The Goths

Fülszöveg

Between the first and seventh centuries AD, Gothic groups moved thousands of miles across the map of Europe, from the fringes of the Baltic to the shores of the Atlantic ocean. In the process, they transformed themselves from an insignificant people on the outskirts of the known world, into highly militarized forces, capable of carving out successor states from the body politic of the Román Empire. This book draws on the available literary and archaeological evidence, much of the latter never before discussed in English, to reconstruct the Goths' dramatic history, and to explore the meaning of Gothic identity at different moments and in different contexts. The volume is divided into three parts, corresponding to the three main phases in Goth history: their early history down to the fourth century, the revolution in Gothic society set in motion by the arrival of the Huns, and the history of the Gothic successor states to the western Román Empire. At its heart lies a new vision of... Tovább

Fülszöveg

Between the first and seventh centuries AD, Gothic groups moved thousands of miles across the map of Europe, from the fringes of the Baltic to the shores of the Atlantic ocean. In the process, they transformed themselves from an insignificant people on the outskirts of the known world, into highly militarized forces, capable of carving out successor states from the body politic of the Román Empire. This book draws on the available literary and archaeological evidence, much of the latter never before discussed in English, to reconstruct the Goths' dramatic history, and to explore the meaning of Gothic identity at different moments and in different contexts. The volume is divided into three parts, corresponding to the three main phases in Goth history: their early history down to the fourth century, the revolution in Gothic society set in motion by the arrival of the Huns, and the history of the Gothic successor states to the western Román Empire. At its heart lies a new vision of Gothic identity, and of the social caste by whom it was defined and transmitted. Peter Heather was born in Northern Ireland and educated at Maidstone Grammar School and New College, Oxford. He briefly joined HM Treasury before being awarded the Murray Fellowship in History at Worcester College, Oxford. Since 1991 he has been Lecturer in early medieval history at University College, London. His previous books include Goths and Romans, 332-489 (1991) and The Goths in the Fourth Century (1991). Cover illustration: A page from Gothic Bible, Codex Argenteus, Ms 6:9-16, © Universitetsbiblioteket, Uppsala, Sweden. Cover design by Miller, Craig & Cocking Design Partnership. Printed in Great Britain Vissza