Scontri e incontri di popoli fra Aquileia e Illirico nel Tardoantico

This extensive and laborious study represents the first reconstruction of the historical and ethnic melting pot which in Late Antiquity shaped the area of the western Balkans, including all of today's Slovenia, involving northern Italy and its 'eastern gate' Aquileia. There are three lines of research pursued by the author. The first traverses the regional history of the provinces of which the area examined was part, from the proclamation of the military emperors in the second half of the third century to the events of the fourth century, up to the decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire in last quarter of the fifth century. The second thematic strand concerns the history of the barbarian populations, which from the late fourth century onwards considerably influenced the living conditions of the Late Antiquity in the area considered. While the Visigoths were able to significantly exert their influence only for three decades (approximately from 380 to 410) and the presence of the Huns remained limited to their expedition to Italy (452), more consistent traces are documented of the fifty-year presence of the Ostrogoths, of the twenty-year period of the Longobards and, towards the end of the sixth century, of the first settlements of the Slavs. The third line delves into the history of Christianity and in particular of the ecclesiastical organization from the late third century to the early seventh, with attention to the very important role of Aquileia. The study makes use not only of literary sources and ancient materials, but also resorts to an extensive examination of the scientific literature on the subject.