Page:15 decisive battles of the world Vol 1 (London).djvu/300

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

284

SYNOPSIS OF EVENTS AFTER

away with the life of the great king, by whom it had been so fearfully augmented.^[1]

Synopsis of Events, between the Battle of Chalons, A.D. 451, and the Battle of Tours, 732.

A.D. 476. The Roman Empire of the West extinguished by Odoacer.

481. Establishment of the French monarchy in Gaul by Clovis.

455 — 582. The Saxons, Angles, and Frisians conquer Britain, except the northern parts and the districts along the west coast. The German conquerors found eight independent kingdoms.

533 — 568. The generals of Justinian, the Emperor of Constantinople, conquer Italy and North Africa; and these countries are for a short time annexed to the Roman Empire of the East.

568 — 570. The Lombards conquer great part of Italy.

↑ If I seem to have given fewer of the details of the batle itself than its importance would warrant, my excuse must be that Gibbon has enriched our language with a description of it too long for quotation and too splendid for rivalry. I have not, however, taken altogether the same view of it that he has. The notes to Mr. Herbert's poem of "Attila" bring together nearly all the authorities on the subject.

[1] If I seem to have given fewer of the details of the batle itself than its importance would warrant, my excuse must be that Gibbon has enriched our language with a description of it too long for quotation and too splendid for rivalry. I have not, however, taken altogether the same view of it that he has. The notes to Mr. Herbert's poem of "Attila" bring together nearly all the authorities on the subject.

[1]