Socio-political priorities of the visigoths in 471-475 ad as a result of integration in system processes of the Roman empire

The article is devoted to the period of 471-475 AD in the history of the Roman Empire. At this time, the empire was experiencing major structural difficulties associated with factionalism, both at the center and in the provinces. Despite the belief of some researchers that the barbarian kingdoms as independent and self-sufficient units had already been formed in this period in the territories controlled by barbaric contingent, it considers that it is not. It is a mistake to see the actions of the barbarians as a systematic, thoughtful and reflect struggle for independence from the empire or against the empire at all. Not because such intentions in the interaction between the barbarians and the Empire were absent, but because it simplifies, exaggerates, makes an inadequate understanding of the multi-level system of coordinates in the space of late antiquity. The period of 471-475 AD marked by political struggle, frequent change of emperors, the factionalism in the Western Empire, has not by changing the imperial priorities and guidelines of the Visigoths. Furthermore, in the given period, these priorities appeared stronger than before. Charges of the Visigoth's chief Eurich in an ambitious quest for power first by Sidonius Appolinaris, then by Jordanes are the result of struggle of opposition parties at the time of writing the sources and cannot explain the action or inaction of the Visigoths at this time correctly. Expectant, cautious strategy of Eurich didn't give a reason to talk about his pointless aggression in relation to the Roman people. Actions of the Visigoths at that time were made at the request of and in support of local Aquitaine and Iberian officials who used the Visigoth power for their own interests. The resulting redistribution within the financial, social and ideological hierarchies of provinces of the empire was not associated with the rise of the barbarians and their monopolization of the status of the elite, but with the transition of local power from one Roman aristocratic clans to others. The fact that Eurich used the factions fighting to strengthen his own position as a leading military commander in the region, said about his skillful orientation in the social and political landscape of the empire, which means significant integration in the state and social system. The conscious creation, maintenance and use to their advantage of niche functionality of the Visigoths in the imperial system are possible only through the understanding of the system in its integrity. The systemic vision of imperial processes by Eurich was manifested in his attention to the events in Italy. He and his companions were in need of Roman imperial sanction, so retained integrity of the Roman state as a priority.

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