes. The following gentes were regarded as patrician, although they may have had plebeian members or branches. A number of other gentes originally belonged to

2604-476: The Julian Alps into Italy in late August 489. The first confrontation with the army of Odoacer was at the river Isonzo (the battle of Isonzo ) on August 28. Odoacer was defeated and withdrew towards Verona , where a month later another battle was fought, resulting in a bloody, but crushing, Gothic victory. Odoacer fled to his capital at Ravenna , while the larger part of his army under Tufa surrendered to

2697-616: The Nicaean Christians, and when Amalfrida protested, he had her and her entourage murdered. Theodoric was preparing an expedition against him when he died. Theodoric's relations with his nominal suzerain, the Eastern Roman Emperor, were always strained, for political as well as for religious reasons. Especially during the reign of Anastasius, these led to several collisions, none of which however escalated into general warfare. In 504-505, Theodoric's forces launched

2790-450: The Ostrogothic Kingdom chattel slavery was practiced with it primarily being seen in the rural areas. Slaves had a harsh life enjoying little rights or privileges and "could be transferred at will from one estate to another." A slave could be killed by their owner if they had sexual relations with a widow or caused a fire. They could not legally marry people and were not allowed to be assigned to peasants. Slavery would continue in Italy after

2883-609: The Ostrogothic kingdom was overwhelmingly of those who had lived prior to the Ostrogoths arriving with a minority being Ostrogothic. Little Ostrogothic settlement appears to have happened in Italy south from Rome and Pescara . Picenum and the northern part of Samnium were areas of heavy Ostrogothic settlement while the same was true of places west of Ravenna near Milan and Pavia along with the beginning of Alps. Small amounts of Ostrogothic settlement happened in Dalmatia , west Pannonia and some areas of Tuscia . Villas that existed in

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2976-401: The Ostrogoths. ^   a:  The exact date and circumstances surrounding Amalasuntha's execution remain a mystery. In his Secret History , Procopius proposes that Empress Theodora might have had a hand in the affair, wishing to get rid of a potential rival. Although it is generally dismissed by historians such as Gibbon and Charles Diehl, Bury (Ch. XVIII, pp. 165-167) considers that

3069-428: The Roman province of Pannonia as foederati . Unlike most other foederati formations, the Goths were not absorbed into the structure and traditions of the Roman military but retained a strong identity and cohesion of their own. In 460, during the reign of Leo I , because the payment of annual sums had ceased, they ravaged Illyricum . Peace was concluded in 461, whereby the young Theodoric Amal , son of Theodemir of

3162-523: The Senate and many Italian cities declared themselves for Theodoric. The Goths now turned to besiege Ravenna, but since they lacked a fleet and the city could be resupplied by sea, the siege could be endured almost indefinitely, despite privations. It was not until 492 that Theodoric was able to procure a fleet and capture Ravenna's harbours, thus entirely cutting off communication with the outside world. The effects of this appeared six months later, when, with

3255-464: The Senate, giving them wider political influence than the plebeians, at least in the times of the early Republic. The patricians in ancient Rome were of the same status as aristocrats in Greek society . Being of the noble class meant that patricians were able to participate in government and politics, while the plebeians could not. This privilege was important in ancient Roman history and eventually caused

3348-430: The arrest and execution of the magister officiorum Boethius and his father-in-law, Symmachus, in 524. On the other hand, the army and all military offices remained the exclusive preserve of the Goths. The Goths were settled mostly in northern Italy, and kept themselves largely apart from the Roman population, a tendency reinforced by their different faiths: the Goths were mostly Homoian Christians (' 'Arians") , while

3441-628: The beginning of the year or before a military campaign, Roman magistrates used to consult the gods. Livy reports that the first admission of plebeians into a priestly college happened in 300 BC with the passage of the Lex Ogulnia when the College of Augurs raised their number from four to nine. After that, plebeians were accepted into the other religious colleges. By the end of the Republic, only priesthoods with limited political importance, such as

