Table of Contents

Preface     
Introduction      
Gothic History as Historical Ethnography

1. The Names        
The Gothic Name       
The Dual Names of the Two Gothic Peoples      
Visigoths and Ostrogoths as Western Goths and Eastern Goths     
The Epic and the Derisive Names of the Goths     
Biblical and Classical Names for the Goths   
Gothic Royal Houses and Their Names       

2. The Formation of the Gothic Tribes before the Invasion of the Huns      
Gutones and Guti      
Politics and Institutions of the Gutones 
The Trek to the Black Sea    
The Goths at the Black Sea    
     The Gothic Invasions of the Third Century   
     The Gothic Advance into the Aegean     
     Aurelian and the Division of the Goths   
The Tervingian-Vesian Confederation at the Danube     
     The Events of 291 to 364    
     The Era of Athanaric, 365-376/381     
Ulfilas and the Beginning of the Conversion of the Goths  
The Ostrogothic Greutungi until the Invasion of the Huns   
     Ermanaric's Greutungian Kingdom and Its Dissolution    
Political Organization and Culture of the Goths at the Danube and 
   the Black Sea   
     The Gutthiuda: The Land of the Tervingi and Taifali   
     The Kuni: Community of Descent and Subdivision of the Gutthiuda    
     The Harjis, the Tribal Army    
     Gards, Batirgs, Sibja: Lordship, Retainers, Community of Law       
     Haims (Village): The Social World of the Gothic Freeman    
     Cult and Religion among the Goths     
     Language and Daily Life    
     The Ostrogothic-Greutungian Kingship     

3. The Forty-year Migration and the Formation of the 
    Visigoths, 376/378 to 416/418        
The Invasion and Settlement of the Goths in Thrace    
     From the Crossing of the Danube (376) to the Battle of 
       Adrianople (378)    
     Theodosius and the Settlement of the Goths in Thrace   
The Balkan Campaigns of 395-401       
     The Foedus of 397 and the Settlement of the Goths in Macedonia     
     Alaric's Elevation to the Kingship  
     Fravitta and Eriulf   
     Gainas and Tribigild    
The Goths in the Western Empire, 401-418      
     Alaric's Italian Wars   
     Athaulf and the Gothic Trek Westward     
     Athaulf 's Contribution to the Visigothic Ethnogenesis 
     The Visigoths Become Horsemen      
     Radagaisus and His Contribution to the Visigothic
       Ethnogenesis    
     Valia and the Goths "in Roman Service"     

4. The Kingdom of Toulouse, 418 to 507            
The Aquitanian Federates, 418-466      
The Visigothic "Superpower," 466-507       
    Euric (466-484) and the Breach of the Foedus of 416/418      
    The Conquest of the Auvergne and Tarraconensis       
    The Last Battles with the Empire    
    The Organization and Development of Dominion        
    Alaric II (484-507)    
The Legal and Ecclesiastical Policies of Euric and Alaric II 
    The Legislation of Euric and Alaric II   
    The Ecclesiastical Policies of Euric and Alaric II 
The King and the Royal Clan      
    The Royal Family      
    The King      
    Court Life: Religion, Language, and Culture    
The Kingship: Its Functions and Functionaries    
    Military Organization     
    The Courtiers     
    Royal Estates and Finances     
The Settlement of the Visigoths   
The Peoples of the Kingdom of Toulouse: Ethnic and Social Composition     
    Goths and Romans in the Kingdom of Toulouse        
    Jews, Greeks, and Syrians    
    The Native Barbarians     
    The Immigrant Barbarians      
    Conditions of Dependency      
    The End That Was No End 

5. The "New" Ostrogoths          
The Division and Reunification of the Amal Goths, 375-451      
    Pannonian Greutungi, Hunnic Goths, and Ostrogoths        
The Ostrogothic Kingdom in Pannonia, 456/457-473        
The Ostrogoths in the Balkans, 473-488      
Theodoric's Battle for Italy, 488-493   
    The Ostrogothic March to Italy     
    The Battles in Italy, 489-493    
Flavius Theodericus Rex: King of the Goths and Italians, 493-526  
    Theodoric's Efforts To Obtain Imperial Recognition,
       490/493-497      
         
    Some Questions      
    Theodoric's Kingdom: An Attempt at a Constitutional 
      Analysis    
    Theodoric's Rule in Theory and Practice    
Exercitus Gothorum      
    Comites Gothorum, Duces, Saiones, Millenarii, Mediocres, Capillati    
    The Settlement of the Gothic Army     
    Polyethnicity, Social Status, and Compulsory Military Service 
    Ostrogothic Weapons and Fighting Techniques       
Theodoric's Barbarian Policy and the Securing of Italy  
    The Vandals     
    The Visigoths     
    The Burgundians      
    The Franks     
    Raetia and Western Illyricum under Ostrogothic Dominion      
    Barbarian Traditions and Ethnography      
Theodoric's Roman Policy and the End of His Kingship, 526      
The Amal Successors of Theodoric, 526-536      
    Athalaric (526-534)     
    Theodahad (534-536)       
The Non-Amal Kings and the Fall of the Ostrogothic Kingdom, 536-552       
    Vitigis (536-540)    
    Hildebad and Eraric (540/541)     
    Totila (541-552)     
    The Epilogue: Teja (552)     

Appendixes       
1. Roman Emperors
2. A Survey of Gothic History
3. Genealogical Charts of the Balthi and Amali

Notes     
List of Abbreviations      
Bibliography      
Index     
Maps      


 

About the Author

Herwig Wolfram is Professor of History at the University of Vienna and Director of the Austrian Institute for Historical Research.

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