[gothic-l] Re: Accepting Elias Wessens Conclusion

[faltin2001]

--- In gothic-l at y..., "Bertil Haggman" <mvk575b at t...> wrote:
> This is interesting. Have never seen the term "Regnum
> Greuthungorum" before. Personally I prefer to rely
> on Jordanes here with the information that Ermanaric
> subdued the Aesti, who dwell on the farthest shore of
> the Germanic Ocean, and ruled all the nations of Scythia
> and Germania by his own prowess.
>
> A majority of scholars do, I believe, identify the Aestii as
> the ancient Balts, forerunners of the Old Prussians,
> Lithuanians and Latvians. One important point here seems
> to be the association with amber and amber trade. Jordanes
> described the Balts-Aestii as "the most preaceable race
> of men". This fits well with the much later Einhard, who
> locates them, along with the Slavs, on the southern shores
> of the Baltic.


If you insist on relying on Jordanes for the size and expansion of
Ermanerich's realm you should note that he said in Getica 4.25 "...
it is said that when half the army had been brought over, the bridge
whereby they had crossed the river fell in utter ruin, nor could
anyone thereafter pass to or from."

This line could be interpreted to mean that somewhere between
Gothiscanza, i.e. the Wielbark region in northern Poland, and Oium,
i.e. the Black Sea area, one part of the Goths lost complete contact
with the other part who stayed behind. Jordanes stresses that nobody
could go back or forth thereafter making it clear that in his view
Black-Sea-Goths never went back north, while nobody came from the
north. This would clearly support the delimination of Ermanerich's
kingdom as set out earlier by George.

However, the bridge episode is likely a methaphor to join real memory
of Scythia with the origo legend favoured by Jordanes. In addition,
it is important to bear in mind that Cassiodorus will have had good
reason to exagerat or believe exaggerated reports about the extend of
the kingdom of Ermanarich. In reality, there were most likely several
hundred kilometeres between the northern-most limit of Ermanerich's
kingdom and the Baltic Sea coast.

Dirk









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