fbpx
Wikipedia

Gothic and Vandal warfare

January 01, 1970

The Goths, Gepids, Vandals, and Burgundians were East Germanic groups who appear in Roman records in late antiquity. At times these groups warred against or allied with the Roman Empire, the Huns, and various Germanic tribes.

The size and social composition of their armies remains controversial.

History edit

In the 3rd century, some Germanic people of the Baltic Sea (associated with the Wielbark culture) followed the Vistula, Bug, and Dnestr rivers and settled among the Dacians, Sarmatians, Bastarnae, and other peoples of the Black Sea steppes. These Germanic people brought their name and language to the Gothic people who emerged in the 3rd century (associated with the Chernyakhov Culture).

At the same time, other Germanic people of the Baltic Sea (associated with the Przeworsk culture) followed other trade routes to the middle-Danubian plains (Vandals) or the Main river (Burgundians).

Horse nomads with bow-armed cavalry armies, including the Sarmatians (or Iazyges, Roxolanni, Taifali, and Alans) had long ruled the plains north of the Danube and the steppes north of the Black Sea (since about 1200 BC). (The Goths and Vandals were mainly farmers with infantry armies). In some areas, the Sarmatians, Taifali, and Alans preserved their dominance until the Huns arrived.

The Gothic people had divided into two or more groups by the end of the 3rd century. These groups lasted from the late 3rd century to the late 4th century. The Thervingi lived between the Danube and the Carpathians west of the Dniester River; the Greuthungi, and possibly other groups, lived east of the Dniester River.

Jordanes, a mid 6th-century historian, describes a large Greuthung kingdom in the late 4th century, but Ammianus Marcellinus, a late 4th-century historian, does not record this. Many modern historians, including Peter Heather and Michael Kulikowski, doubt that it was ever particularly extensive (and suggest one or more smaller kingdoms).[1][2]

Troop types edit

Gothic armies were primarily composed of heavy infantry equipped with a shield, spatha or scramasax and the occasional francisca and pike formed in wedge formation, with a supporting heavy cavalry force equipped with lance and sword.[3] Although Goths were the first of the Germanic tribes to place more honour in fighting on horse than on foot, equipping cavalrymen was expensive and infantry remained the larger force.[4] Visigoths had fewer cavalry, Ostrogoths had more cavalry than the Roman army, while Vandals were dominated by cavalry.[5]

Cavalry mainly took the form of heavy, close combat cavalry armed with sword and lance.[4] Goths and likely Vandals as well favoured a long heavy lance of Sarmatian origin, the contus, which stood at 3.74m long. The Goths also recruited mounted archers from the Alans and Sarmatians, and light sword cavalry from the Heruli and Taifali, although all of these also fielded lancers.[6] For a Gothic or Vandal nobleman the most common form of armour was a mail shirt, often reaching down to the knees, and an iron or steel helmet, often in a Roman Ridge helm style. Some of the wealthiest warriors may have a worn a lamellar cuirass over mail, and splinted greaves and vambraces on the forearms and forelegs.

Realms in the Roman Empire edit

This Gothic society faced internal strife and Hunnish attacks in the late 4th century. As a result, several groups sought refuge in the Roman Empire; two of the more successful groups, the Thervings and Greuthungs, absorbed smaller groups and gained independence within the Roman Empire. Another group, the Crimean Goths, survived on the Black Sea. The Vandals and Burgundians shared similar histories.

The Visigothic and Burgundian kingdoms in Gaul fell to Clovis' Frankish invasions in the early 6th century;[7] the Vandal kingdom in north Africa and the Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy and Illyria fell to Justinian I's Byzantine invasions by the mid 6th century.[8] The Visigothic kingdom in Hispania survived (despite losing most of their old Gallic territory) until the Islamic conquest of Hispania in the early 8th century.

Gothic society and forces in the 3rd and 4th centuries edit

 
Roman relief panel on the Ludovisi Battle sarcophagus depicting a battle between Goths and Romans, circa 260.
See also: Gothic War (376–382)

The Gothic tribes did not have long-term standing armies but relied on short-term levies or volunteers. Most would return to their farms after some time. Most came on foot and fought as infantry, though some brought horses and fought as cavalry. Like their Roman opponents, most soldiers had thrusting spears, throwing spears, and shields, though swords and bows were also used. Unlike their Roman opponents, few could afford metal armor.[9][10]

Major wars:
Notable battles:

Difference of scale edit

The 3rd- and 4th-century Gothic tribes could not match the population or extent of the Roman Empire. The 4th-century Thervingi settled over about 100,000 km2 between the Carpathian mountains, Olt river, Danube river, and Pruth river. (The Eastern Roman Empire held about 1,500,000 km2 in round numbers). The destruction of one Gothic army would leave its tribe vulnerable to Roman attacks; the destruction of one Roman army could be countered by other Roman armies moving into the war zone (as happened after Adrianople). Therefore, 3rd- and 4th-century Gothic armies could not take as many risks as Roman armies could.

