The barbarian migrations that destroyed Rome

The 'Goths' were a people group who existed in central Europe during ancient history and into the Middle Ages.

Many ancient writers simply called them 'barbarians'. However, these Gothic tribes are often called the Germanic tribes, and they are famous for having captured and sacked the city of Rome in AD 410.

They first appeared in the 3rd century AD along the Black Sea and eventually migrated into the Roman Empire.

The Goths were divided into two main branches: the Visigoths, who settled in the Iberian Peninsula and became Christian, and the Ostrogoths, who lived in the Balkans and Italy.

The Goths were known for their military power and played a key role in several major events, including the sack of Rome in 410 AD.

Even though there were cultural similarities between the different people groups that made up the Gothic tribes, each tribe had its own identity, and there was often conflict between the different tribes.

The Vandals were a Germanic tribe that lived in what is now Scandinavia. They first appeared in the 3rd century along the lower Danube River and eventually migrated into the Roman Empire.

The Vandals were known for their naval power and were able to control the Mediterranean Sea for a time, disrupting Roman trade.

They migrated through central Europe, and they entered the Roman Empire via Gaul and Spain before reaching North Africa.

They sacked Rome in 455 AD and later established a kingdom in North Africa, which became a center of Vandal culture and power.

The Vandals were significant as one of the groups of "Barbarians" who contributed to the decline of the Western Roman Empire and as a source of instability in the Mediterranean world.

The Franks were a Germanic tribe that lived in present-day Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

The Kingdom of the Franks began in AD 481 when Clovis I was crowned king, uniting all of Gaul under his rule.

They migrated southwards into modern-day Luxembourg and Switzerland before settling in Gaul around the year 500 AD.

The Franks adopted Roman culture and converted to Christianity, which helped them assimilate into the empire. Modern France is named after this tribe.

The Ostrogoths were a Germanic tribe that are generally believed to have originated north of the Black Sea.

They migrated southwards into modern-day Hungary, where they established their capital at Sirmium in the year AD 376.

They migrated westwards into modern-day Italy and Austria before invading the Roman Empire through northern Italy in the late 5th century AD. 

The Visigoths were a Germanic tribe that lived in present-day Romania and Bulgaria.

They migrated southwards into modern-day Greece, where they established their capital at Adrianople in Thrace.

From there, they invaded the Roman Empire through the Danube River. The Visigoths conquered much of Northern Italy before crossing into Gaul and establishing their capital at Toulouse in the year AD 418.

They also invaded areas of Spain and set up a kingdom there.

The Saxons were a Germanic people who lived in what is now the northwest of Germany.

In the late 5th and early 6th centuries, they were among the tribes that migrated into the territories of the Western Roman Empire and played a significant role in the political and cultural development of early medieval Europe.

The Saxons were known for their military strength and were eventually able to establish a number of independent kingdoms.

They invaded the Roman Empire through the Rhine River and migrated towards the British Isles, particularly England.

They settled in Britain after being invited there by the Roman general Magnus Maximus in AD 383.

The Lombards were a Germanic tribe that lived in present-day Scandinavia. They migrated southwards into modern-day Austria, where they established their capital at Regensburg.

From there, they invaded the Roman Empire through the Alps and conquered most of Northern Italy.

They settled in Italy in AD 540.

The Angles were a Germanic tribe that lived in modern-day Denmark, Germany and Poland.

They migrated towards Britannia, where they conquered parts of England.

Germanic tribal migrations had a significant impact on the development of various European civilizations.

The Germanic tribes who migrated southwards and attacked the Roman Empire contributed significantly to the Fall of Rome, which brought about a period of political instability and economic decline across Europe.

As a result, these migrations caused Roman culture in Western Europe to be largely replaced by that of the invading Germanic peoples.

However, some of the Gothic tribes copied elements of Roman society, language, and religion.

This resulted in the preservation of certain aspects of ancient Roman culture into the Middle Ages.