Should Barbarians Be Considered Invasions Or Migrations

There is considerable argument as to whether the movement of barbarian groups into the Roman Empire should be considered invasions or migrations. Invasion encompasses both the idea of violence and the seizure of power by force while migration brings to mind a more peaceful assimilation of existing practices. The idea of invasion comes closer to describing the actual process of barbarian groups taking power. It captures Roman sentiment regard barbarian movements as well as the military struggle for land and power that helped caused economic turmoil throughout the territories of Rome. On the other hand, once the barbarian groups had taken control of these regions they adopted many aspects of Roman culture and even left the peasantry remain relatively unchanged. The highest officials were replaced with those of barbarian descent, many institutions were left in the hands of Romans. While it cannot be labeled as a “migration” it does show the complexity of barbarian movements which were invasions that allowed for the assimilation of Roman culture.
There is no denying that the movements of barbarian groups were on many occasions violent. This violence could come in the form of large-scale military battles, such as Handrianopolis (Ward-Perkins, 37-38), or smaller scale raids that affected civilian life (Ward-Perkins, 13). Of course, forceful seizure of territory is …show more content…
This power, however, came at the cost of violent movements best labeled as invasions. Roman citizens clearly saw barbarian groups as attackers who took their land by force rather than through peaceful means. These movements adversely affected the economies of these areas, further demonstrating their violence. While the barbarian movements into the Roman Empire allowed for cultural assimilation, they were primarily