Defending Gothic settlements (on the steppe) edit

The Gothic people generally settled in unwalled farming settlements along the main rivers. These settlements were vulnerable to Roman, Hunnish, or other attacks, even by small raiding parties.[42]

Valens and the Roman army invaded Therving lands in 367 and 369. Athanaric and his supporters avoided battle; his army abandoned the Danubian plains and retreated into the Carpathian Mountains. The Goths could not defeat the Romans in battle and defend their homes.[25][43]

Alan and Hunnic raiders attacked various Gothic lands in the 370s; they attacked Therving lands c. 375. Athanaric and his supporters sought battle; the main Gothic army assembled on the Dnestr river, with forward units scouted 30 km ahead. The Hunnic raiders avoided the scouts and attacked the main army at night.[27]

Attacking Roman territory (by land) edit

The Roman Empire fortified most of its cities and frontier garrisons in the 3rd and 4th centuries. Fortified settlements were relatively safe from Gothic attacks.[44]

Gothic attackers could choose unfortified targets; these included many cities in the 3rd century, but were generally restricted to smaller towns and villae by the 4th century, as more cities were fortified. Alternatively, they could attack fortified targets, relying on surprise, on treachery, or on siege warfare.

Attacking Roman territory (by sea) edit

In the 3rd century, several Gothic campaigns went by sea. In the 4th century, few, if any, Gothic campaigns went by sea.

Revolts edit

As soon as large Gothic groups settled on Roman territory, they faced military conflicts with the Roman government (as in the Gothic War (376–382)).

Gothic and Vandal forces in the Late Roman army edit

The Late Roman army (or East Roman army for the east) often recruited non-Roman soldiers into regular military units, as well as separate allied contingents (of laeti and foederati). Most soldiers were probably Romans, many were probably non-Roman.[45]

Notable battles:

Germanic forces in the Hunnic army edit

By the early 5th century, Hunnic elites established their hegemony in Eastern and Central Europe by subduing or dislodging the local elites. The Hunnic rulers had thus an empire at their disposal with the resources of subject people who were required to supply additional forces for their ongoing raids and conquests. The most memorable of their rulers became Attila, who eventually challenged the Roman Empire for supremacy.

After the death of Attila, one of his subject rulers, Ardaric, waged a successful civil war against the heirs of Attila, helping several tribes to break apart and regain their independence.

Notable battles:

Visigothic armies (396–507) edit

During the Gothic revolt of 376, a mixed Gothic group settled in Moesia. By the 390s Alaric had become the client king of the Visigoths under the Roman Empire.

Between 395 and 418, Alaric, Athawulf, and their immediate successors fought several campaigns, seeking offices for themselves and support for their followers. They transferred their base of operations from the eastern Balkans (395) to the western Balkans (397), Italy (408), and Aquitaine (c. 415).

These successive movements may have divided the army from much of its population base.

Notable battles:

Visigothic armies (507–711) edit

Notable battles:

Vandal armies (406–534) edit

Notable battles:

Ostrogothic armies (489–553) edit

Ostrogothic armies may have had the same organizational structure (with separate field armies and frontier armies) as contemporary Byzantine armies.

Ostrogothic Italy, like the Late Roman Empire, fortified its cities and military bases.[46]

The Italian-Ostrogothic army, like the Late Roman and Byzantine army, could transport food and other military supplies from secure areas to war zones. This allowed the Ostrogothic army to assemble more troops in one place (than earlier Gothic armies) without consuming as much of the local food supply.[47]

Notable battles:

Weapons and armor edit

There is little direct evidence for Gothic military equipment. There is more evidence for Vandal, Roman, and West Germanic military equipment, which provides the base for inferences about Gothic military equipment.

Germanic and Roman weapons and armor edit

Generally speaking there was little difference between well-armed Germanic and Roman soldiers; furthermore many Germanic soldiers served in the Roman forces. The Roman army was better able to equip its soldiers than the Germanic armies.

Late Roman representational evidence, including propaganda monuments, gravestones, tombs, and the Exodus fresco, often shows Late Roman soldiers with one or two spears; one tombstone shows a soldier with five shorter javelins.[48][49] Archaeological evidence, from Roman burials and Scandinavian bog-deposits, shows similar spearheads, though the shafts are rarely preserved.[50][51]

Aside from the traditional mail and scale armour of Roman armies, it also known from archaeological finds that the Goths and Vandals commonly used lamellar armour. Constructed of overlapping metal plates laced together, lamellar was more rigid than mail or scale armour and offered considerably greater protection against blunt force trauma from weapons such as maces or axes, commonly used by heavy cavalry of the time.

