| CHAPTER I. |
| Introductory. |
| CHAPTER II. |
| The Roman Empire before the Invasion of the Barbarians. |
| The Empire in the Second Century | 5 |
| Obliteration of National distinctions | 6 |
| Rise of Christianity | 10 |
| Its Alliance with the State | 10 |
| Its Influence on the Idea of an Imperial Nationality | 13 |
| CHAPTER III. |
| The Barbarian Invasions. |
| Relations between the Primitive Germans and the Romans | 15 |
| Their Feelings towards Rome and her Empire | 16 |
| Belief in its Eternity | 20 |
| Extinction by Odoacer of the Western branch of the Empire | 26 |
| Theodoric the Ostrogothic King | 27 |
| Gradual Dissolution of the Empire | 30 |
| Permanence of the Roman Religion and the Roman Law | 31 |
| CHAPTER IV. |
| Restoration of the Empire in the West. |
| The Franks | 34 |
| Italy under Greeks and Lombards | 37 |
| The Iconoclastic Schism | 38 |
| Alliance of the Popes with the Frankish Kings | 39 |
| The Frankish Conquest of Italy | 41 |
| Adventures and Plans of Pope Leo III | 43 |
| Coronation of Charles the Great | 48 |
| CHAPTER V. |
| Empire and Policy of Charles. |
| Import of the Coronation at Rome | 52 |
| Accounts given in the Annals of the time | 53 |
| Question as to the Intentions of Charles | 58 |
| Legal Effect of the Coronation | 62 |
| Position of Charles towards the Church | 64 |
| Towards his German Subjects | 67 |
| Towards the other Races of Europe | 70 |
| General View of his Character and Policy | 72 |
| CHAPTER VI. |
| Carolingian and Italian Emperors. |
| Reign of Lewis I | 76 |
| Dissolution of the Carolingian Empire | 78 |
| Beginnings of the German Kingdom | 79 |
| Italian Emperors | 80 |
| Otto the Saxon King | 84 |
| Coronation of Otto at Rome | 87 |
| CHAPTER VII. |
| Theory of the MediÆval Empire. |
| | 322 |
| Spirit and Essence of the Religious Movement | 325 |
| Its Influence on the Doctrine of the Visible Church | 327 |
| How far it promoted Civil and Religious Liberty | 329 |
| Its Effect upon the MediÆval Theory of the Empire | 332 |
| Upon the Position of the Emperor in Europe | 333 |
| Dissensions in Germany | 334 |
| The Thirty Years' War | 335 |
| CHAPTER XIX. |
| The Peace of Westphalia: Last Stage in the Decline of the Empire. |
| Political Import of the Peace of Westphalia | 337 |
| Hippolytus a Lapide and his Book | 339 |
| Changes in the Germanic Constitution | 340 |
| Narrowed Bounds of the Empire | 341 |
| Condition of Germany after the Peace | 342 |
| The Balance of Power | 345 |
| The Hapsburg Emperors and their Policy | 348 |
| The Emperor Charles VII | 351 |
| The Empire in its last Phase | 352 |
| Feelings of the German People | 354 |
| CHAPTER XX. |
| Fall of the Empire. |
| The Emperor Francis II | 356 |
| Napoleon as the Representative of the Carolingians | 357 |
| The French Empire | 360 |
| Napoleon's German Policy | 361 |
| The Confederation of the Rhine | 362 |
| End of the Empire | 363 |
| The German Confederation | 364 |
| CHAPTER XXI. |
| Conclusion: General Summary. |
| Causes of the Perpetuation of the Name of Rome | 366 |
| Parallel instances: Claims now made to represent the Roman Empire | 367 |
| Parallel afforded by the History of the Papacy | 369 |
| In how far was the Empire really Roman | 374 |
| Imperialism: Ancient and Modern | 375 |
| Essential Principles of the MediÆval Empire | 377 |
| Influence of the Imperial System in Germany | 378 |
| The Claim of Modern Austria to represent the MediÆval Empire | 381 |
| Results of the Influence of the Empire upon Europe | 383 |
| Upon Modern Jurisprudence | 383 |
| Upon the Development of the Ecclesiastical Power | 384 |
| Struggle of the Empire with three Hostile Principles | |
