This painting of Attila the Hun as the prototype of the barbarian is a historical cliché, as is the next one of the conversion of Clovis.

This pious looking individual is Clovis, king of the Franks, in the act of being baptized. Clovis laid the cornerstone of France. To do so, he had to assassinate, not just his avowed rivals, but even members of his own family.

The Huns were early Mongols who invaded the crumbling Roman empire in the 5th century. Their fame as destructors is probably merited but also exaggerated. For one, they were not numerous enough to cause that much damage, and for another, they always seemed to retreat before they attained their objectives, as in Italy where unarmed pope Leo I (440-461) stopped their leader Attila before reaching Rome.

This painting can serve as a contrast to the one on Alaric's savage assault on Rome. Athens did not resist and the Ostrogothic chieftain entered the city with the air of a tourist about him. The only trouble with this comparison is that Rome did not resist either, or did a poor job of resisting, so the picture on Rome must be interpreted as a metaphor for barbarians on the loose. In fact, all pictures in this collections are metaphors in that they represent more than what they portray.

Alaric, a Visigothic leader, conquered Rome in 510. This painting is pure fantasy. However, in showing a horde seemingly penetrating the city directly from the countryside, it does express the fact that Rome at the time was so defenseless that emperor Honorius established his capital in Ravenna, surrounded by marshes.

St. Patrick was British but lived as young slave in Ireland. He returned as a Christian missionary and in this stylized representation is baptizing king Elphin of Leinster (late 5th century).