6. Saxony in the Ninth Century, 350 7. The Partition-Treaty of Verdun, 853, 410 8. Western Europe in 890, 444 -------------- GENEALOGICAL TABLES 1. The Vandal Kings, 12 2. The Eastern Emperors, 457-518, 39 3. The House of the Merovings, 166 4. The Lombard Kings, 183 5. The House of Heraclius, 236 6. The Mayors of the Palace of the House of 260 St. Arnulf, 7. The Descendants of Charles the Great, 413 -------------- APPENDIX. Names and Dates of the Emperors at 515-517 Constantinople, the Ostrogothic and Visigothic Kings, the Popes, and the Caliphs, ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER I ODOACER AND THEODORIC 476-493 Importance of the year 476—The Emperor Zeno recognises Odoacer as Patrician in Italy—Odoacer’s position—Divisions of Europe in 476—The Vandals in Africa and King Gaiseric—Rule of Odoacer in Italy—His war with Theodoric, and fall. In the summer of 477 A.D. a band of ambassadors, who claimed to speak the will of the decayed body which still called itself the Roman senate, appeared before the judgment-seat of the emperor Zeno, the ruler of Constantinople and the Eastern Empire. They came to announce to him that the army of the West had slain the patrician Orestes, and deposed from his throne the son of Orestes, the boy-emperor Romulus. But they did not then proceed to inform Zeno that another Caesar had been duly elected to replace their late sovereign. Embassies with such news had been common of late years, but this particular deputation, unlike any other which had yet visited the Bosphorus, came to announce to the Eastern emperor that his own mighty name sufficed for the protection of both East and West. They laid at his feet the diadem and purple robe of Romulus, and professed to transfer their homage and loyalty to his august person. Then, as if by way of supplement and addendum, they informed Zeno that they had chosen Flavius Odoacer for their governor, and trusted that their august master would deign to ratify the choice, and confer on Odoacer the title of Patrician.