The Technique of Barbarian Settlement in the Fifth Century: A Personal, Streamlined Account with Ten Additional Comments

In 1844, E.-T. Gaupp set in motion sophisticated interpretations of the small body of evidence left by the barbarian settlements in the western Roman empire. A critique of Gaupp with an alternative, tax-based theory was published in 1980 and, although widely heeded, has been very controversial. In 2007, Guy Halsall drew a baseline for the subject, concluding that Gaupp was outdated and that either the alternative of 1980 or another comprehensive explanation was now needed. The present article conveys the 1980 revision in a reconsidered and streamlined form. It then adds discussions of ten associated points, highlighted by a new description of Vandal conditions in Africa and by an appraisal of Halsall's multi-sided interpretation of the settlements.