Late Roman representational evidence sometimes still shows Roman swords.[52][53] Archaeological evidence shows that the gladius has disappeared; various short semispathae supplement the older pugiones[54][55] while medium-long spathae replace the medium-short gladii.[52][56] These have the same straight double-edged blades as older Roman swords.[57][58]

Representational evidence and recovered laths, as well as arrowheads and bracers, show Roman use of composite bows.[59][60]

Representational evidence, recovered bosses, and some complete shields from Dara, show that most Roman infantry and some Roman cavalry carried shields.[61][62]

Although the representational evidence, including gravestones and tombs, usually shows soldiers without armor, the archaeological evidence includes remains of scale armor, mail armor, and helmets.[63][64]

Experimental evidence edit

Modern blacksmiths, reenactors, and experimental archaeologists can duplicate Roman Age weapons and armor with Roman Age technology.

Basic spearheads (including javelinheads) take about 3 hours of forging time, while swords can take about 37 hours without pattern welding, or about 110 hours with pattern welding (divided over several days or weeks of labor).[65]

Mail armor takes well over 600 hours of forging time.[66]

Military terminology edit

Via Wulfila's bible translation we do know 4th-century Gothic military terms he used to describe the 1st-century Roman army. These terms reflect the Gothic military organization that grew from its Germanic roots under Roman and Central Asian (Hunnic) influence.

  • Drauhtinon ("to war")[67]

Individuals edit

  • Gadrauhts ("soldier, militiaman")[68][69]
  • Hundafaþs (used to describe a Roman centurion)[70][71] Common Germanic organization of troops of a hundred armed men (in the Scandinavian leidang it could refer to less than a hundred or several hundred organized and armed men), literally meaning 'group of a hundred'

