Medieval and modern times : an introduction to the history of western Europe form the dissolution of the Roman empire to the present time . restless nobility whose chief interest in life consisted in fighting. In addition to the weakness and poverty of the kings there Newwas another trouble, — and that the worst of all, — namely, theconstant new invasions from all directions which kept all threeparts of Charlemagnes empire, and England besides, in a con-stant state of terror and disaster. These invasions were almostas bad as those which had occurred before Charlemagnes time ;they prevented wes

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Medieval and modern times : an introduction to the history of western Europe form the dissolution of the Roman empire to the present time . restless nobility whose chief interest in life consisted in fighting. In addition to the weakness and poverty of the kings there Newwas another trouble, — and that the worst of all, — namely, theconstant new invasions from all directions which kept all threeparts of Charlemagnes empire, and England besides, in a con-stant state of terror and disaster. These invasions were almostas bad as those which had occurred before Charlemagnes time ;they prevented western Europe from becoming peaceful and • 9° Medieval and Alodern Times prosperous and serve to explain the dark perjod of two hundred years which followed the break-up of Charlemagnes empire. The Moham- We know how the Mohammedans had got possession of atteckitaly northern Africa and then conquered Spain, and how Charles and southern Martel had frustrated their attempt to add Gaul to their pos- tranee * sessions. But this rebuff did not end their attacks on southernEurope. They got control of the island of Sicily shortly after. Fig. 25. Amphitheater at Arles in the Middle Ages The great Roman amphitheater at Aries (built probably in the first orsecond century) is about fifteen hundred feet in circumference. Duringthe eighth century, when the Mohammedans were invading southernFrance, it was converted into a fortress. Many of the inhabitants settledinside its walls, and towers were constructed, which still stand. The pic-ture shows it before the dwellings were removed, about 1830 Charlemagnes death, and then began to terrorize Italy andsouthern France. Even Rome itself suffered from them.The accompanying picture shows how the people of Aries, in southern- France, built their houses inside the old Romanamphitheater in order to protect themselves from these Moham-medan invaders.Slavs and On the east the German rulers had constantly to contend with the Slavs. Charlemagne had d