[Sidenote: Alexander A.D. 222-235]
[Sidenote: Maximinus A.D. 235-238]
[Sidenote: Pupienus A.D. 238]
XV As already said, they crossed the Danube and 83
dwelt a little while in Moesia and Thrace. From the
remnant of these came Maximinus, the Emperor succeeding
Alexander the son of Mama. For Symmachus relates
it thus in the fifth book of his history, saying that
upon the death of Caesar Alexander, Maximinus was
made Emperor by the army; a man born in Thrace of
most humble parentage, his father being a Goth named
Micca, and his mother a woman of the Alani called
Ababa. He reigned three years and lost alike his empire
and his life while making war on the Christians. Now 84
after his first years spent in rustic life, he had come from
his flocks to military service in the reign of the Emperor
Severus and at the time when he was celebrating his
son's birthday. It happened that the Emperor was giving
military games. When Maximinus saw this, although he
was a semi-barbarian youth, he besought the Emperor in
his native tongue to give him permission to wrestle with 85
the trained soldiers for the prizes offered. Severus marvelling
much at his great size--for his stature, it is said,
was more than eight feet,--bade him contend in wrestling
with the camp followers, in order that no injury might
befall his soldiers at the hands of this wild fellow. Thereupon
Maximinus threw sixteen attendants with so great
ease that he conquered them one by one without taking
any rest by pausing between the bouts. So then, when
he had won the prizes, it was ordered that he should be
sent into the army and should take his first campaign with
the cavalry. On the third day after this, when the Emperor
went out to the field, he saw him coursing about
in barbarian fashion and bade a tribune restrain him and
teach him Roman discipline. But when he understood
it was the Emperor who was speaking about him, he came 86
forward and began to run ahead of him as he rode. Then
the Emperor spurred on his horse to a slow trot and
wheeled in many a circle hither and thither with various
turns, until he was weary. And then he said to him "Are
you willing to wrestle now after your running, my little
Thracian?" "As much as you like, O Emperor," he
answered. So Severus leaped from his horse and ordered
the freshest soldiers to wrestle with him. But he threw
to the ground seven very powerful youths, even as before,
taking no breathing space between the bouts. So he alone
was given prizes of silver and a golden necklace by Caesar.
Then he was bidden to serve in the body guard of
the Emperor. After this he was an officer under Antoninus 87
Caracalla, often increasing his fame by his deeds,
and rose to many military grades and finally to the centurionship
as the reward of his active service. Yet afterwards,
when Macrinus became Emperor, he refused military
service for almost three years, and though he held
the office of tribune, he never came into the presence of
Macrinus, thinking his rule shameful because he had won
it by committing a crime. Then he returned to Eliogabalus, 88
believing him to be the son of Antoninus, and
entered upon his tribuneship. After his reign, he fought
with marvellous success against the Parthians, under
Alexander the son of Mama. When he was slain in an
uprising of the soldiers at Mogontiacum, Maximinus
himself was made Emperor by a vote of the army, without
a decree of the senate. But he marred all his good
deeds by persecuting the Christians in accordance with
an evil vow and, being slain by Pupienus at Aquileia, left
the kingdom to Philip. These matters we have borrowed
from the history of Symmachus for this our little book,
in order to show that the race of which we speak attained
to the very highest station in the Roman Empire. But
our subject requires us to return in due order to the point
whence we digressed.