3534-493: The champion of the Western Church against the "heretical" Arian Goths, gaining the Emperor's support. This even led to the dispatch of a fleet by Anastasius in 508, which ravaged the coasts of Apulia . With the ascension of Justin I in 518, a more harmonious relationship seemed to be restored. Eutharic , Theodoric's son-in-law and designated successor, was appointed consul for the year 519, while in 522, to celebrate

3627-608: The conquest, but were eventually defeated. The last king of the Ostrogothic Kingdom was Teia . The Ostrogoths were the eastern branch of the Goths . They settled and established a powerful state in Dacia , but during the late 4th century, they came under the dominion of the Huns . After the collapse of the Hunnic empire in 454, large numbers of Ostrogoths were settled by Emperor Marcian in

3720-542: The countryside would be abandoned or repurposed. Agriculture also became more diversified with woodland crops and animal husbandry becoming more common. Inland cities during the Ostrogothic period became more cut off from the outside world and became more reliant on local production areas. Cities along the Italian coast still received their trade from North Africa and places on the Eastern Mediterranean. In

3813-532: The de facto ruler of Italy following his deposition of Romulus Augustulus , the final emperor of the Western Roman Empire , in 476. Under Theodoric, the Ostrogothic kingdom reached its zenith, stretching from modern Southern France in the west to the modern western Serbia in the southeast. Most of the social institutions of the late Western Roman Empire were preserved during his rule. Theodoric called himself Gothorum Romanorumque rex 'King of

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3906-405: The defunct praetorian prefecture of Gaul . Now Theodoric had a common border with the Visigothic kingdom, where, after Alaric's death, he also ruled as regent of his infant grandson Amalaric . Family bonds also served little with Sigismund, who as a staunch Chalcedonian Christian cultivated close ties to Constantinople. Theodoric perceived this as a threat and intended to campaign against him, but

3999-578: The destruction of Alba Longa . The noble Alban families that settled in Rome in the time of Tullus Hostilius then formed the nucleus of the gentes minores. These included the Julii, Tulii, Servilii, Quinctii, Geganii, Curtii, and Cloelii. However, Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities suggests that the Alban families were also included among the gentes maiores, and that the gentes minores consisted of

4092-541: The differentiation between classes. Few plebeian names appear in lists of Roman magistrates during the early Republic. Two laws passed during the fourth century BC began the gradual opening of magistrates to the plebeians: the Lex Licinia Sextia of 367 BC, which established the right of plebeians to hold the consulship; and the Genucian Law of 342 BC, which required that at least one of the consuls be

4185-490: The fall of Ravenna and the apparent reconquest of Italy by the Byzantines. With the fall of Ravenna, the capital of the kingdom was brought to Pavia , which it became the last centres of Ostrogothic resistance that continued the war and opposed Eastern Roman rule. During the second phase (540/541–553), Gothic resistance was reinvigorated under Totila and put down only after a long struggle by Narses , who also repelled

4278-581: The families admitted to the patriciate under the Tarquins and in the early years of the Republic . In any case, the distinction cannot have been based entirely on priority, because the Claudii did not arrive at Rome until after the expulsion of the kings. Patrician status still carried a degree of prestige at the time of the early Roman Empire , and Roman emperors routinely elevated their supporters to

4371-433: The former Empire, was more or less retained by the Ostrogoths. According to the analysis of Jonathan J. Arnold, Theodoric presented himself - and was more or less accepted as - a Roman Emperor. But despite this rhetoric, Italy had undergone significant structural changes in the fifth century, which required that Roman administrative traditions had to be adapted by Theodoric's court. The Senate continued to function normally and

4464-503: The healing of the Acacian schism, Justin allowed both consuls to be appointed by Theodoric. Soon, however, renewed tension would result from Justin's anti-Arian legislation, and tensions grew between the Goths and the Senate, whose members, as Chalcedonians, now shifted their support to the Emperor. The suspicions of Theodoric were confirmed by the interception of compromising letters between leading senators and Constantinople, which led to

