red through the empire,
from Italy to Syria.

From this time forward the Western Empire of Rome was the prey of
barbarians. In 451 the Huns under Attila invaded Gaul, besieged Orleans,
and were defeated at Chalons in the last great victory of Rome. In the
following year Attila invaded Italy, and Rome was only saved from the
worst of horrors by a large ransom. Three years afterwards, in 455, an
army of Vandals, who had invaded Africa, sailed to Italy, and Rome was
again taken and sacked. For fourteen days and nights the pillage
continued, and when it ended Rome was stripped bare of treasure; the
Christian churches, which had been spared by the Goths, being
mercilessly plundered by these heathen conquerors.

A few years more and the Western Empire of Rome came to an end. In the
year 476 or 479, Augustulus, the last emperor, was forced to resign, and
Odoacer, a barbarian chief, assumed the title of King of Italy. As for
the Eastern Empire, it maintained a half-life for nearly a thousand
years after, Constantinople being finally taken by the Turks, and made
the capital of Turkey, in 1453.

THE END.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Historic Tales, Volume 11 (of 15), by
Charles Morris

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