Medieval Knights in Armour

In Western Europe from the 3rd Century onward, the political unity of the Roman Empire began to fragment. As the central authority of Rome faded, the imperial territories were infiltrated by succeeding waves of "barbarian" tribal confederations. Some of these "barbarian" tribes rejected the classical culture of Rome, while others, like the Goths, admired and aspired to it. The Huns, Bulgars, Avars and Magyars along with a large number of Germanic and later Slavic peoples, were prominent tribal groups that migrated into Roman territory. Some of the incursions were by agreement, in which tribal groups were assigned lands to farm and settle in return for acting as allies and confederates of Rome. In other cases, particularly from the 4th Century onward, incursions were hostile, the land was seized and settled by force.