4557-462: The higher bourgeoisie in many countries. According to Livy , the first hundred men appointed senators by Romulus were referred to as "fathers" (Latin patres ), and the descendants of those men became the patrician class. This account is also described by Cicero . The appointment of these one hundred men into the Senate gave them a noble status. That status is what separated the patricians from

4650-409: The importance of the patrician/plebeian distinction is accounted by all as paramount to ancient Roman society. The distinction between the noble class, the patricians, and the Roman populace, the plebeians, existed from the beginning of ancient Rome. This distinction became increasingly important in the society until the period of the late republic. The patricians were given noble status when named to

4743-466: The imprisonment and execution of Boethius in 524. Pope John I was sent to Constantinople to mediate on the Arians' behalf, and, although he achieved his mission, on his return he was imprisoned and died shortly after. These events further stirred popular sentiment against the Goths. After the death of Theodoric on 30 August 526, his achievements began to collapse. Since Eutharic had died in 523, Theodoric

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4836-416: The inner workings of the Gothic state. Boethius is another prominent figure of the period. Well-educated and also from a distinguished family, he wrote works on mathematics, music and philosophy. His most famous work, Consolatio philosophiae , was written while imprisoned on charges of treason. In Germanic languages, King Theodoric inspired countless legends of questionable veracity. The population of

4929-669: The introduction of the Council of the Plebs and the tribunes of the plebs. These two political bodies were created to give the plebeians a voice. After the Conflict of the Orders, according to Mathisen, Plebeians were able to rise in politics and become members of the Senate, which previously had been exclusively for patricians. A series of laws diminished the distinction between the two classes, including Lex Canuleia (445 BC; which allowed

5022-519: The late Republic, most distinctions between patricians and plebeians had faded away. By Julius Caesar 's time so few of the patriciate were left that a special law was made, the Lex Cassia , for the enrollment of new patricians. This was followed by Augustus under the Lex Saenia , and continued by later emperors such as Claudius . The last patrician families of the Republic went extinct in

5115-711: The latter attacked the Visigoth dominions in Gaul in 506. The Franks were rapidly successful, killing Alaric in the Battle of Vouillé and subduing Aquitania by 507. However, starting in 508, Theodoric's generals campaigned in Gaul, and were successful in saving Septimania for the Visigoths, as well as extending Ostrogothic rule into southern Gaul ( Provence ) at the expense of the Burgundians. There in 510 Theodoric reestablished

5208-524: The latter's rule in Italy after his overthrow of the rebellious magister militum Orestes and his son Romulus Augustulus in 476. In the Eastern Empire, Theodosius II (r. 408–450) barred eunuchs from holding it, although this restriction had been overturned by the sixth century. Under Justinian I (r. 527–565), the title proliferated and was consequently somewhat devalued, as the emperor opened it to all those above illustris rank, i.e.

5301-475: The majority of the Senate . In the eighth century, in the Eastern Roman Empire , the title was further lowered in the court order of precedence, coming after the magistros and the anthypatos . However it remained one of the highest in the imperial hierarchy until the eleventh century, being awarded to the most important strategoi (provincial governors and generals, allies) of

5394-409: The marriage— ius connubii —between patricians and plebeians ), Leges Liciniae Sextiae (367 BC; which made restrictions on possession of public lands— ager publicus —and also made sure that one of the consuls was plebeian), Lex Ogulnia (300 BC; plebeians received access to priest posts), and Lex Hortensia (287 BC; verdicts of plebeian assemblies— plebiscita —now bind all people). Gradually, by

5487-490: The mediation of the city's bishop, negotiations started between the two parties. An agreement was reached on 25 February 493, whereby the two should divide Italy between them. A banquet was organised in order to celebrate this treaty. It was at this banquet, on March 15, that Theodoric, after making a toast, killed Odoacer with his own hands. A general massacre of Odoacer's soldiers and supporters followed. Theodoric and his Goths were now masters of Italy. Like Odoacer, Theodoric

5580-468: The middle and late Roman Republic , many plebeian families had attained wealth and power while some traditionally patrician families had fallen into poverty and obscurity. However, no amount of wealth could change one's class. A marriage between a patrician and a plebeian was the only way to legally integrate the two classes. However, when the Twelve Tables were written down, the marriage between

