Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/77

The German Invasions judgment that he should be burned with fire by them, since when they asked for the true faith he misled them with false teaching and changed for them the fire of love into the fire of hell. After the great and glorious victory, the West Goths set themselves to cultivate Thrace and the Dac'ian river valley as if it were their native soil of which they had just gained possession. [There they remained, hostile to the Empire, and a per- petual menace. Finally Theodosius the Great, the brave and stern, the wise and liberal, ended the war between the Goths and the Romans by a treaty. By his presents and his friendly bearing, he won the friendship of Athanaric, king of the West Goths, and invited him to go to Constanti- nople.] When the West Goth entered the royal city he was astounded. "Now I see what I have often heard without believing the glory of this great city." Looking here and there, he admired the site of the city, and the number of ships, and the magnificent walls. He saw people of many nations, like a stream flowing from different sources into one fountain. He marveled at the martial array of the soldiers and exclaimed, " Doubtless the emperor is a god of this earth, and whoever has raised his hand against him is guilty of his own blood." A few months later, Athanaric, upon whom the emperor heaped his favors, departed from this world, and the emperor, because of his affection for Athanaric, honored him almost more in death than he had done in life, gave him worthy burial, and was himself present beside the bier at the funeral. After the death of Athanaric, all his army remained in the service of the emperor Theodosius, submitted to the Roman power, and formed, as it were, one body with its soldiers. They resembled the allies whom Constantine had had, who were called Foederati. After Theodosius, who cherished both peace and the Gothic people, had departed this life, his sons [Honorius and Arcadius], through their lives of indulgence, began to The king of the West Goths visits Constanti- nople. Alaric leads the West Goths into Italy.