The Goths

Historical Context Essay

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.4.1: German-language Writing and Culture: Germany, 500-present.
Vol. editors: Gerhard P. Knapp (University of Utah), Jennifer Marston William (Purdue University), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jill E. Twark (East Carolina University)

Domains

Population, migrations and new settlements

Dates

Date of occurrence 200-711

Places

Germany (Location)
Italy (Location)
Romania (Location)
Sweden (Location)
Ukraine (Location)

Resources

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Originating on the shores of the Baltic (probably in “Gotland”, Sweden), this people moved south-eastwards in the second century CE and expanded in the Ukraine during the third century. There they developed remarkable skills as horsemen and their cavalry became feared for its ability with the sword and bow. The Goths divided into the Ostrogoths (Eastern Goths) east of the Dneiper and the Visigoths to the west. The Visigoths forced the Romans to evacuate Dacia (modern Romania) in the middle of the third century, ravaged the Balkans and threatened Constantinople, but they were defeated at the Battle of Naissus in 268. This battle concluded a series of campaigns against the Goths led by the Emperor although the victory itself was attributed to the next Emperor, Claudius II, who is…

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326 words

Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "The Goths". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 16 November 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1624, accessed 18 April 2024.]

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