Everyday Life of the Barbarians: Goths, Franks and Vandals

With drawings by Eva Wilson.
The "Barbarians" of the classical world - especially the Goths, Franks and Vandals - have been traditionally dismissed as savage hordes who sacked Rome and destroyed her Empire. It is only the discoveries of modern archaeology that have established a true picture of these versatile Germanic tribes who originally inhabited north-west Europe beyond the frontiers of the Roman Empire and who later penetrated every corner of Europe.
Like the Celts, these tribes excelled in the arts of war - but warfare was far from being the whole of their life. They delighted in feasting, music, dancing and gaming. The tribes were organised in a rigorous social hierarchy and they practised a remarkably advanced system of agriculture. Their houses and furniture were simple but they took a particular pride in personal decoration: the surviving artifacts - especially ornamental metalwork - show a magnificent tradition of craftsmanship.
Trade contacts, too, reveal a lively commerce with the Roman provinces and with their nomadic neighbours.
This vivid and rounded portrait of the daily life of Rome's northern neighbours is a fascinating addition to the Publishers' Everyday Life series and a valuable complementary study to the volume on "Ancient Rome".
Malcolm Todd, who is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Nottingham, has made use of his own research, and the illustrations - almost 100 in all - include a great deal of unfamiliar material.