Units (by size) edit

Weapons edit

  • Hairus ("sword")[74]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Heather, Peter, 1998, The Goths, Blackwell, Malden, pp. 53–55.
  2. ^ Kulikowski, Michael, 2007, Rome's Gothic Wars, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, pp. 54–56, 111–112.
  3. ^ Gabriel, Richard A. (2007). The Ancient World Volume 1 of Soldiers' lives through history. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 268–269. ISBN 978-0313333484.
  4. ^ a b Richard A. Gabriel (2002). The Great Armies of Antiquity. ABC-CLIO. pp. 274–275. ISBN 9780313012693.
  5. ^ Kelly DeVries, Robert D. Smith (2007). Medieval Weapons An Illustrated History of Their Impact. ABC-CLIO. p. 26. ISBN 9781851095315.
  6. ^ Ilkka Syvänne (2015). A Military History of Late Rome 284 to 361. Pen & Sword Military. pp. 78–79. ISBN 9781848848559.
  7. ^ Heather, Peter, 1998, The Goths, pp. 210–215 & 262.
  8. ^ Heather, Peter, 1998, The Goths, pp. 259–276.
  9. ^ Elton, Hugh, Warfare in Roman Europe, AD 350–425, pp. 57–59.
  10. ^ Todd, Malcolm, The Early Germans, pp. 36–37.
  11. ^ a b c Kulikowski, Michael, 2007, Rome's Gothic Wars, p. 18.
  12. ^ a b c d Zosimus, Historia Nova, book 1.
  13. ^ Philostorgius, Church History, book 2, chapter 5.
  14. ^ Kulikowski, Michael, 2007, Rome's Gothic Wars, pp. 18–19.
  15. ^ Kulikowski, Michael, 2007, Rome's Gothic Wars, pp. 19–20.
  16. ^ Kulikowski, Michael, 2007, Rome's Gothic Wars, p. 20.
  17. ^ Kulikowski, Michael, 2007, Rome's Gothic Wars, pp. 20–21.
  18. ^ Socrates Scholasticus, Church History, book 1, chapter 18.
  19. ^ Sozomen, Church History, book 1, chapter 8 & book 2, chapter 34.
  20. ^ Kulikowski, Michael, 2007, Rome's Gothic Wars, pp. 83–84.
  21. ^ Zosimus, Historia Nova, book 3.
  22. ^ Ammianus Marcellinus, Historiae, book 26, chapters 6–10.
  23. ^ a b c d Zosimus, Historia Nova, book 4.
  24. ^ Kulikowski, Michael, 2007, Rome's Gothic Wars, pp. 114–115.
  25. ^ a b Ammianus Marcellinus, Historiae, book 27, chapter 5.
  26. ^ Kulikowski, Michael, 2007, Rome's Gothic Wars, pp. 115–116.
  27. ^ a b c Ammianus Marcellinus, Historiae, book 31, chapter 3.
  28. ^ a b c Philostorgius, Church History, book 9, chapter 17.
  29. ^ a b c Sozomen, Church History, book 6, chapter 37.
  30. ^ a b Heather, Peter, 1998, Goths, pp. 98–104.
  31. ^ a b Kulikowski, Michael, 2007, Rome's Gothic Wars, pp. 124–128.
  32. ^ Ammianus Marcellinus, Historiae, book 31, chapters 5–16.
  33. ^ Socrates Scholasticus, Church History, book 4, chapters 34–38 & book 5, chapter 1.
  34. ^ Sozomen, Church History, book 6, chapters 37 & 40.
  35. ^ Heather, Peter, 1998, Goths, pp. 130–138.
  36. ^ Kulikowski, Michael, 2007, Rome's Gothic Wars, pp. 130–153.
  37. ^ Socrates Scholasticus, Church History, book 4, chapter 33. (Socrates puts this before 376).
  38. ^ Zosimus, Historia Nova, book 4. (Zosimus puts this after 376).
  39. ^ Zosimus, Historia Nova, book 4. (Zosimus puts this before 383)
  40. ^ Philostorgius, Church History, book 10, chapter 6.
  41. ^ Heather, Peter, 1998, Goths, pp. 103, 128 & 167
  42. ^ Heather, Peter & Matthews, John, The Goths in the Fourth Century, pp. 56–59.
  43. ^ Elton, Hugh, Warfare in Roman Europe, AD 350–425, p 221-227
  44. ^ Elton, Hugh, Warfare in Roman Europe, AD 350–425, pp. 155–174.
  45. ^ Elton, Hugh, 1996, Warfare in Roman Europe, pp. 145–152. [Elton argues from the proportion of Roman names to non-Roman names from 350 to 476]
  46. ^ Cassiodorus, Variae, book 1, number 17 & book 3, number 44.
  47. ^ Cassiodorus, Variae, book 3, number 41.
  48. ^ Stephenson, I.P., 2001, Roman Infantry Equipment, pp. 54–58.
  49. ^ Bishop, M.C. & Coulston, J.C.N., 2006, Roman Military Equipment: From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome, pp. 151–152, 175 & 200–202.
  50. ^ Stephenson, I.P., 2001, Roman Infantry Equipment, pp. 52–60.
  51. ^ Bishop, M.C. & Coulston, J.C.N., 2006, Roman Military Equipment: From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome, pp. 151 & 200–202.
  52. ^ a b Stephenson, I.P., 2001, Roman Infantry Equipment, pp. 61–63.
  53. ^ Bishop, M.C. & Coulston, J.C.N., 2006, Roman Military Equipment: From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome, pp. 154–163 & 202–205.
  54. ^ Stephenson, I.P., 2001, Roman Infantry Equipment, pp. 76–80.
  55. ^ Bishop, M.C. & Coulston, J.C.N., 2006, Roman Military Equipment: From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome, pp. 154, 164 & 202.
  56. ^ Bishop, M.C. & Coulston, J.C.N., 2006, Roman Military Equipment: From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome, pp. 154–157 & 202–205.
  57. ^ Stephenson, I.P., 2001, Roman Infantry Equipment, pp. 61–80.
  58. ^ Bishop, M.C. & Coulston, J.C.N., 2006, Roman Military Equipment: From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome, pp. 154–164 & 202–205.
  59. ^ Stephenson, I.P., 2001, Roman Infantry Equipment, pp. 81–88.
  60. ^ Bishop, M.C. & Coulston, J.C.N., 2006, Roman Military Equipment: From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome, pp. 164–168 & 205–206.
  61. ^ Stephenson, I.P., 2001, Roman Infantry Equipment, pp. 15–24.
  62. ^ Bishop, M.C. & Coulston, J.C.N., 2006, Roman Military Equipment: From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome, pp. 179–182 & 216–218.
  63. ^ Stephenson, I.P., 2001, Roman Infantry Equipment, pp. 25–51.
  64. ^ Bishop, M.C. & Coulston, J.C.N., 2006, Roman Military Equipment: From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome, pp. 170–178 & 208–216.
  65. ^ Sim, David & Ridge, Isabel, 2002, Iron for the Eagles: the Iron Industry of Roman Britain, pp. 90–93.
  66. ^ Sim, David & Ridge, Isabel, 2002, Iron for the Eagles: the Iron Industry of Roman Britain, pp. 98–103; the authors specify 300 hours to stamp ½ of the links and more time to draw and rivet the other ½ of the links.
  67. ^ Wright, Joseph, A Primer of the Gothic Language, with Grammar, Notes, and Glossary, p. 217.
  68. ^ Wright, Joseph, A Primer of the Gothic Language, with Grammar, Notes, and Glossary, p. 220.
  69. ^ Bennett, William, An Introduction to the Gothic Language, p. 149.
  70. ^ Wright, Joseph, A Primer of the Gothic Language, with Grammar, Notes, and Glossary, p. 224.
  71. ^ Bennett, William, An Introduction to the Gothic Language, p. 155.
  72. ^ Wright, Joseph, A Primer of the Gothic Language, with Grammar, Notes, and Glossary, p. 223.
  73. ^ a b Bennett, William, An Introduction to the Gothic Language, p. 154.
  74. ^ Wright, Joseph, 1892, A Primer of the Gothic Language, with Grammar, Notes, and Glossary. Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. 223.

