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Key themes of this section include:
- Drought & Germanic migration
- Gender & Politics in the “New Rome”
- The Establishment of the Germanic Kingdoms

Theodosius and “heretics”:
- In 380 CE, Nicene Christianity is declared the only legal form of Christianity according to the Theodosian Code (16.1.2).
- The term “haeresis” denotes choice and highlights the opposition towards pagans and Jews.

Examining the consequences of a Christianized Rome and other social and political factors influencing this religious shift.

Between 338 - 378 CE, a severe drought affected the steppes, making pastoral peoples vulnerable as they relied on grazing animals on grasslands.
- This drought is noted as one of the worst in the last 2000 years.
- Reference: Michael McCormick et al. in Journal of Interdisciplinary History (2012).

As instability grew, Roman frontiers were compromised; leaders were appointed from individuals with stained reputations and greed, causing crises within the Roman Empire.
A historical account from Ammianus Marcellinus describes barbarian interactions and conflicts leading to significant military engagements:
- The situation escalated when the commander, Valens, underestimated enemy numbers and ultimately faced defeat at the Battle of Adrianople in 378 CE, where he lost his life and much of the eastern army against the Visigoths.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Adrianople, Theodosius I enrolled many Goths in the army as foederati (allied troops).
Upon his death, Theodosius divided the empire between his two young heirs: Arcadius in the East and Honorius in the West, leading to a permanently divided empire.

Over the decades following the initial invasions:
- Numerous Germanic tribes such as Angles, Saxons, Franks, Vandals, and Burgundians became mobile post-406.
- Notable events include Alaric and the Visigoths sacking the city of Rome in 410 CE.

The psycho-cultural impact of losing the Roman Empire's head is described by Jerome as:
- “When the brightest light on the whole earth was extinguished… then I was dumb with silence… and my sorrow was stirred.”
Augustine of Hippo's City of God: asserts that there is no direct correlation between earthly success and divine favor. He describes this in terms of two competing cities formed by two loves—
- The earthly city is governed by the love of self at the expense of God, while the heavenly city is governed by the love of God at the expense of self.

Absent the migrations of the west, the Eastern Empire evolved distinctly.
Theodosius II ascended to the throne at seven, and his sister Pulcheria, made Augusta at 15, played a significant role in politics despite being painted as an ascetic for taking a vow of perpetual virginity, which was a popular practice among Christian elite women.
Pulcheria dedicated churches to the Virgin Mary and prominent images represented her as a figure maintained above the altar at Hagia Sophia.

Commissioned by Theodosius II in 429 to compile all laws from previous emperors up to his time.
Jointly issued with the emperor in the West.

Examines how human movement affects interacting populations and how these interactions shape identities on both sides.
Queries the degree to which Roman culture persisted in these successor states and whether the Roman Empire survived in a cultural sense.

In 410, the British appeal for help against the Picts resulted in abandonment as the emperor ordered them to fend for themselves while the Angles and Saxons invaded.
Meanwhile, Vandals settled in North Africa, and the Visigoths occupied parts of Western Gaul.
The deposition of Romulus Augustulus in 476 CE marked the end of the Western Roman Empire.
Romulus was replaced by a German king signaling a significant power shift.

Various tribes established kingdoms across regions such as Britain (Celts, Angles, Saxons, Jutes) and the Continent (Franks, Vandals, Ostrogoths, Visigoths), demonstrating the profound fragmentation and realignment in post-Roman Europe.

Visigothic Spain under King Euric (466-484):
- Declares a fully independent kingdom separate from alliance as foederati.
- Issues the Code of Euric, establishing a legal framework for Visigothic law and integrating aspects of Roman law via Lex Romana Visigothorum by Alaric II.
The convening of the Council of Agde (506) to consolidate Christian governance and law indicates a semblance of the Roman administrative tradition persisting amid the new leadership.

The Franks exploited the shifting power dynamics in Gaul following 476 and consolidated their authority by 494 under Clovis.
Clovis, unique as a Nicene Christian king among Arian peers, sought legitimacy and influence through marrying into the Gallo-Roman elite and leveraging concessions from local bishops.
The invocation of Salic law marked a departure from Roman legal traditions, thus crafting a separate identity for Frankish governance.

Theoderic, recognized by Constantinople as king by the end of 497, worked to maintain stability, taxation, and public works while respecting the rights of Nicene Christians.

Early Christianity spread to regions such as Armenia, and its structure became increasingly organization-focused around bishops, forming communities extending into India and China.
Notable architectural and historical artifacts attest to this expansion, such as stele and murals, marking the faith's influence across cultures.

Historical shifts during the period of Late Antiquity reveal significant transformations in religious, political, and cultural identities as the once-unified Roman Empire fragmented into numerous Germanic kingdoms while influencing the broader context of Christianity and governance.