447—Attila, called the “Scourge of God,” appeared at the head of the Huns, and Theodosius made a humiliating treaty with him to save his dominions from desolation.
448—In the next year the Saxons and Angles were invited into Britain by the civilized Romans, to protect them from the Picts and Scots, and laid the foundation of the modern Anglo-Saxon race, and the Franks invaded Gaul laying the foundations of the modern kingdom of France. England received its name from the Angles—France from the Franks.
451—Attila, the Hun, invaded Gaul, and was defeated at 452—Chalons, by the united Romans and Visigoths. Attila then invaded Italy and laid it waste, but died before he 454—had completed the ruin of the empire. Valentinian III. was murdered, and the Vandals from Sicily invaded Italy and sacked Rome.
SECTION XIII.
THE RISE OF MODERN NATIONS.
476—After a succession of puppet emperors in Rome, Odoacer abolished the name and took the title of king of Italy. He was a German in command of the auxiliaries in Roman pay. Thus ended, in disaster and disgrace, the once mighty Roman Empire. Its ruin was gradual and the barbarians who overthrew it had already embraced Christianity, so that the institutions of the church did not share its fall.
486—Clovis, king of the Franks, defeated the Romans and Gauls at the battle of Soissons. The Ostrogoths invaded 492—Italy under Theodoric the Great, deposed Odoacer, and founded a new kingdom.
496—Clovis defeated the invading Germans and embraced 500—Christianity. Clovis next defeated the Burgundians.
507—He subdued the Visigoths and all France was united under one rule. He was of the Merovingian line, or dynasty, of kings, which lasted over two hundred years, during which the remains of Roman civilization and the influence of the church were gradually modifying and penetrating the character of a new and energetic race.
527—Justinian became the ruler of the Eastern or Grecian Empire.