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Rome is given up to murder and
pillage. For the first time in nearly
800 years, Rome is captured by a
foreign enemy!
It
is a profound shock. Many
cannot believe it. When Jerome–
the translator of the Bible into
Latin- hears the news in Bethle–
hem, he writes:
..My voice is choked, and my
sobs interrupt the words I write.
The city which took the whole
world is herself taken. Who could
have believed that Rome, which
was built upon the. spoils of the
earth, would fall?"
Many bemoan the event as the fall
of the Western Roman Empire. But
there is still an emperor on the
imperial throne. In a ceremonial
way, at least, the Empire continues.
Alaric withdraws from the city
and dies soon afterward. Rome
grants the Visigoths the richest
parts of Gaul as a permanent resi–
dence. By the middle of the 5th
century, barbarían tribes are
occupying most parts of the West–
ern Roman Empire.
Papal Peacemaking
Of all the barbarían tribes, perhaps
the non-Germanic Huns are the
most feared of all. A nomadic
people moving out of Central Asia,
they are led by the famous Attila,
known to the world of his time as
the "Scourge of God."
In 451, Attila invades Gaul, his
objective being the kingdom of the
Germanic Visigoths. The Roman
General Aetius-massing the com–
bined forces of the Western Empire
and the Visigoths-holds his own
against Attila near Chalons.
It
is
called ..the battle of nations," one of
the most memorable battles in the
history of the world.
1t
is Attila's
first and only setback. .
Though checked, Attila's power
is not destroyed. The next year
(452) Attila appears in northern
ltaly with a great army. Rome's
defenses collapse. The road to
Rome líes open before Attila. lts
citizens expect the worst.
But Rome is spared. Attila with–
draws when success lies just within
his grasp. The threatened march on
Rome does not take place! What
has bappened?
The bishop of Rome at this time
is a man named Leo. He has trav-
28
eled northward to the river Po to
meet the mighty Attila. There is no
record of the conversation between
the two. But one fact is clear. A
fearless diplomat, Leo has con–
fronted the "Scourge of God" and
won. He has somehow persuaded
Attila to abandon bis quest for the
Eterna! City.
Attila dies shortly afterward .
The Huns trouble Europe no
more.
The prestige of the papacy is
greatly enhanced by Leo's interven–
tion on behalf of Rome. As the civil
government grows increasingly in–
capable of keeping order, the
Church begins to take its place,
assuming many secular responsibil–
ities. History will record that it was
Leo the Great who laid tbe founda–
tions of the temporal power of the
popes. Leo has become the leading
figure in ltaly!
· In the r.eligious sphere, Leo
strongly asserts the primacy of
Rome's bishop over all other bish–
ops.
Earlier in the century, the illus–
trious Augustine, bisbop of Hippo
in North Africa, had uttered the
now-famous words, "Rome has
spoken; the cause is ended." At the
Council of Chalcedon in 451, the
assembled bishops responded to
Leo's pronouncements with the
words: "Peter has spoken by Leo;
let him be anathema who believes
otherwise."
The doctrine that papal power
had been granted by Christ to
Peter, and tbat that power was
passed on by Peter to his successors
in Rome, begins to take firm root.
In June, 455, Geiseric (Genser–
ic)-the Vandal king of North
Africa-occupies Rome. Again
Leo saves the day. Leo induces
Geiseric to have merey on the city.
Geiseric consents to spare the lives
of Rome's citizens, demanding only
their wealth. Leo's successful inter–
vention further increases the pres–
tige and authority ·of t·he papacy,
within the Empire as well as the
Church.
The Deadly Wound
But the city of Rome is fast dying,
and even the papacy's efforts can–
not save her. The Empire lives only
in a ceremonial sense. The Westero
emperors are mere puppets of the
various Germanic generals. Now
even the ceremony is about to be
stripped away.
ft
is 476. A boy-monarch sits on
the throne in Rome. His name is
Romulus Augustus, but he is satiri–
cally dubbed "Augustulus," mean–
ing "little Augustus.' ' By curious
coincidence, he bears the names of
the founder of Rome (Romulus)
and of the Empire (Augustus)–
both of whicb are about to fall.
The German warrior Odoacer
(or Odovacar)-a Heruli chieftain
ruling over a coalition of Germanic
tribes-sees no reason for carrying
on the sham of the puppet emper–
ors any longer. On September 4,
476, he deposes Romulus Augustu–
lus. The long and gradual process
of the fall of Rome is now com–
plete.
The Western Empire has re–
ceived a mortal wound. Rome has
fallen. The office of Emperor is
vacant. There is no successor. The
former mistress of the world is the
booty of barbarians.
Zeno, the Eastern Emperor at
Constantinople (founded by Con–
stantine in 327 as the new capital
for the Eastern half of the Empire) ,
appoints Odoacer
patricius
("patri–
cian") of Italy. But in reality, Con–
stantinople has little power in the
Wes
t.
Odoacer is an independent
king in Italy.
Silent Forces
With the fall of the Western
Empire, ancient history draws to a
close. A transitional period fol–
lows.
Every portion of the Westero
Empire is occupied and governed
by kings of Germanic race. Many
of these barbarían kings are, like
Odoacer, converts to Arian Chris–
tianity, opposed to the "Catholic"
Christianity of Rome.
But their kingdoms are not des–
tined to endure. Forces are already
silently at work, forces seeking to
mold out of the ruins of the old
Western Empire a revived and revi–
talized Roman Empíre- a
non–
Arian
Empire!
These forces will ultimately suc–
ceed in
healing
the deadly wound
of A.D. 476-with epoch-making
consequences.
(Next month: "The Imperial Res–
toration") o
The
PLAIN TRUTH