Bibliography edit

January 01, 1970
gothic, vandal, warfare, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Gothic and Vandal warfare news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2017 Learn how and when to remove this message This article possibly contains original research Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations Statements consisting only of original research should be removed December 2017 Learn how and when to remove this message Learn how and when to remove this message The Goths Gepids Vandals and Burgundians were East Germanic groups who appear in Roman records in late antiquity At times these groups warred against or allied with the Roman Empire the Huns and various Germanic tribes The size and social composition of their armies remains controversial Contents 1 History 2 Troop types 2 1 Realms in the Roman Empire 3 Gothic society and forces in the 3rd and 4th centuries 3 1 Difference of scale 3 2 Defending Gothic settlements on the steppe 3 3 Attacking Roman territory by land 3 4 Attacking Roman territory by sea 3 5 Revolts 4 Gothic and Vandal forces in the Late Roman army 5 Germanic forces in the Hunnic army 6 Visigothic armies 396 507 7 Visigothic armies 507 711 8 Vandal armies 406 534 9 Ostrogothic armies 489 553 10 Weapons and armor 10 1 Germanic and Roman weapons and armor 10 2 Experimental evidence 11 Military terminology 11 1 Individuals 11 2 Units by size 11 3 Weapons 12 See also 13 Notes 14 BibliographyHistory editIn the 3rd century some Germanic people of the Baltic Sea associated with the Wielbark culture followed the Vistula Bug and Dnestr rivers and settled among the Dacians Sarmatians Bastarnae and other peoples of the Black Sea steppes These Germanic people brought their name and language to the Gothic people who emerged in the 3rd century associated with the Chernyakhov Culture At the same time other Germanic people of the Baltic Sea associated with the Przeworsk culture followed other trade routes to the middle Danubian plains Vandals or the Main river Burgundians Horse nomads with bow armed cavalry armies including the Sarmatians or Iazyges Roxolanni Taifali and Alans had long ruled the plains north of the Danube and the steppes north of the Black Sea since about 1200 BC The Goths and Vandals were mainly farmers with infantry armies In some areas the Sarmatians Taifali and Alans preserved their dominance until the Huns arrived The Gothic people had divided into two or more groups by the end of the 3rd century These groups lasted from the late 3rd century to the late 4th century The Thervingi lived between the Danube and the Carpathians west of the Dniester River the Greuthungi and possibly other groups lived east of the Dniester River Jordanes a mid 6th century historian describes a large Greuthung kingdom in the late 4th century but Ammianus Marcellinus a late 4th century historian does not record this Many modern historians including Peter Heather and Michael Kulikowski doubt that it was ever particularly extensive and suggest one or more smaller kingdoms 1 2 Troop types editGothic armies were primarily composed of heavy infantry equipped with a shield spatha or scramasax and the occasional francisca and pike formed in wedge formation with a supporting heavy cavalry force equipped with lance and sword 3 Although Goths were the first of the Germanic tribes to place more honour in fighting on horse than on foot equipping cavalrymen was expensive and infantry remained the larger force 4 Visigoths had fewer cavalry Ostrogoths had more cavalry than the Roman army while Vandals were dominated by cavalry 5 Cavalry mainly took the form of heavy close combat cavalry armed with sword and lance 4 Goths and likely Vandals as well favoured a long heavy lance of Sarmatian origin the contus which stood at 3 74m long The Goths also recruited mounted archers from the Alans and Sarmatians and light sword cavalry from the Heruli and Taifali although all of these also fielded lancers 6 For a Gothic or Vandal nobleman the most common form of armour was a mail shirt often reaching down to the knees and an iron or steel helmet often in a Roman Ridge helm style Some of the wealthiest warriors may have a worn a lamellar cuirass over mail and splinted greaves and vambraces on the forearms and forelegs Realms in the Roman Empire edit This Gothic society faced internal strife and Hunnish attacks in the late 4th century As a result several groups sought refuge in the Roman Empire two of the more successful groups the Thervings and Greuthungs absorbed smaller groups and gained independence within the Roman Empire Another group the Crimean Goths survived on the Black Sea The Vandals and Burgundians shared similar histories The Visigothic and Burgundian kingdoms in Gaul fell to Clovis Frankish invasions in the early 6th century 7 the Vandal kingdom in north Africa and the Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy and Illyria fell to Justinian I s Byzantine invasions by the mid 6th century 8 The Visigothic kingdom in Hispania survived despite losing most of their old Gallic territory until the Islamic conquest of Hispania in the early 8th century Gothic society and forces in the 3rd and 4th centuries edit nbsp Roman relief panel on the Ludovisi Battle sarcophagus depicting a battle between Goths