5673-482: The new Centuriate Assembly was created, the patrician class remained in power. The assembly separated citizens into classes, however, the top two classes, Equites and Patricians, controlled the majority of the vote. This meant, that while the plebeians were able to vote, if the patrician classes voted together, they could control the vote. Ancient Rome, according to Ralph Mathisen, author of Ancient Roman Civilization: History and Sources, made political reforms, such as

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5766-566: The new Eastern Emperor Zeno . In this conflict, alliances shifted regularly, and large parts of the Balkans were devastated by it. In the end, after Strabo's death in 481, Zeno came to terms with Theodoric. Parts of Moesia and Dacia ripensis were ceded to the Goths, and Theodoric was named magister militum praesentalis and consul for 484. Barely a year later, Theodoric and Zeno fell out, and again Theodoric's Goths ravaged Thrace . It

5859-441: The other class, was important. Having a legally recognized marriage ensured that the children born from the marriage were given Roman citizenship and any property they might inherit. Eventually, the plebeians became unsatisfied with being the lower class and not having the same rights and privileges as the patricians. This time in Roman history is called the Conflict of the Orders , which took place between 500 and 287 BC. Due to

5952-415: The patrician caste en masse . This prestige gradually declined further, and by the end of the Crisis of the Third Century patrician status, as it had been known in the Republic, ceased to have meaning in everyday life. The emperor Constantine the Great (r. 306–337) reintroduced the term as the empire's senior honorific title, not tied to any specific administrative position, and from the first limited to

6045-473: The patrician class was over the plebeian class. He indicates the status difference between patricians and plebeians by detailing the specific shoes the patricians wore. Cassius states, "For the shoes worn by the patricians in the city were ornamented with laced straps and the design of the letter, to signify that they were descended from the original hundred men that had been senators." It is clear through Cassius' account that these details mattered and represented

6138-534: The patrician lines frequently faded into obscurity, and were eclipsed by their plebeian namesakes. The decline accelerated toward the end of the Republic, principally because of the civil wars, from the Social War to the proscriptions of the Triumvirs , which took a heavy toll on them. As a result, several illustrious patrician houses were on the verge of extinction during the first century BC, sometimes only surviving through adoptions, such as: However, large gentes with multiple stirpes seem to have coped better;

6231-409: The patricians but were known chiefly for their plebeian branches. Among the patricians, certain families were known as the gentes maiores , the greatest or perhaps the most noble houses. The other patrician families were called the gentes minores . Whether this distinction had any legal significance is not known, but it has been suggested that the princeps senatus , or Speaker of the Senate,

6324-411: The patricians having the political status, the plebeian class had no representation in the government to advocate for their interests. By not having anyone advocating for their interests, this also meant that the plebeians did not always know the laws by which they had to abide. Since the patricians were of high social status, they did not want to lose this status; they were not in agreement with changing

6417-420: The patronage of Theodoric and Amalasuntha, large-scale restoration of ancient Roman buildings was undertaken, and the tradition of Roman civic architecture continued. In Ravenna, new churches and monumental buildings were erected, several of which survive. The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo , its baptistry , and the Archiepiscopal Chapel follow the typical late Roman architectural and decorative motifs, but

6510-469: The people they ruled over were adherents of Chalcedonian Christianity . Despite this fact, Theoderic enjoyed good relations with the Roman church, although questions of relative jurisdiction, especially in controversies involving clerics, remained potentially fraught. Jews in Theoderic's kingdom were both disadvantaged and protected as they had been under Roman law, which among other things, provided legal protections for their places of worship. Theodoric's view

6603-451: The plebeians. Some accounts detail that the one hundred men were chosen because of their wisdom. This would coincide with the idea that ancient Rome was founded on a merit-based ideal. According to other opinions, the patricians ( patricii ) were those who could point to fathers, i.e., those who were members of the clans ( gentes ) whose members originally comprised the whole citizen body. Other noble families which came to Rome during