[Sidenote: KING OSTROGOTHA WARS WITH PHILIP]
[Sidenote: Philip pater A.D. 244-249 "The Arabian"]
[Sidenote: Philip filius A.D. 247-249]
XVI Now the Gothic race gained great fame in the 89
region where they were then dwelling, that is in the
Scythian land on the shore of Pontus, holding undisputed
sway over great stretches of country, many arms of the
sea and many river courses. By their strong right arm
the Vandals were often laid low, the Marcomanni held
their footing by paying tribute and the princes of the
Quadi were reduced to slavery. Now when the aforesaid
Philip--who, with his son Philip, was the only Christian
emperor before Constantine--ruled over the Romans, in
the second year of his reign Rome completed its one
thousandth year. He withheld from the Goths the tribute
due them; whereupon they were naturally enraged and
instead of friends became his foes. For though they dwelt
apart under their own kings, yet they had been allied to
the Roman state and received annual gifts. And what 90
more? Ostrogotha and his men soon crossed the Danube
and ravaged Moesia and Thrace. Philip sent the senator
Decius against him. And since he could do nothing
against the Getae, he released his own soldiers from military
service and sent them back to private life, as though
it had been by their neglect that the Goths had crossed the
Danube. When, as he supposed, he had thus taken vengeance
on his soldiers, he returned to Philip. But when
the soldiers found themselves expelled from the army
after so many hardships, in their anger they had recourse
to the protection of Ostrogotha, king of the Goths. He 91
received them, was aroused by their words and presently
led out three hundred thousand armed men, having as
allies for this war some of the Taifali and Astringi and
also three thousand of the Carpi, a race of men very ready
to make war and frequently hostile to the Romans. But
in later times when Diocletian and Maximian were Emperors,
the Caesar Galerius Maximianus conquered them
and made them tributary to the Roman Empire. Besides
these tribes, Ostrogotha had Goths and Peucini from the
island of Peucë, which lies in the mouths of the Danube
where they empty into the Sea of Pontus. He placed in
command Argaithus and Guntheric, the noblest leaders 92
of his race. They speedily crossed the Danube, devastated
Moesia a second time and approached Marcianople,
the famed metropolis of that land. Yet after a long siege
they departed, upon receiving money from the inhabitants.
[Sidenote: MARCIANOPLE]
[Sidenote: THE GEPIDAE AND THEIR DEFEAT BY OSTROGOTHA]
Now since we have mentioned Marcianople, we may 93
briefly relate a few matters in connection with its founding.
They say that the Emperor Trajan built this city
for the following reason. While his sister's daughter
Marcia was bathing in the stream called Potamus--a
river of great clearness and purity that rises in the midst
of the city--she wished to draw some water from it and
by chance dropped into its depths the golden pitcher she
was carrying. Yet though very heavy from its weight
of metal, it emerged from the waves a long time afterwards.
It surely is not a usual thing for an empty vessel
to sink; much less that, when once swallowed up, it should
be cast up by the waves and float again. Trajan marvelled
at hearing this and believed there was some divinity
in the stream. So he built a city and called it Marcianople
after the name of his sister.
XVII From this city, then, as we were saying, the 94
Getae returned after a long siege to their own land, enriched
by the ransom they had received. Now the race
of the Gepidae was moved with envy when they saw them
laden with booty and so suddenly victorious everywhere,
and made war on their kinsmen. Should you ask how
the Getae and Gepidae are kinsmen, I can tell you in a
few words. You surely remember that in the beginning
I said the Goths went forth from the bosom of the island
of Scandza with Berig, their king, sailing in only three
ships toward the hither shore of Ocean, namely to
Gothiscandza. One of these three ships proved to be 95
slower than the others, as is usually the case, and thus is
said to have given the tribe their name, for in their
language _gepanta_ means slow. Hence it came to pass
that gradually and by corruption the name Gepidae was
coined for them by way of reproach. For undoubtedly
they too trace their origin from the stock of the Goths,
but because, as I have said, _gepanta_ means something
slow and stolid, the word Gepidae arose as a gratuitous
name of reproach. I do not believe this is very far
wrong, for they are slow of thought and too sluggish for
quick movement of their bodies.
These Gepidae were then smitten by envy while they 96
dwelt in the province of Spesis on an island surrounded
by the shallow waters of the Vistula. This island they
called, in the speech of their fathers, Gepedoios; but it is
now inhabited by the race of the Vividarii, since the
Gepidae themselves have moved to better lands. The
Vividarii are gathered from various races into this one
asylum, if I may call it so, and thus they form a nation.
So then, as we were saying, Fastida, king of the Gepidae, 97
stirred up his quiet people to enlarge their boundaries by
war. He overwhelmed the Burgundians, almost annihilating
them, and conquered a number of other races also.
