[gothic-l] Re: Seventeenth Gothic-Roman War 405 AD

[faltin2001]

--- In gothic-l at y..., andreas.schwarcz at u... wrote:
> Dear Dirk,
> there is no source stating that Radagaisus was joined by Vandals
> and Burgundinans. Zosimus, Historia nea 5, 26, who gave the
> number of 400.000, only talks generally of Celts and Germans from
> the other side of the Rhine and Danube, but he wrote long after the
> events. Orosius, hist.adv.pag. 7, 37, Augustinus, de civitate dei
5,
> 23, and the Chron.Gall.a.452, 51do not give specific peoples
> besides the Goths and they do not call those Goths Ostrogoths
> (which would be really anachronistic around 405). Orosius, by the
> way, gives a number of more than 200.000 for the followers of
> Radagaisus, which is also considered as exaggerated. None of our
> sources allow us to call Radagaisus an Amal and he is not
> mentioned in any Amal genealogy.
> Best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year and kind regards
>                       Andreas 		


Dear Andreas,

thanks a lot for this most welcome clarification. I think that there
is a more fundamental problem in the presentation of these 'Romano-
Gothic' wars. In his successive presentation Bertil creates the
impression of a grand 'Germanic' plan to bring down the Roman empire,
which could not be further from the truth. Alaric's capture of Rome
had more to do with the accumulation of unfavourable circumstances
(from the Roman point of view) than with a centuries-long struggle to
bring down Rome. It is important to note that the Goths who entered
Rome in 410AD were largely searching for food not glory and wealth.
Also, there aim was never to bring down the empire, rather than to
share in its benefit and become part of it. At least that is my view
of these events.

cheers
Dirk















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