and Romans circa 260 See also Gothic War 376 382 The Gothic tribes did not have long term standing armies but relied on short term levies or volunteers Most would return to their farms after some time Most came on foot and fought as infantry though some brought horses and fought as cavalry Like their Roman opponents most soldiers had thrusting spears throwing spears and shields though swords and bows were also used Unlike their Roman opponents few could afford metal armor 9 10 Major wars Gothic raid on Histria 238 11 Gothic raid on Marcianople 249 11 Cniva s Gothic raid on Philippopolis 250 251 11 Seaborne raids on the Balkans c 252 12 Seaborne raids on Asia Minor c 256 12 13 14 Seaborne raid on the Aegean c 268 12 15 Gothic raids on the Balkans c 270 16 Aurelian s Roman raids north of the Danube c 271 17 Gothic raids on Asia Minor c 275 12 Gothic raids in the Balkans c 330 18 Constantine II s Roman invasion north of the Danube 332 19 20 Julian s Roman invasion of Persia 363 21 Roman Civil War between Procopius and Valens 365 22 23 24 Valens raids on the Thervings 367 369 25 26 Hunnic raids on the Greuthungs c 370 23 27 28 29 30 31 Hunnic raids on the Thervings c 376 23 30 31 27 28 29 Gothic revolt in the Balkans c 376 382 23 32 28 33 34 35 36 Gothic Civil War between Fritigern amp Athanaric 37 29 38 Odotheus crossing of the Danube 39 40 41 Notable battles Abrittus 251 Naissus 268 Marcianople 376 77 Ad Salices 377 Adrianople 378 Difference of scale edit The 3rd and 4th century Gothic tribes could not match the population or extent of the Roman Empire The 4th century Thervingi settled over about 100 000 km2 between the Carpathian mountains Olt river Danube river and Pruth river The Eastern Roman Empire held about 1 500 000 km2 in round numbers The destruction of one Gothic army would leave its tribe vulnerable to Roman attacks the destruction of one Roman army could be countered by other Roman armies moving into the war zone as happened after Adrianople Therefore 3rd and 4th century Gothic armies could not take as many risks as Roman armies could Defending Gothic settlements on the steppe edit The Gothic people generally settled in unwalled farming settlements along the main rivers These settlements were vulnerable to Roman Hunnish or other attacks even by small raiding parties 42 Valens and the Roman army invaded Therving lands in 367 and 369 Athanaric and his supporters avoided battle his army abandoned the Danubian plains and retreated into the Carpathian Mountains The Goths could not defeat the Romans in battle and defend their homes 25 43 Alan and Hunnic raiders attacked various Gothic lands in the 370s they attacked Therving lands c 375 Athanaric and his supporters sought battle the main Gothic army assembled on the Dnestr river with forward units scouted 30 km ahead The Hunnic raiders avoided the scouts and attacked the main army at night 27 Attacking Roman territory by land edit The Roman Empire fortified most of its cities and frontier garrisons in the 3rd and 4th centuries Fortified settlements were relatively safe from Gothic attacks 44 Gothic attackers could choose unfortified targets these included many cities in the 3rd century but were generally restricted to smaller towns and villae by the 4th century as more cities were fortified Alternatively they could attack fortified targets relying on surprise on treachery or on siege warfare Attacking Roman territory by sea edit In the 3rd century several Gothic campaigns went by sea In the 4th century few if any Gothic campaigns went by sea Revolts edit As soon as large Gothic groups settled on Roman territory they faced military conflicts with the Roman government as in the Gothic War 376 382 Gothic and Vandal forces in the Late Roman army editThe Late Roman army or East Roman army for the east often recruited non Roman soldiers into regular military units as well as separate allied contingents of laeti and foederati Most soldiers were probably Romans many were probably non Roman 45 Notable battles Frigidus River 394 Germanic forces in the Hunnic army editBy the early 5th century Hunnic elites established their hegemony in Eastern and Central Europe by subduing or dislodging the local elites The Hunnic rulers had thus an empire at their disposal with the resources of subject people who were required to supply additional forces for their ongoing raids and conquests The most memorable of their rulers became Attila who eventually challenged the Roman Empire for supremacy After the death of Attila one of his subject rulers Ardaric waged a successful civil war against the heirs of Attila helping several tribes to break apart and regain their independence Notable battles Chalons 451 Nedao River 454 Visigothic armies 396 507 editDuring the Gothic revolt of 376 a mixed Gothic group settled in Moesia By the 390s Alaric had become the client king of the Visigoths under the Roman Empire Between 395 and 418 Alaric Athawulf and their immediate successors fought several campaigns seeking offices for themselves and support for their followers They transferred their base of operations from the eastern Balkans 395 to the western Balkans 397 Italy 408 and Aquitaine c 415 These successive movements may have divided the army from much of its population base Notable battles Pollentia 402 Verona 402 