He unjustly provoked the Goths, being the first to break
the bonds of kinship by unseemly strife. He was greatly
puffed up with vain glory, but in seeking to acquire new
lands for his growing nation, he only reduced the numbers
of his own countrymen. For he sent ambassadors 98
to Ostrogotha, to whose rule Ostrogoths and Visigoths
alike, that is, the two peoples of the same tribe, were still
subject. Complaining that he was hemmed in by rugged
mountains and dense forests, he demanded one of two
things,--that Ostrogotha should either prepare for war
or give up part of his lands to them. Then Ostrogotha, 99
king of the Goths, who was a man of firm mind, answered
the ambassadors that he did indeed dread such a
war and that it would be a grievous and infamous thing
to join battle with their kin,--but he would not give up
his lands. And why say more? The Gepidae hastened
to take arms and Ostrogotha likewise moved his forces
against them, lest he should seem a coward. They met
at the town of Galtis, near which the river Auha flows
and there both sides fought with great valor; indeed the
similarity of their arms and of their manner of fighting
turned them against their own men. But the better cause
and their natural alertness aided the Goths. Finally night 100
put an end to the battle as a part of the Gepidae were
giving way. Then Fastida, king of the Gepidae, left the
field of slaughter and hastened to his own land, as much
humiliated with shame and disgrace as formerly he had
been elated with pride. The Goths returned victorious,
content with the retreat of the Gepidae, and dwelt in
peace and happiness in their own land so long as Ostrogotha
was their leader.
[Sidenote: KING CNIVA AT WAR WITH DECIUS]
[Sidenote: Decius A.D. 249-251]
[Sidenote: Capture of Philippopolis A.D. 250]
[Sidenote: Death of Decius at Abrittus A.D. 251]
XVIII After his death, Cniva divided the army into 101
two parts and sent some to waste Moesia, knowing that it
was undefended through the neglect of the emperors.
He himself with seventy thousand men hastened to
Euscia, that is, Novae. When driven from this place by
the general Gallus, he approached Nicopolis, a very famous
town situated near the Iatrus river. This city
Trajan built when he conquered the Sarmatians and
named it the City of Victory. When the Emperor Decius
drew near, Cniva at last withdrew to the regions of
Haemus, which were not far distant. Thence he hastened
to Philippopolis, with his forces in good array. When 102
the Emperor Decius learned of his departure, he was
eager to bring relief to his own city and, crossing Mount
Haemus, came to Beroa. While he was resting his horses
and his weary army in that place, all at once Cniva and
his Goths fell upon him like a thunderbolt. He cut the
Roman army to pieces and drove the Emperor, with a
few who had succeeded in escaping, across the Alps again
to Euscia in Moesia, where Gallus was then stationed
with a large force of soldiers as guardian of the frontier.
Collecting an army from this region as well as from
Oescus, he prepared for the conflict of the coming war.
But Cniva took Philippopolis after a long siege and then, 103
laden with spoil, allied himself to Priscus, the commander
in the city, to fight against Decius. In the battle that
followed they quickly pierced the son of Decius with an
arrow and cruelly slew him. The father saw this, and
although he is said to have exclaimed, to cheer the hearts
of his soldiers: "Let no one mourn; the death of one
soldier is not a great loss to the republic", he was yet
unable to endure it, because of his love for his son. So
he rode against the foe, demanding either death or vengeance,
and when he came to Abrittus, a city of Moesia,
he was himself cut off by the Goths and slain, thus making
an end of his dominion and of his life. This place
is to-day called the Altar of Decius, because he there
offered strange sacrifices to idols before the battle.
(THE GOTHS IN THE TIME OF GALLUS, VOLUSIANUS AND AEMILIANUS)
[Sidenote: Gallus A.D. 251-253]
[Sidenote: Volusianus A.D. 252-253]
[Sidenote: Aemilianus A.D. 253]
[Sidenote: The Plague A.D. 252-267]
[Sidenote: Gallienus A.D. 253-268]
XIX Then upon the death of Decius, Gallus and 104
Volusianus succeeded to the Roman Empire. At this
time a destructive plague, almost like death itself, such
as we suffered nine years ago, blighted the face of the
whole earth and especially devastated Alexandria and all
the land of Egypt. The historian Dionysius gives a
mournful account of it and Cyprian, our own bishop and
venerable martyr in Christ, also describes it in his book
entitled "On Mortality". At this time the Goths frequently
ravaged Moesia, through the neglect of the Emperors.
When a certain Aemilianus saw that they were 105
free to do this, and that they could not be dislodged by
anyone without great cost to the republic, he thought that
he too might be able to achieve fame and fortune. So he
seized the rule in Moesia and, taking all the soldiers he
could gather, began to plunder cities and people. In the
next few months, while an armed host was being gathered
against him, he wrought no small harm to the state.
