The unity

Notes

•The unity of Mare Nostrum For centuries, the Roman Empire extended around the Mediterranean, which the Romans called Mare Nostrum (our sea). These lands were united under a single political entity—the Empire—and shared the same language (Latin), laws, and customs. A common currency facilitated trade, and a network of cities and roads connected the vast empire, which split into East and West in 395 AD. Following Rome's collapse in the late 5th century, the territories surrounding the Mediterranean divided into different civilizations and ways of life. •What united the lands around the Mediterranean at this time? This unity disappeared with the Germanic invasions. In the early 5th century, the Huns, a barbarian people from Asia led by Attila, invaded and devastated the Western Roman Empire. They were eventually defeated in Gaul and withdrew. To escape the Huns, Germanic peoples—including the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Franks, Alemanni, Suebi, Vandals, and Alans—migrated into the Western Empire. These groups lacked writing, laws, or formal state structures but had military leaders. Over time, they gradually occupied parts of the Western Empire. Ultimately, Odoacer, a Germ...