Historic Sources about the Goths
 

A. Literature - There are two major works which give us an authentic insight into the culture, history, beliefs and language of the Gothic people of antiquity...

1. Getica by Jordanis which gives a comprehensive history of the Gothic people as written by an native Gothic historian

2.“Gutasaga” –the recorded oral traditions by the Swedish Gotlanders that tell of a mass migration of Swedish Gotlanders towards southern Europe.

3. The Gothic language bible (Codex Argeneus) by Ulfilas who translated large parts of the Bible while also creating the Gothic alphabet in the process.

4. In addition, there also exist other secondary literary and historic works and references [complete list of literary sources].

B. Archeological finds at the Wielbark (Willenberg) site (the place where Gothic tribe originated) as well as the Chernyakhov culture in the Black Sea region where some of the Goths migrated into.

Historic Literary Sources about the Gothic Tribes:

  • Ambrose: The prologue of De Spiritu Sancto (On the Holy Ghost) makes passing reference to

  • Athanaric's royal titles before 376.[67] Comment on Saint Luke:

  • Ammianus Marcellinus: Res Gestae Libri XXXI.[68]

  • Aurelius Victor: The Caesars, a history from Augustus to Constantius II

  • Basil of Caesarea: Letters

  • Cassiodorus: A lost history of the Goths used by Jordanes

  • Claudian: Poems

  • Dexippus: Scythica which was used by Zosimus for his New hystory

  • Epitome de Caesaribus

  • Eunapius of Sardis: Live of the Sophists

  • Eutropius: Breviary

  • Gregory Thaumaturgus: Canonical letter

  • Gregory of Nyssa

  • Historia Augusta: A history from Hadrian to Carus.

  • Jerome: Chronicle

  • Jordanes

  • Julian the Apostate

  • Lactantius: On the death of the Persecutors

  • Olympiodorus of Thebes

  • Orosius: History against pagans

  • Panegyrici latini

  • Paulinus: Life of bishop Ambrose of Milan

  • Philostorgius: Greek church history

  • Sozomen

  • Synesius: De regno and De providentia

  • Tacitus: Germania, chapters 17, 44

  • Themistius: Speeches

  • Theoderet of Cyrrhus

  • Theodosian Code

  • Zosimus

All rights reserved. Contact frank@javacasa.com for permission to use.