206 THE RACES OF THE DANUBE. [xi. 



side of progress. From the conquest of Spain by 

 Scipio to the subjugation of Central Germany by 

 Charles the Great, this is the most conspicuous 

 feature of Roman history. ' The area of stable nation- 

 ality in Europe was continually enlarged, and the 

 frontier to be defended against wild tribes was gra- 

 dually shortened and pushed eastward to the Lower 

 Danube. In the time of Marius, the Gaul and the 

 German were enemies who might possibly undo all 

 the good work that had been begun. But the Gaul 

 very quickly became a thorough Roman in his habits 

 and interests, forgetting even his native language ; 

 and the German tribes, as they acquired a foothold, 

 one after another, within the limits of the Empire, 

 became so far assimilated that the transformation of 

 the Roman structure effected by them was in no 

 respect, not even in a political sense, an overthrow. 



In the turbulent period of the fifth century, when 

 the debatable frontier was still at the Rhine and 

 Upper Danube, a terrible foe appeared in Attila, with 

 his horde of savage Huns ; and it was then mainly 

 by the prowess of Gauls and Germans, in the memor- 

 able battle of Chalons, that the security of European 

 civilisation was decisively guaranteed. So formidable 

 a danger has perhaps never since menaced Christen- 

 dom, though Gibbon reckoned the teaching of the 



