Expert: Conrad T. Jalowski - 6/9/2008

Question
In what ways was western europe able to maintain order and stability even with the absence of a durable centralized empire? During the middle ages how did western christianity preserve elements of classical society and establish a foundation for cultural unity?

Answer
(Excuse me for taking a considerable amount of time to answer the question, as I was working on my book on the First Athenian Empire under Pericles, and its synoecism. Thank you for the question, it is an honor to be of help.)



After the abjuration of the agnatic primogeniture of the Roman Empire with the deposition of Romulus Augustulus: 476 CE, the death of Julius Nepos: 480 CE and the subjugation of Syagrius of the Soissons from 457-489 CE, there was rampant kleptocracy as the aetataureate or Golden Age of the western oecumene had collapsed. The Roman Era of the Porphyrogene: 753-510 BCE, Republic: 509 BCE-27 CE, Principate: 27-96 CE, Dominate: 96-476 CE; the dynasties of the Julio-Claudians, Augustus: 27 BCE-14 CE, Tiberius: 14-37 CE, Gaius Germanicus or Caligula: 37-41 CE, Claudius: 41-54 CE, Nero: 54-68 CE; Year of the Four Emperors: Galba, Otho, Vitellius and Vespasian; Flavian Dynasty: 69-96 CE: Vespasian, Titus, Domitian; (Five Benevolent Emperors): Nervan-Antoninian Dynasty: 96-180 CE  Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus; Severan Dynasty: 193-235 CE; Secessionist Emperors: 235-284 (Gallic Empire, Britannic Empire and Palmyrene Empire; Diocletian and the Tetrarchy: 284-301 CE; Constantinian Dynasty: 305-363 CE; Valentinian Dynasty: 364-392 CE, Theodosian Dynasty: 379-457 CE.

The attempt to agglutinate and amalgamate (to maintain order and stability) the autochtonous of Western Europe fell to the Byzantines: 395-1453 CE, the Carolingian Frankish Empire under Charlemagne: 768-814 CE and the Holy Roman Empire: 962-1806 CE. The Byzantine Empire consisted of the Amorian, Isaurian, Nikephorian, Phrygian, Macedonian, Komnenian, Doukid, Angelid, Laskarid and Palaeologan Dynasties. During the wars of Belisarius from 526-532, 541-545 against the Sassanian Persians, 533-534 against the Vandals and 535-554 CE against the Ostrogoths, the Exarchate of Ravenna and the Catapanate of Italy was set up. This suzerainty and hegemony was handed to the 'Sebastokraters' or the relatives and/or the notables of the Byzantine Basileus, Porphyrogennetus and Autokrater. However, the Lombards invaded from 568-572 CE and laid devastation to Italy. During the Komenian Period the military strength increased from 20,000 to 30,000 to 40,000 under Alexius I Komnenos, John II Komnenos and Manuel I Komnenos respectively. Byzantine emperors tried to unite the western world to the east and to provide a central authority such as with John Tzismiskes, Manuel I Komnenos, Nikephorus II Phocas and Basil II 'Bulgaroctonus'. However, their rapacious enemies on three fronts: the West, the Balkans and in Anatolia or the East, military expenditure and over-extension of manpower resulted in economic exhaustion. The Byzantine Empire was to fail to maintain stability and order in the West. Soon, it became fissiparous or divided into the Greek Successor States of Nicaea, Epirus, Morea and Trebizond whilst the Latins had the Latin Empire, Kingdom of Thessalonica, Duchy of Negropolis, Duchy of Athens, Duchy of the Archipelago of Naxos, Principalitry of Achaea and multitudinous other autonomous 'autarchies' or states.

The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation reached its greatest breadth of size under the Ottonian or Liudolfing Dynasty: 919-1024 CE under Otto I, Otto II, Otto III. The Romano-Germanic Emperors took the appellation and autonomasia of Rex Teutonicorum or King of the Germans and that of Rex Romanorum or King of the Romans. The Prince-Electors elected the Holy Roman Emperor. These electors were the Archbishop of Cologne, Archbishop of Trier, Archbishop of Mainz, King of Bohemia, Count-Palatine of the Rhine and the Duke of Saxony. Thus, the hubristic nature of these prince-electors and their squabbles prevented a highly centralized imperium from gaining ground. The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation was, in fact, an agglomeration or a cluster of semi-autonomous 'autarchies' bickering for hegemony. The Holy Roman Empire met its demise during the Thirty Years' War when Gustavus II Adolphus supported the Protestant forces against the Catholic forces led by Albrecht Wallenstein. Another failed attempt to maintain order and stability within Western Europe.

Thank you for the question,

                           Conrad Jalowski