6696-544: The previous century (the Migration Period ). By the end of the conflict Italy was devastated and considerably depopulated. As a consequence, the victorious Byzantines found themselves unable to resist the invasion of the Lombards in 568, which resulted in the loss of large parts of the Italian peninsula. Because of the kingdom's short history, no fusion of the two peoples and their art was achieved. However, under

6789-479: The promise of land in Italy for Odoacer's troops, a pledge made to ensure their neutrality in his attack on Nepos. After executing Orestes and putting the teenage usurper in internal exile, Odoacer paid nominal allegiance to Nepos (now in Dalmatia) while effectively operating autonomously, having been raised to the rank of patrician by Zeno. Odoacer retained the Roman administrative system, cooperated actively with

6882-678: The public baths in Spoleto . Some older works were copied in Greek and Gothic (e.g. the Codex Argenteus ), and the literature is solidly in the Greco-Roman tradition. Cassiodorus , hailing from a distinguished background, and himself entrusted with high offices (consul and magister officiorum ) represents the Roman ruling class. Like many others of his background, he served Theodoric and his heirs loyally and well, something expressed in

6975-403: The same time sending ambassadors to Justinian and proposing to cede Italy to him. Justinian indeed sent an able agent of his, Peter of Thessalonica , to carry out the negotiations, but before he had even crossed into Italy, Athalaric had died (on 2 October 534), Amalasuntha had crowned Theodahad as king in an effort to secure his support, and he had deposed and imprisoned her. Theodahad, who was of

7068-485: The story is corroborated by circumstantial evidence. Timeline of Italian history Timeline This is a timeline of Italian history , comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Italy and its predecessor states, including Ancient Rome and Prehistoric Italy . Date of the prehistoric era are approximate. For further background, see history of Italy and list of prime ministers of Italy . Lucius Sicinius Vellutus ,

7161-569: The structure of society by giving plebeians more status. Eventually, the plebeian class created their own governing body, the Council of the Plebs . Another advancement that came from the Conflict of the Orders was the Twelve Tables. At this time in ancient Rome, the monarchy had been overthrown. The plebeians wanted to know the laws, which resulted in the written form of laws: the Twelve Tables. Even once these laws were written down, and

7254-566: The support of the Senate and the newly ascended Emperor Justinian I , even providing him with bases in Sicily during the Vandalic War . However, these ideas did not find much favour with the Gothic nobles, who in addition resented being ruled by a woman. They protested when she resolved to give her son a Roman education, preferring that Athalaric be raised as a warrior. She was forced to discharge his Roman tutors, but instead Athalaric turned to

7347-583: The time of the kings were also admitted to the patriciate, including several who emigrated from Alba Longa , after that city was destroyed by Tullus Hostilius . The last-known instance of a gens being admitted to the patriciate prior to the first century BC was when the Claudii were added to the ranks of the patricians after coming to Rome in 504 BC, five years after the establishment of the Republic. The criteria for why Romulus chose certain men for this class remains contested by academics and historians, but

7440-466: The tribune of the plebs. Patricians historically had more privileges and rights than plebeians. This status difference was marked at the beginning of the Republic : patricians were better represented in the Roman assemblies , and only patricians could hold high political offices, such as dictator , consul , and censor , and all priesthoods (such as pontifex maximus ) were closed to non-patricians. There

7533-487: The two classes was prohibited. This was repealed in 445 BC with the Lex Canuleia . If a marriage was to occur between a patrician and a plebeian, the children of that marriage would then be given patrician status. This law was created to prevent the classes from mixing. In ancient Rome women did not have power in the household. However, according to Mathisen, having a recognized marriage, so not illegally marrying into

7626-504: The war, sending his envoys to Constantinople, but Justinian was already resolved to reclaim Italy. Only by renouncing his throne in the Empire's favour could Theodahad hope to avert war. The Gothic War between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Ostrogothic Kingdom was fought from 535 until 554 in Italy , Dalmatia , Sardinia , Sicily and Corsica . It is commonly divided into two phases. The first phase lasted from 535 to 540 and ended with

