omary laws;
for the Romans it rested with their previous authorities in accordance
with Roman law but under the supervision of the Vandal king.

The Vandal kingdom was a strongly centralized monarchy. This led to the
development of a nobility based on employment in the imperial service. The
African climate and the sudden acquirement of wealth which enabled them to
enjoy all the luxurious extravagance of Roman life in the upper classes of
society soon produced an enervating effect upon the northern conquerors.
On the other hand, although they were completely lacking in political
rights, the Roman agricultural population of Africa felt the rule of the
Vandals to be less oppressive than that of the Roman bureaucracy.

*Under the Ostrogoths.* In Italy, Odovacar had maintained the Roman
administrative system in its entirety and Theoderic continued his policy.
He made no attempt to found a new state but regarded himself as one of the
rulers of the Roman empire. In 497 he asked and received from Anastasius
the symbols of imperial power which Odovacar had sent to Constantinople
upon the deposition of Romulus Augustulus in 476. From this time the
Gothic king may be regarded as a colleague of the eastern emperor. Not
merely did he retain the Roman administrative organization but all his
civil officials were Romans. He published an edict which constituted a
code of law applicable to Goths and Romans alike. So thoroughly Roman was
Theoderic's administration that even the army was open to Romans, who are
found among his prominent generals.

The Ostrogoths received assignments of land in Italy but it seems probable
that there was no confiscation of private property, one third of the state
lands being allotted for this purpose. Ravenna was the royal residence and
center of government, but the Roman Senate exercised a great deal of
influence and until the later years of his reign cordially supported the
authority of Theoderic.

*The Burgundians and the Franks.* The Burgundians in the Rhone valley
effected their settlement like the Visigoths according to the system of
_hospitium_. In general their relations with the Roman population were
peaceful, intermarriage between the two peoples was sanctioned, and the
Burgundian kings showed themselves appreciative of Roman culture.
Gundobad, who reigned from 473 to 516, issued both a code of Burgundian
laws and the Burgundian Roman Law (_Lex Romana Burgundionum_) which
applied to his Roman su