Westward Migrations

In the second century AD, the Eurasian continent was largely divided between a stable superpower (Rome) in the west and another stable superpower (Han China) in the east. In the middle, on the hilly grassland called the Eurasian Steppe, dwelt numerous groups of semi-nomadic peoples. These people tended to move eastward or westward out of the steppe, either evading conflict with other nomadic tribes or simply seeking the comparative luxury of the great empires. This brought them into conflict with the Romans and Chinese. As the two great empires weakened, the "barbarians" were at the gates, and large groups of different ethnicities settled in new areas. This process continued for hundreds of years, most intensely during the Migration Period of the 3rd through 7th centuries. Many modern countries trace their origins, and their present-day international relations, back to this period.