DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5625#0416
The Triumph of. Christianity 379
instincts of barbarian kings ruling over barbarian peoples. The 772. Value
barrier of Roman organization, and of Roman legions which ence 0fnthe
had protected Mediterranean civilization had given way, but ^"j*™^
the Church, taking its place, made possible the transference of
power from the Roman Empire to the barbarians in the West,
without the complete destruction of our heritage of civilization
bequeathed us by Greece and Rome.
Less than a generation after the death of Justinian, a gifted 773. Greg-
1 • ,. , , ory the Great,
bishop of Rome named Gregory, commonly called Gregory the bishop of
Great, showed himself a statesman of such wisdom and ability f0°™eJ?)9°~
that he firmly established the leadership of the Roman Church.
Italy, left defenseless by Justinian's destruction of the East
Gothic kingdom (§ 763), was thereupon invaded by the Lom-
bards (" Longbeards "), the least civilized of all the German
barbarians, who easily took possession of the Po valley. The
Lombards were divided into small and rather weak communities.
Thus the fallen Western Empire was not followed by a powerful
and enduring nation in Italy, and this gave to the bishops of
Rome the opportunity so well used by Gregory, to make them-
selves the leaders of Italy. It was this great Church ruler who
also sent missionary monks to Britain, and thus established
Christianity in England two centuries after the Roman legions
had left it .
The influence of the Roman Church was likewise extended 774. Rise of
.among the powerful Franks (§ 752), a group of German tribes *d the"1"
on the lower Rhine. Their king, Clovis, accepted Christianity " Mayors of
to' . ■'the Palace"
not long before ,500 a. t>. He succeeded in welding together
the Frankish tribes, and the kingdom he left had been stead-
ily growing for over a century before Gregory's time. After
Gregory's death this Frankish kingdom included a large part
of western Europe, embracing, besides western Germany, the
countries which we now call Holland, Belgium, and France. By
the middle of the sixth century the Frankish kings had fallen
under the influence of a family of their own powerful house-
hold stewards called "Mayors of the Palace," who at last
instincts of barbarian kings ruling over barbarian peoples. The 772. Value
barrier of Roman organization, and of Roman legions which ence 0fnthe
had protected Mediterranean civilization had given way, but ^"j*™^
the Church, taking its place, made possible the transference of
power from the Roman Empire to the barbarians in the West,
without the complete destruction of our heritage of civilization
bequeathed us by Greece and Rome.
Less than a generation after the death of Justinian, a gifted 773. Greg-
1 • ,. , , ory the Great,
bishop of Rome named Gregory, commonly called Gregory the bishop of
Great, showed himself a statesman of such wisdom and ability f0°™eJ?)9°~
that he firmly established the leadership of the Roman Church.
Italy, left defenseless by Justinian's destruction of the East
Gothic kingdom (§ 763), was thereupon invaded by the Lom-
bards (" Longbeards "), the least civilized of all the German
barbarians, who easily took possession of the Po valley. The
Lombards were divided into small and rather weak communities.
Thus the fallen Western Empire was not followed by a powerful
and enduring nation in Italy, and this gave to the bishops of
Rome the opportunity so well used by Gregory, to make them-
selves the leaders of Italy. It was this great Church ruler who
also sent missionary monks to Britain, and thus established
Christianity in England two centuries after the Roman legions
had left it .
The influence of the Roman Church was likewise extended 774. Rise of
.among the powerful Franks (§ 752), a group of German tribes *d the"1"
on the lower Rhine. Their king, Clovis, accepted Christianity " Mayors of
to' . ■'the Palace"
not long before ,500 a. t>. He succeeded in welding together
the Frankish tribes, and the kingdom he left had been stead-
ily growing for over a century before Gregory's time. After
Gregory's death this Frankish kingdom included a large part
of western Europe, embracing, besides western Germany, the
countries which we now call Holland, Belgium, and France. By
the middle of the sixth century the Frankish kings had fallen
under the influence of a family of their own powerful house-
hold stewards called "Mayors of the Palace," who at last