[gothic-l] Re: Gothic font (Burgos) Gothic Names

Wed Aug 4 07:56:12 UTC 2004

Háils, Frithunanths!

According to Annex 3, which deals with Gothic names, of 
Köbler's "Gotisches Wörterbuch"
(http://www.koeblergerhard.de/germanistischewoerterbuecher/gotischeswo
erterbuch/GotischeNamen.pdf)
the 4th century Gothic name Alatheus would be in classical (Wulfilan) 
Gothic Alaþius (Alathius). Thus it is formed by ala-"all" and þius 
(thius) "thrall, servant, boy".
Jordanes writes about Alatheus in Getica XXVI-XXVII, in the section 
dealing with the Visigoths ("Vesegothae"):
"XXV (131) The Visigoths ("Vesegothae"), who were their other allies 
and inhabitants of the western country, were terrified as their 
kinsmen had been, and knew not how to plan for safety against the 
race of the Huns. After long deliberation by common consent they 
finally sent ambassadors into Romania to the Emperor Valens, brother 
of Valentinian, the elder Emperor, to say that if he would give them 
part of Thrace or Moesia to keep, they would submit themselves to his 
laws and commands. That he might have greater confidence in them, 
they promised to become Christians, if he would give them teachers 
who spoke their language. (132) When Valens learned this, he gladly 
and promptly granted what he had himself intended to ask. He received 
the Getae into the region of Moesia and placed them there as a wall 
of defense for his kingdom against other tribes. And since at that 
time the Emperor Valens, who was infected with the Arian perfidy, had 
closed all the churches of our party, he sent as preachers to them 
those who favored his sect. They came and straightway filled a rude 
and ignorant people with the poison of their heresy. Thus the Emperor 
Valens made the Visigoths Arians rather than Christians. (133) 
Moreover, from the love they bore them, they preached the gospel both 
to the Ostrogoths and to their kinsmen the Gepidae, teaching them to 
reverence this heresy, and they invited all people of their speech 
everywhere to attach themselves to this sect. They themselves as we 
have said, crossed the Danube and settled Dacia Ripensis, Moesia and 
Thrace by permission of the Emperor.
XXVI (134) Soon famine and want came upon them, as often happens to a 
people not yet well settled in a country. Their princes and the 
leaders who ruled them in place of kings, that is Fritigern, 
**ALATHEUS** and Safrac, began to lament the plight of their army and 
begged Lupicinus and Maximus, the Roman commanders, to open a market. 
But to what will not the "cursed lust for gold" compel men to assent? 
The generals, swayed by avarice, sold them at a high price not only 
the flesh of sheep and oxen, but even the carcasses of dogs and 
unclean animals, so that a slave would be bartered for a loaf of 
bread or ten pounds of meat. (135) When their goods and chattels 
failed, the greedy trader demanded their sons in return for the 
necessities of life. And the parents consented even to this, in order 
to provide for the safety of their children, arguing that it was 
better to lose liberty than life; and indeed it is better that one be 
sold, if he will be mercifully fed, than that he should be kept free 
only to die.
Now it came to pass in that troubIous time that Lupicinus, the Roman 
general, invited Fritigern, a chieftain of the Goths, to a feast and, 
as the event revealed, devised a plot against him. (136) But 
Fritigern, thinking no evil, came to the feast with a few followers. 
While he was dining in the praetorium he heard the dying cries of his 
ill-fated men, for, by order of the general, the soldiers were 
slaying his companions who were shut up in another part of the house. 
The loud cries of the dying fell upon ears already suspicious, and 
Fritigern at once perceived the treacherous trick. He drew his sword 
and with great courage dashed quickly from the banqueting-hall, 
rescued his men from their threatening doom and incited them to slay 
the Romans. (137) Thus these valiant men gained the chance they had 
longed for--to be free to die in battle rather than to perish of 
hunger--and immediately took arms to kill the generals Lupicinus and 
Maximus. Thus that day put an end to the famine of the Goths and the 
safety of the Romans, for the Goths no longer as strangers and 
pilgrims, but as citizens and lords, began to rule the inhabitants 
and to hold in their own right all the northern country as far as the 
Danube.
(138) When the Emperor Valens heard of this at Antioch, he made ready 
an army at once and set out for the country of Thrace. Here a 
grievous battle took place and the Goths prevailed. The Emperor 
himself was wounded and fled to a farm near Hadrianople. The Goths, 
not knowing that an emperor lay hidden in so poor a hut, set fire to 
it (as is customary in dealing with a cruel foe), and thus he was 
cremated in royal splendor. Plainly it was a direct judgment of God 
that he should be burned with fire by the very men whom he had 
perfidiously led astray when they sought the true faith, turning them 
aside from the flame of love into the fire of hell. From this time 
the Visigoths, in consequence of their glorious victory, possessed 
Thrace and Dacia Ripensis as if it were their native land.
XXVII (139) Now in the place of Valens, his uncle, the Emperor 
Gratian established Theodosius the Spaniard in the Eastern Empire. 
Military discipline was soon restored to a high level, and the Goth, 
perceiving that the cowardice and sloth of former princes was ended, 
became afraid. For the Emperor was famed alike for his acuteness and 
discretion. By stern commands and by generosity and kindness he 
encouraged a demoralized army to deeds of daring. (140) But when the 
soldiers, who had obtained a better leader by the change, gained new 
confidence, they sought to attack the Goths and drive them from the 
borders of Thrace. But as the Emperor Theodosius fell so sick at this 
time that his life was almost despaired of, the Goths were again 
inspired with courage. Dividing the Gothic army, Fritigern set out to 
plunder Thessaly, Epirus and Achaia, while **ALATHEUS** and Safrac 
with the rest of the troops made for Pannonia. (141) Now the Emperor 
Gratian had at this time retreated from Rome to Gaul because of the 
invasions of the Vandals. When he learned that the Goths were acting 
with greater boldness because Theodosius was in despair of his life, 
he quickly gathered an army and came against them. Yet he put no 
trust in arms, but sought to conquer them by kindness and gifts. So 
he entered on a truce with them and made peace, giving them 
provisions."
(http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~vandersp/Courses/texts/jordgeti.html)
(http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/iordanes.html)

With best regards,
Francisc

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