[gothic-l] Re: Ostrogoths and Eagles

[dirk at SMRA.CO.UK]

> >
>
>
> In Christianity, the eagle was also used as symbol of John
> the baptist. One might thus ask whether the year you mention
> (in what year were the coins issued?) saw the Goths as
> generally Christianized, and thus using Christian symbols,
> or whether the eagle was a continuation of earlier
> non-Christian symbolism.

Hi Keth,

These coins were issued from the 490s until about 534. Thus the
Ostrogoths had long been christians by that time. The first issue of
these coins (so called heavy-weight nummi) saw Romulus and Remus and
the wolf as reverse design and the Roma bust as obverse design, with
the Rome invincible inscription. Theoderic obviously wanted to be
seen as restorer of the earliest Roman traditions. In general, there
is no nordic, germanic imagery used on coins by any of the coin
producing tribes. It is only the use of an eagle by Theoderic, which
strikes me as somewhat odd. But it may well be a Roman rather than a
Gothic symbol as well.

Dirk


>
> The vikings are said to have used a raven figure on
> their battle standards. We often hear about the
> battle-standard playing an important role in viking
> battles.
> Keth


I think the vikings are of little significance here. The Goths (and
other tribes) were certainly no vikings are proto-vikings.
Theoderic's aim was not to appear as a viking plunderer but as a Roman
aristocrat, who ruled Italy legitimately. His coins are good evidence
for this, as  he tried to connect to Roman traditions, even aluring to
the Roman republic and its virutes.


Dirk




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