Can someone help me translate this sentence? It was in a packet we were given for reading but I don't think I'm understanding it correctly.

La crisis del Imperio Romano facilitó la invasión de España a partir del año 409 d.C., por varios pueblos "bárbaros" germánicos.

What I've made out so far is roughly this: The crisis of the Roman empire facilitated the invasion of Spain to divide....

but after that point I get stuck, especially with the meaning of "por" in this context. Any help would be appreciated.

I've actually cleaned up my translation a bit, so it reads more like:

The collapse of the Roman empire facilitations the invasion of Spain from 409 d.C...

but I'm still having trouble with the second half.

The crisis of the Roman Empire facilitated the invasion from Spain from the year 409 d.C., by various towns "barbaric" Germans.

*facilitated

Thank you for using the Jiskha Homework Help Forum. The best translation for "a partir de...= is "beginning with....." The next part flows better with "by various/several Germanic barbaric tribes."

When you are translating, remember that the "literal" translation (word for word) is not always the best word order, etc. When you are finished, the sentence should sound as best as possible in English.

Sure, I can help you translate the sentence and explain its meaning.

The translation of the sentence is: "The crisis of the Roman Empire facilitated the invasion of Spain from the year 409 AD, by several Germanic 'barbarian' peoples."

Let's break down the sentence to better understand its meaning:

- "La crisis del Imperio Romano" means "the crisis of the Roman Empire." This refers to a period of decline and instability in the Roman Empire.

- "facilitó la invasión de España" means "facilitated the invasion of Spain." The verb "facilitó" means "facilitated" or "made easier." The sentence is stating that the crisis of the Roman Empire made it easier for Spain to be invaded.

- "a partir del año 409 d.C." means "from the year 409 AD." This is the starting point of the invasion mentioned in the sentence.

- "por varios pueblos 'bárbaros' germánicos" means "by several Germanic 'barbarian' peoples." The preposition "por" here indicates the agent or means through which the invasion occurred. In this context, it indicates that the invasion was carried out by several Germanic tribes referred to as "barbarian" peoples.

To summarize, the sentence is stating that the crisis of the Roman Empire facilitated the invasion of Spain starting from the year 409 AD. This invasion was carried out by several Germanic tribes commonly referred to as "barbarian" peoples.