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R
OME
has fa llen!
T h e greatest power
the world has ever
known is trampled in the
dust. The Empire that had con–
quered the wor ld is herself con–
quered!
ltaly is overrun by Germanic
tribes. Odoacer, a chieftain of the
Germanic Herul i, has deposed the
boy-monarch Romulus Augustulus.
Tbe great city is without an emper–
or!
The long and gradual collapse is
now complete. Tbe ancient world is
at an end. Tbe Middle Ages have
begun.
THE
HISTORY
OF
EUROPE
&
THE
CHURCH
PART THREE
about these bated Arian heretics.
lta ly's New " King"
In A.D. 476- the same year
Odoacer deposes the last Roman
emperor- a young noble named
Theodoric becomes leader of the
Ostrogoths (East Goths). Theodor–
ic q u ickly becomes the most
powerful of the barbarían kings in
southeastern Europe.
Zeno, the Eastern emperor, fears
the ambitious Theodor ic. To pre–
vent the troublesome Ostrogoths
from invading bis Eastern Empire,
Zeno recognizes Theodoric as
"king of Italy" in 488. Zeno hopes
to appease Theodoric,
thereby ridding him–
self of the Ostrogothic
menace.
The stage is now
set for momentous
events- even t s t hat
wi ll determ ine tbe
course of history for
centuries to come.
Master
o f
l taty
In t he East, the old
Roman Empi r e still
lives, protected by the
almost impregn able
walls of Constantino–
pie. There, Zeno sits
on the throne of the
Eastern or Byzantine
E mpire.
THE
IMPERIAL
RESTORATION
Theodoric immedi–
ately Ieads 100,000
Ostrogoths into Italy to
claim bis kingdom
from Odoacer. By the
autumn of 490, Theo–
doric h as captured
nearly the entire penín–
sula.
But throughout Ita–
ly, military garrisons
s till hold towns for
Odoacer. These bas–
tions must be elimi–
nated!
1
n theory, the Ger–
man Odoacer accepts
the overlor dsh ip of
Emperor Zeno. Zeno
considers ltaly one of
the administrative d ivisions of bis
empire.
In reality, Constantinople has lit–
tle power west of the Adriatic.
Odoacer holds the administration
of ltaly firmly in bis own hands. He
is
master
of the península.
Odoacer perpetuates the Roman
form of government, which he
admires. He initially encounters lit–
tle serious opposition from the
people of Italy.
But Odoacer is an Arian Chris–
tian; that is, Ch r istians who follow
the teachings of the scholar Arius.
(The Italians are Catholics.)
The same is true in North Afri–
ca. There, tbe Germanic Vandals
have held sway since A. D. 429. The
Vandals, too, continue and main–
tain the Roman system of adminis–
tration within their kingdom.
The Vandals are also Arian
12
by
Kei th W. Stump
EDITOR'S NOTE: We continue our
series of artic/es exarnining the histor–
ie relationship between Europe and the
Church- a centuries-long association
that has shaped the history of the
Western World. Our first two install–
rnents covered the story to the fall of
the Western Rornan Ernpire in A.D.
476. Part Three examines the events of
the crucial decades that followed.
Christians. They persecute t he
Catholics within their realm–
often fiercely.
T he Roman Catholic Church
bristles under the feet of the Arian
barbarians dominating the West.
Since the days of Constantine, the
Church bad had the wholehearted
support of the civil power. Now
things have changed radically- for
the worst.
Something will have to be done
Sec ret Plot
Though Theodoric is
himself attached to the
Arian creed, he is supported by the
Cathol ic clergy in Ttaly. The cler–
gymen feel they will fare better
under T heodoric than under
Odoacer.
Secret orders are sent to the
overwhelmingly Catholic citizenry
throughout Italy. The Heruli and
other soldiers still loyal to Odoacer
are to be dealt with once and for
all!
The secret of the plot is well
kept.
It
is executed precisely on
time. The Heruli are caught com–
pletely off guard.
Throughout Italy, Catholic civil–
ians set upon the unsuspecting
Heruli ata predetermined hour. At
Mosaic of tbe imperial retinue
in
tbe
choir, San Vitale, Ravenna, ltaly.
Laid prior to A.D. 547, detail shows
Emperor Justinian.
The PLAIN TRUTH