Yet he died almost at the beginning of his evil attempt,
thus losing at once his life and the power he coveted.
Now though Gallus and Volusianus, the Emperors we 106
have mentioned, departed this life after remaining in
power for barely two years, yet during this space of two
years which they spent on earth they reigned amid universal
peace and favor. Only one thing was laid to their
charge, namely the great plague. But this was an accusation
made by ignorant slanderers, whose custom it is
to wound the lives of others with their malicious bite.
Soon after they came to power they made a treaty with
the race of the Goths. When both rulers were dead, it
was no long time before Gallienus usurped the throne.
[Sidenote: THE GOTHS PLUNDER ASIA MINOR A.D. 262 or 263]
XX While he was given over to luxurious living of 107
every sort, Respa, Veduc and Thuruar, leaders of the
Goths, took ship and sailed across the strait of the Hellespont
to Asia. There they laid waste many populous
cities and set fire to the renowned temple of Diana at
Ephesus, which, as we said before, the Amazons built.
Being driven from the neighborhood of Bithynia, they
destroyed Chalcedon, which Cornelius Avitus afterwards
restored to some extent. Yet even to-day, though it is
happily situated near the royal city, it still shows some
traces of its ruin as a witness to posterity. After their 108
success, the Goths recrossed the strait of the Hellespont,
laden with booty and spoil, and returned along the same
route by which they had entered the lands of Asia, sacking
Troy and Ilium on the way. These cities, which had
scarce recovered a little from the famous war with Agamemnon,
were thus destroyed anew by the hostile sword.
After the Goths had thus devastated Asia, Thrace next
felt their ferocity. For they went thither and presently
attacked Anchiali, a city at the foot of Haemus and not
far from the sea. Sardanapalus, king of the Parthians,
had built this city long ago between an inlet of the sea
and the base of Haemus. There they are said to have 109
stayed for many days, enjoying the baths of the hot
springs which are situated about twelve miles from the
city of Anchiali. There they gush from the depths of
their fiery source, and among the innumerable hot springs
of the world they are esteemed as specially famous and
efficacious for their healing virtues.
(THE TIMES OF DIOCLETIAN)
[Sidenote: Diocletian 284-305]
[Sidenote: Masimian 284-305]
XXI After these events, the Goths had already returned 110
home when they were summoned at the request
of the Emperor Maximian to aid the Romans against the
Parthians. They fought for him faithfully, serving as
auxiliaries. But after Caesar Maximian by their aid had
routed Narseus, king of the Persians, the grandson of
Sapor the Great, taking as spoil all his possessions, together
with his wives and his sons, and when Diocletian
had conquered Achilles in Alexandria and Maximianus
Herculius had broken the Quinquegentiani in Africa, thus
winning peace for the empire, they began rather to neglect
the Goths.
[Sidenote: Constantine I 306-337]
[Sidenote: Licinius 307-323]
Now it had long been a hard matter for the Roman 111
army to fight against any nations whatsoever without
them. This is evident from the way in which the Goths
were so frequently called upon. Thus they were summoned
by Constantine to bear arms against his kinsman
Licinius. Later, when he was vanquished and shut up
Thessalonica and deprived of his power, they slew him
with the sword of Constantine the victor. In like manner 112
it was the aid of the Goths that enabled him to build the
famous city that is named after him, the rival of Rome,
inasmuch as they entered into a truce with the Emperor
and furnished him forty thousand men to aid him against
various peoples. This body of men, namely, the Allies,
and the service they rendered in war are still spoken of in
the land to this day. Now at that time they prospered
under the rule of their kings Ariaric and Aoric. Upon
their death Geberich appeared as successor to the throne,
a man renowned for his valor and noble birth.