Narbonne 436 Chalons 451 Voglada 507 Visigothic armies 507 711 editNotable battles Guadalete 711 Vandal armies 406 534 editNotable battles Sack of Rome 455 Ad Decimum 533 Tricameron 533 Ostrogothic armies 489 553 editOstrogothic armies may have had the same organizational structure with separate field armies and frontier armies as contemporary Byzantine armies Ostrogothic Italy like the Late Roman Empire fortified its cities and military bases 46 The Italian Ostrogothic army like the Late Roman and Byzantine army could transport food and other military supplies from secure areas to war zones This allowed the Ostrogothic army to assemble more troops in one place than earlier Gothic armies without consuming as much of the local food supply 47 Notable battles Isonzo 489 Verona 489 Faventia 542 Taginae 552 Mons Lactarius 553 Weapons and armor editThere is little direct evidence for Gothic military equipment There is more evidence for Vandal Roman and West Germanic military equipment which provides the base for inferences about Gothic military equipment Germanic and Roman weapons and armor edit Generally speaking there was little difference between well armed Germanic and Roman soldiers furthermore many Germanic soldiers served in the Roman forces The Roman army was better able to equip its soldiers than the Germanic armies Late Roman representational evidence including propaganda monuments gravestones tombs and the Exodus fresco often shows Late Roman soldiers with one or two spears one tombstone shows a soldier with five shorter javelins 48 49 Archaeological evidence from Roman burials and Scandinavian bog deposits shows similar spearheads though the shafts are rarely preserved 50 51 Aside from the traditional mail and scale armour of Roman armies it also known from archaeological finds that the Goths and Vandals commonly used lamellar armour Constructed of overlapping metal plates laced together lamellar was more rigid than mail or scale armour and offered considerably greater protection against blunt force trauma from weapons such as maces or axes commonly used by heavy cavalry of the time Late Roman representational evidence sometimes still shows Roman swords 52 53 Archaeological evidence shows that the gladius has disappeared various short semispathae supplement the older pugiones 54 55 while medium long spathae replace the medium short gladii 52 56 These have the same straight double edged blades as older Roman swords 57 58 Representational evidence and recovered laths as well as arrowheads and bracers show Roman use of composite bows 59 60 Representational evidence recovered bosses and some complete shields from Dara show that most Roman infantry and some Roman cavalry carried shields 61 62 Although the representational evidence including gravestones and tombs usually shows soldiers without armor the archaeological evidence includes remains of scale armor mail armor and helmets 63 64 Experimental evidence edit Modern blacksmiths reenactors and experimental archaeologists can duplicate Roman Age weapons and armor with Roman Age technology Basic spearheads including javelinheads take about 3 hours of forging time while swords can take about 37 hours without pattern welding or about 110 hours with pattern welding divided over several days or weeks of labor 65 Mail armor takes well over 600 hours of forging time 66 Military terminology editVia Wulfila s bible translation we do know 4th century Gothic military terms he used to describe the 1st century Roman army These terms reflect the Gothic military organization that grew from its Germanic roots under Roman and Central Asian Hunnic influence Drauhtinon to war 67 Individuals edit Gadrauhts soldier militiaman 68 69 Hundafaths used to describe a Roman centurion 70 71 Common Germanic organization of troops of a hundred armed men in the Scandinavian leidang it could refer to less than a hundred or several hundred organized and armed men literally meaning group of a hundred Units by size edit Harjis army 72 73 Hansa used to describe a Roman cohort 73 In Germanic terms meaning a band of warriors a related term is the later used German Hanse Dutch Hanze Estonian hansa Polish Hanza Swedish Hansan for the Hanseatic League Weapons edit Hairus sword 74 See also editMigration period sword Viking Age arms and armour Anglo Saxon warfare Celtic warfare Military of Carthage Dacian warfare Viking raid warfare and tactics Anglo Saxon military organization Migration period spearNotes edit Heather Peter 1998 The Goths Blackwell Malden pp 53 55 Kulikowski Michael 2007 Rome s Gothic Wars Cambridge University Press Cambridge pp 54 56 111 112 Gabriel Richard A 2007 The Ancient World Volume 1 of Soldiers lives through history Greenwood Publishing Group pp 268 269 ISBN 978 0313333484 a b Richard A Gabriel 2002 The Great Armies of Antiquity ABC CLIO pp 274 275 ISBN 9780313012693 Kelly DeVries Robert D Smith 2007 Medieval Weapons An Illustrated History of Their Impact ABC CLIO p 26 ISBN 9781851095315 Ilkka Syvanne 2015 A Military History of Late Rome 284 to 361 Pen amp Sword Military pp 78 79 ISBN 9781848848559 Heather Peter 1998 The Goths pp 210 215 amp 262 Heather Peter 1998 The Goths pp 259 276 Elton Hugh Warfare in Roman Europe AD 350 425 pp 57 59 Todd Malcolm The Early Germans pp 36 37 a b c Kulikowski Michael 