Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 2.djvu/267

 1008 GOTHL naric. The Visigoths, when settled in Moesia, were insolently treated by their protectors, in consequence of which they attacked and defeated the Boman general Lapicinns, traversed the neighbouring conn> tries, and, conjointly with the bands of Go^ that served in the Ronuui armies and with others of the Ostrogoths, defeated the Roman army near Adria- nople, where the emperor Valens himself lost his life, A. D. 378. The Visigoths then appeared before Ck>nstantinople, bnt withmit being able to take it, and advanced westward as far as the Jolian Alps. In the rngn of Theodosins they spread devastation both in the soath and in the north; and their hosts, though reduced by many reverses, remained masters of Thrace and Dacia (Jomand. 26), for their num> hers were constantly increased by finesh reinforce- ments from the nordi, and the court of Constanti- nople saw no other way of securing itself against their attacks than by forming friendly relations with them, and making ^em an integral part of the em- pire. (Oros. Tii.34; Socrat. v. 10; Themist. OraL xyL p. 252, folL; Zodm. iv. 56.) Henceforth the Goths were regularly engaged in the service of the Roman empire; but after the death of Theodosins, swarms of Goths, under the command of Alaric, quitted Thrace, advanced unmolested through the pass of Thermopylae towards Thebes and Athens, plundered Argos, Corinth, and Sparta, and then re- turned to Epirus, where they remained. (Z^osim. v. 5, foil. 26.) In the meantime Gaina, another chief in the east, attempted to make himself master of Constantinople and put himself at the head of the empire, but was compelled to withdraw with his army across the Danube. (Zosim. v. 13, foil.; So- crat. vi. 6.) After this Alario agun appears in the service of the empire with the tide of J)ux lUyridy whence he made an invasion into Italy, but was obliged to withdraw, about a. d. 400. (CUudian, de BelL Get. 535 ; Jomand. 29 ; Oros. viL 37.) His example, however, was followed by Radagaisus, who, in A. D. 405, crossed the Alps with a numerous army of Goths, though apparently without producing any results. Alaric himsdf then again poured down his hosts upon Italy, and thrice advanced to Rome, which had not seen an army of northern barbarians within its walls since its capture by the Gauls. From Rome Alaric turned to the south of Italy, where death cut short his victorious career. In a.d.412 the Goths quitted Italy, the south of Gaul being given up to diem; after having remained there for a short time, they crossed tho Pyrenees and took possession of a large part of Spain, where Athaulf, the successor of Alaric, was assassinated. His successor, Wallia, assisted the Romans against the Vandals and AUmi in Spain, and was rewarded by a portion of Western Gaul, from Tolosa to the ocean. Tho succeeding kings of the Goths extended their empire on both sides of the Pyrenees, and the kingdom reached its highest point of prosperity during the latter half of the fifth century under Enric. The empire of the Visigoths then embraced the greater part of Spain and a large portion of Gaul, and the kings resided at Tolosa, Arelate, or Burdigala ; but after Euric's death the Goths in Gaul were compelled to retreat before the Franks, while in Spain their empire was overthrown about two centuries later by the Sa> racens. At the time when the Visigoths were received by the emperor Valens within the Roman dominion, the application of the Ostrogoths, as already stated, was rejected ; but they took the first opportunity of | GOTHL crossing the Danube notwithstanding:, and Fridigem, during whose expedition to the aauth, how- ever, they marched into Pannonia. (Amm. Ilarc. xxxL 5, 12; Jomand. 27.) In the reign of The^ dosius, when the Visigoths bad become reoonciied with the Romans, there appeared a new host of 0>- trogoths about the mouth of the Danube, bat in at- tempting to cross the river they were completriy defeated by the Romans. (Zosim. iv. 35 ; Claadiaa, delV. Cotu. Hon, 623, folL) During the asceDd- ancy of the Huns, the Ostrogoths did not bj tbcn»- selves commit any act of hostility against the Romans, bnt joined Attila in his expeditkm iote Gaul. (Jomand. 38.) After the orerthrow of the Huns the Ostrogoths appear again in Paniwnia, which was ceded to them, apd the Eastern empin was in foot obliged to purdiaae their peace with large simis of money. But after socoe time the Ostrogothic king Widemir led hb hosts into Italy; but his son, being prevailed upon by the cmperar Glyceriua by presents, quitted the coontry to join the Visigoths in the west. In the meantime otha' hosts under different leaders traversed the Eastern em^re, and finally received settlements in the try between the Lower Dannbe and Mount in the very heart of the empire. Tbe town of Kgf«a in Moesia is said to have been the residence of their king Theodoric, who^ in a. d. 489, on the of the emperor Zeno, entered on his grand tion, the object of which was the conquest of Italy. He was successful, and established the iHngAn-^ ^ the Ostrogoths in the heart of Italj, npon ike ruins of the kingdom of Odoacer. The new empire was so powerful that during the lifotime of T^o- doric no one ventured to attack it. Bnt bis death involved the downfidl of his kmgdom; for wfaile the members of his family were embroiled in ^"^r*^^ fends, the kingdqpi was attacked by foreign eneeues, and, though it was bravely defended, beome a ^nj of the Eastern empire, and the Ostn^goths eeaaed ts be an independent people. Such is a sketch of the history of the Gotbs and their two chief branches down to thor disappearanes from history. The part which they acted in the history of ^e Roman empire was so tmportaot and conspicuous, that down to the present day their name is often used as ayn<»ymotts with GerxBaos, although they were only a branch of the great Ger- man nation. Having traced their histovy, we shaH now subjoin a brief account of the varions tribes of which the nation of the Goths consisted, and of their sub-divisions. Pliny (Iv. 28) describes the Goths as belonging to the groups of tribes winch be calls VmdUi^ while some modem critics regaid tbem as a part of the Ittaevones. Thus mnch, bowevcr, is certain, that ever since the beginning of the tfaiid century the name Goths embraced the German tribes occupying the south>eastem part of the eoon- try. The different brandies making np the Gedue group are the following: — 1. The Gothi minores, also called Ifoetoyotki, were the branch of the Western Gotbs wbo^ a&er having received permission to settle in Hoe&ia, r»- mained there in fixed habitations, applying them- selves to the peaceful pursuits of agiicultun. (Jomand. 51, 52.) 2. Gothi TetraxUae^ belonging to the Eastern Goths on the Palus Maeotis (Procopu BdL GolL iv. 4, 5, 18): they maintained their mttinfi^l pecs- liarities for a long period. 3 The Taifcdae, on tho Dannbe in Daca,