Full Description
An illustrated study of Rome's key enemies from the Late Principate and Dominate: the western Visigoths and the eastern Ostrogoths.
The Goths were a Germanic people who, under pressure from the Huns, migrated during the 2nd century AD to the Balkans, where they split into the Visigoths to the west, and the Ostrogoths to the east. After first raiding and looting Roman territory, some eventually came to serve as allies to the Empire, but this allegiance would collapse following a Hun advancement that saw the Goths forced south against the Danube. Failure to negotiate settlement in this new, Roman-held territory led to wars, during which the Ostrogoths won a decisive victory over a Roman army at Adrianople (AD 378), and the Visigoths finally sacked Rome itself (AD 410).
In this fascinating study, Roman military historians Raffaele D'Amato and Andrea Salimbetiand Andrea Salimbeti examine Rome's fierce clashes with the Gothic peoples, exploring their role in the fall of the Western Empire and eventual transition from Roman to early medieval Europe. Newly commissioned artwork, artefact photos and expert research combine to bring to life key events in the Goths' history, including the Ostrogoths' defeat by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, the establishment of Gothic kingdoms in Italy and the Iberian Peninsula, and their service as subjects and soldiers in Byzantine Crimea.
Contents
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Introduction
Select chronology
Historical background
The Goths in Crimea, 5th to 8th centuries
The Visigoths from the Balkans to Gaul, 4th and 5th centuries
The Ostrogoths from the Balkans to Italy, 5th and 6th centuries
The Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy
The Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula
Military organization
Equipment, weapons and clothing
Bibliography
Index
