Founding of Venice, 341 Murder of Aëtius. Death of Valentinian III., 342 _Petronius Maximus_, 342 Pillage in Rome by the Vandals, 342 _Avitus._ Ricimer. _Majorian_, 343 Ægidius, Marcellinus, 344 _Anthemius._ _Olybrius_, 345 Ricimer conquers Rome, 346 _Glycerius_, 346 _Julius Nepos_, 346 Orestes. _Romulus Augustulus_, 347 Odoachar. End of the Roman Empire, 347 _Fine arts and literature_, 347 LECTURES ON ROMAN HISTORY. POLITICAL STATE OF THE WORLD THEN KNOWN. LEGISLATION. THE WAR WITH THE PIRATES. The states of Europe at this time were as follows. The Roman empire comprised, besides Italy, Provence and part of Dauphiné, the whole of Languedoc with Thoulouse, and Spain with the exception of Biscay and Asturias, although the more distant peoples there were less under its sway. The war against Sertorius had thus far completed the subjection of Spain: beyond were the free Cantabrians, a numerous nation composed of tribes which were quite independent of each other. In Gaul, the Æduans had the ascendancy; yet most of the peoples were without any bond of union, utterly weak, and already overwhelmed by the German tribes. Dalmatia and Illyria were subject to Rome; but her rule did not reach far into the interior, and in the Bosnian mountains the natives still kept their freedom. Macedon, of which the extent was the same as it had been under its last kings, and Greece were Roman provinces. The inhabitants of Thrace, and the tribes north of mounts Scodrus and Scardus, were free.