The Migration Period in Europe (c. 4th–6th centuries CE) marks a prolonged era of movement, conflict, and political transformation rather than a single moment of collapse. Following the death of Emperor Theodosius I (reign 379–395 CE) and the permanent division of the Roman Empire in 395 CE, pressures along Rome’s frontiers intensified. A combination of internal weakness, economic strain, and external displacement, most notably the westward movement of steppe peoples, pushed groups such as the Goths, Vandals, Franks, Saxons, and others into imperial territory. These movements did not simply “invade” Rome but interacted with existing Roman structures, accelerating the erosion of centralized authority in the Western Roman Empire.
By the late 5th century, imperial power in the West had fragmented into a patchwork of successor kingdoms established on former Roman lands. The deposition of Romulus Augustulus in 476 CE by Odoacer is traditionally used to mark the end of the Western Roman Empire, though many Roman institutions persisted under new rulers. The short-lived dominance of the Hunnic Empire under Attila (reign 434–453 CE) reshaped the balance of power across Central Europe before its rapid collapse. In contrast, the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, ruled from Constantinople, survived and adapted, maintaining imperial continuity for centuries. The Migration Period thus represents a transition from Roman imperial rule to early medieval political orders, laying the foundations for new identities, kingdoms, and the long transformation of Europe rather than a sudden “fall” into chaos.
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APA Style
Netchev, S. (2021, June 16). Map of the Migration Period in Europe in the 4th-5th Century. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14250/map-of-the-migration-period-in-europe-in-the-4th-5/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Migration Period in Europe in the 4th-5th Century." World History Encyclopedia, June 16, 2021. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14250/map-of-the-migration-period-in-europe-in-the-4th-5/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Migration Period in Europe in the 4th-5th Century." World History Encyclopedia, 16 Jun 2021, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14250/map-of-the-migration-period-in-europe-in-the-4th-5/.