2007 Rome s Gothic Wars p 18 a b c d Zosimus Historia Nova book 1 Philostorgius Church History book 2 chapter 5 Kulikowski Michael 2007 Rome s Gothic Wars pp 18 19 Kulikowski Michael 2007 Rome s Gothic Wars pp 19 20 Kulikowski Michael 2007 Rome s Gothic Wars p 20 Kulikowski Michael 2007 Rome s Gothic Wars pp 20 21 Socrates Scholasticus Church History book 1 chapter 18 Sozomen Church History book 1 chapter 8 amp book 2 chapter 34 Kulikowski Michael 2007 Rome s Gothic Wars pp 83 84 Zosimus Historia Nova book 3 Ammianus Marcellinus Historiae book 26 chapters 6 10 a b c d Zosimus Historia Nova book 4 Kulikowski Michael 2007 Rome s Gothic Wars pp 114 115 a b Ammianus Marcellinus Historiae book 27 chapter 5 Kulikowski Michael 2007 Rome s Gothic Wars pp 115 116 a b c Ammianus Marcellinus Historiae book 31 chapter 3 a b c Philostorgius Church History book 9 chapter 17 a b c Sozomen Church History book 6 chapter 37 a b Heather Peter 1998 Goths pp 98 104 a b Kulikowski Michael 2007 Rome s Gothic Wars pp 124 128 Ammianus Marcellinus Historiae book 31 chapters 5 16 Socrates Scholasticus Church History book 4 chapters 34 38 amp book 5 chapter 1 Sozomen Church History book 6 chapters 37 amp 40 Heather Peter 1998 Goths pp 130 138 Kulikowski Michael 2007 Rome s Gothic Wars pp 130 153 Socrates Scholasticus Church History book 4 chapter 33 Socrates puts this before 376 Zosimus Historia Nova book 4 Zosimus puts this after 376 Zosimus Historia Nova book 4 Zosimus puts this before 383 Philostorgius Church History book 10 chapter 6 Heather Peter 1998 Goths pp 103 128 amp 167 Heather Peter amp Matthews John The Goths in the Fourth Century pp 56 59 Elton Hugh Warfare in Roman Europe AD 350 425 p 221 227 Elton Hugh Warfare in Roman Europe AD 350 425 pp 155 174 Elton Hugh 1996 Warfare in Roman Europe pp 145 152 Elton argues from the proportion of Roman names to non Roman names from 350 to 476 Cassiodorus Variae book 1 number 17 amp book 3 number 44 Cassiodorus Variae book 3 number 41 Stephenson I P 2001 Roman Infantry Equipment pp 54 58 Bishop M C amp Coulston J C N 2006 Roman Military Equipment From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome pp 151 152 175 amp 200 202 Stephenson I P 2001 Roman Infantry Equipment pp 52 60 Bishop M C amp Coulston J C N 2006 Roman Military Equipment From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome pp 151 amp 200 202 a b Stephenson I P 2001 Roman Infantry Equipment pp 61 63 Bishop M C amp Coulston J C N 2006 Roman Military Equipment From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome pp 154 163 amp 202 205 Stephenson I P 2001 Roman Infantry Equipment pp 76 80 Bishop M C amp Coulston J C N 2006 Roman Military Equipment From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome pp 154 164 amp 202 Bishop M C amp Coulston J C N 2006 Roman Military Equipment From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome pp 154 157 amp 202 205 Stephenson I P 2001 Roman Infantry Equipment pp 61 80 Bishop M C amp Coulston J C N 2006 Roman Military Equipment From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome pp 154 164 amp 202 205 Stephenson I P 2001 Roman Infantry Equipment pp 81 88 Bishop M C amp Coulston J C N 2006 Roman Military Equipment From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome pp 164 168 amp 205 206 Stephenson I P 2001 Roman Infantry Equipment pp 15 24 Bishop M C amp Coulston J C N 2006 Roman Military Equipment From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome pp 179 182 amp 216 218 Stephenson I P 2001 Roman Infantry Equipment pp 25 51 Bishop M C amp Coulston J C N 2006 Roman Military Equipment From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome pp 170 178 amp 208 216 Sim David amp Ridge Isabel 2002 Iron for the Eagles the Iron Industry of Roman Britain pp 90 93 Sim David amp Ridge Isabel 2002 Iron for the Eagles the Iron Industry of Roman Britain pp 98 103 the authors specify 300 hours to stamp of the links and more time to draw and rivet the other of the links Wright Joseph A Primer of the Gothic Language with Grammar Notes and Glossary p 217 Wright Joseph A Primer of the Gothic Language with Grammar Notes and Glossary p 220 Bennett William An Introduction to the Gothic Language p 149 Wright Joseph A Primer of the Gothic Language with Grammar Notes and Glossary p 224 Bennett William An Introduction to the Gothic Language p 155 Wright Joseph A Primer of the Gothic Language with Grammar Notes and Glossary p 223 a b Bennett William An Introduction to the Gothic Language p 154 Wright Joseph 1892 A Primer of the Gothic Language with Grammar Notes and Glossary Oxford Clarendon Press p 223 Bibliography editHugh Elton Warfare in Roman Europe AD 350 425 Oxford Clarendon 1996 ISBN 0198152418 Peter Heather and John Matthews The Goths in the Fourth Century Liverpool Liverpool University Press 1991 ISBN 0853234264 Ammianus Marcellinus Historiae book 27 unknown publisher unknown year Joseph Wright A Primer of the Gothic Language with Grammar Notes and Glossary Oxford Clarendon Press 1892 ISBN 1402149719 William Bennett An Introduction to the Gothic Language New York Modern Language Association 1980 ISBN 0873522958 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gothic and Vandal warfare amp oldid 1194281360, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.