[Sidenote: GEBERICH CONQUERS THE VANDALS 336]
XXII For he was the son of Hilderith, who was the 113
son of Ovida, who was the son of Nidada; and by his
illustrious deeds he equalled the glory of his race. Soon
he sought to enlarge his country's narrow bounds at the
expense of the race of the Vandals and Visimar, their
king. This Visimar was of the stock of the Asdingi,
which is eminent among them and indicates a most warlike
descent, as Dexippus the historian relates. He states
furthermore that by reason of the great extent of their
country they could scarcely come from Ocean to our frontier
in a year's time. At that time they dwelt in the land
where the Gepidae now live, near the rivers Marisia,
Miliare, Gilpil and the Grisia, which exceeds in size all
previously mentioned. They then had on the east the 114
Goths, on the west the Marcomanni, on the north the
Hermunduli and on the south the Hister, which is also
called the Danube. At the time when the Vandals were
dwelling in this region, war was begun against them by
Geberich, king of the Goths, on the shore of the river
Marisia which I have mentioned. Here the battle raged
for a little while on equal terms. But soon Visimar himself,
the king of the Vandals, was overthrown, together
with the greater part of his people. When Geberich, the 115
famous leader of the Goths, had conquered and spoiled
Vandals, he returned to his own place whence he had
come. Then the remnant of the Vandals who had escaped,
collecting a band of their unwarlike folk, left their
ill-fated country and asked the Emperor Constantine for
Pannonia. Here they made their home for about sixty
years and obeyed the commands of the emperors like
subjects. A long time afterward they were summoned
thence by Stilicho, Master of the Soldiery, Ex-Consul and
Patrician, and took possession of Gaul. Here they plundered
their neighbors and had no settled place of abode.
[Sidenote: CONQUEST OF THE HERCULI, VENETHI AND AESTI]
XXIII Soon Geberich, king of the Goths, departed 116
from human affairs and Hermanaric, noblest of the
Amali, succeeded to the throne. He subdued many warlike
peoples of the north and made them obey his laws,
and some of our ancestors have justly compared him to
Alexander the Great. Among the tribes he conquered
were the Golthescytha, Thiudos, Inaunxis, Vasinabroncae,
Merens, Mordens, Imniscaris, Rogas, Tadzans, Athaul, 117
Navego, Bubegenae and Coldae. But though famous
for his conquest of so many races, he gave himself no rest
until he had slain some in battle and then reduced to his
sway the remainder of the tribe of the Heruli, whose chief
was Alaric. Now the aforesaid race, as the historian
Ablabius tells us, dwelt near Lake Maeotis in swampy
places which the Greeks call _hel[=e]_; hence they were named
Heluri. They were a people swift of foot, and on that
account were the more swollen with pride, for there was 118
at that time no race that did not choose from them its
light-armed troops for battle. But though their quickness
often saved them from others who made war upon them,
yet they were overthrown by the slowness and steadiness
of the Goths; and the lot of fortune brought it to pass
that they, as well as the other tribes, had to serve Hermanaric,
king of the Getae. After the slaughter of the 119
Heruli, Hermanaric also took arms against the Venethi.
This people, though despised in war, was strong in numbers
and tried to resist him. But a multitude of cowards
is of no avail, particularly when God permits an armed
multitude to attack them. These people, as we started
to say at the beginning of our account or catalogue of
nations, though off-shoots from one stock, have now
three names, that is, Venethi, Antes and Sclaveni. Though
they now rage in war far and wide, in punishment for
our sins, yet at that time they were all obedient to Hermanaric's
commands. This ruler also subdued by his 120
wisdom and might the race of the Aesti, who dwell on
the farthest shore of the German Ocean, and ruled all the
nations of Scythia and Germany by his own prowess
alone.
[Sidenote: ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE HUNS]
XXIV But after a short space of time, as Orosius 121
relates, the race of the Huns, fiercer than ferocity itself,
flamed forth against the Goths. We learn from old traditions
that their origin was as follows: Filimer, king of
the Goths, son of Gadaric the Great, who was the fifth in
succession to hold the rule of the Getae after their departure
from the island of Scandza,--and who, as we have
said, entered the land of Scythia with his tribe,--found
among his people certain witches, whom he called in his
native tongue Haliurunnae. Suspecting these women, he
expelled them from the midst of his race and compelled
them to wander in solitary exile afar from his army.
There the unclean spirits, who beheld them as they wandered 122
through the wilderness, bestowed their embraces
upon them and begat this savage race, which dwelt at
first in the swamps,--a stunted, foul and puny tribe,
scarcely human, and having no language save one which
bore slight resemblance to human speech. Such was
the descent of the Huns who came to the country of the
Goths.