7719-500: The writings of the period. In his Chronica , used later by Jordanes in his Getica , as well as in the various panegyrics written by him and other prominent Romans of the time for the Gothic kings, Roman literary and historical tradition is put in the service of their Gothic overlords. His privileged position enabled him to compile the Variae Epistolae , a collection of state correspondence, which gives great insight into

7812-448: Was a belief that patricians communicated better with the Roman gods , so they alone could perform the sacred rites and take the auspices . Additionally, not only were the patricians of higher status in political offices but they also had the best land in ancient Rome. Having the best land allowed the patrician class to have more opportunities, such as being able to produce better agriculture. This view had political consequences, since in

7905-406: Was appointed to oversee the kingdom's aqueducts , which were of particular importance to Theodoric. Public bathing culture also continued in earnest under Ostrogothic administration, and there are numerous instances of Theodoric encouraging the practice through the restoration and construction of bathhouses in cities such as Verona and Pavia , and even subsidization of admission fees in the case of

7998-573: Was clearly expressed in his letters to the Jews of Genoa : "The true mark of civilitas is the observance of law. It is this which makes life in communities possible, and which separates man from the brutes. We therefore gladly accede to your request that all the privileges which the foresight of antiquity conferred upon the Jewish customs shall be renewed to you..." and "We cannot order a religion, because no one can be forced to believe against his will." It

8091-408: Was consulted on civil appointments, and the laws of the Empire were still recognized as ruling the Roman population, though Goths were ruled under their own traditional laws. Indeed, as a subordinate ruler, Theodoric did not possess the right to issue his own laws ( leges ) in the system of Roman law , but merely edicts ( edicta ), or clarifications on certain details. The continuity in administration

8184-680: Was occasionally used in Western Europe after the end of the Roman Empire; for instance, Pope Stephen II granted the title "Patricius of the Romans" to the Frankish ruler Pepin the Short . The revival of patrician classes in medieval Italian city-states , and also north of the Alps, is covered in patricianship . The eastern emperor Zeno (r. 474–491) granted it to Odoacer to legitimize

8277-446: Was of minimal practical importance. With the exception of some religious offices which were devoid of political power, plebeians were able to stand for all of the offices that were open to patricians. Plebeians of the senatorial class were no less wealthy than patricians at the height of the republic. Originally patrician, Publius Clodius Pulcher willingly arranged to be adopted by a plebeian family in order to qualify to be appointed as

8370-533: Was ostensibly a patricius and subject of the emperor in Constantinople, acting as his viceroy for Italy, a position recognized by the new Emperor Anastasius in 497. At the same time, he was the king of his own people, who were not Roman citizens. In reality, he acted as an independent ruler, although unlike Odoacer, he meticulously preserved the outward forms of his subordinate position. The administrative machinery of Odoacer's kingdom, in essence that of

8463-469: Was succeeded by his infant grandson Athalaric , supervised by his mother, Amalasuntha , as regent. The lack of a strong heir caused the network of alliances that surrounded the Ostrogothic state to disintegrate: the Visigothic kingdom regained its autonomy under Amalaric, the relations with the Vandals turned increasingly hostile, and the Franks embarked again on expansion, subduing the Thuringians and

8556-441: Was then that the thought occurred to Zeno and his advisors to direct Theodoric against another troublesome neighbour of the Empire - the Italian kingdom of Odoacer . In 476, Odoacer , leader of the foederati in the West, had staged a coup against the rebellious magister militum Orestes , who was seeking to have his son Romulus Augustulus recognized as Western Emperor in place of Emperor Julius Nepos . Orestes had reneged on

8649-484: Was traditionally chosen from the gentes maiores . No list of the gentes maiores has been discovered, and even their number is unknown. It has been suggested that the Aemilii, Claudii, Cornelii, Fabii, Manlii, and Valerii were amongst them. The Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology suggests that the gentes maiores consisted of families that settled at Rome in the time of Romulus , or at least before

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