[gothic-l] The extent of Ermanarik's realm

[Bertil Haggman]

Maenchen-Helfen seems interesting. He
offers two points between enlargement
like going all the way to the Rhine or
claiming that the empire did not exist at
all.

The hymn bit about Jordanes seems to be
exaggerating things. The question is of course
what Jordanes referred to when he wrote
about Scythia and Germania being included
among the territories of the Regnum Ostro-
gothorum.

The point made in your references concerning
the Aestii holds the possibility of trading
contacts across the Baltic Sea. And further
relations during the Hunnic times and later
under King Theoderic the Great.

My references are Jordanes, Professor
Lars Hermodsson and RLK. It is interesting
to note your opinions underneath. They of
course reflect reductionist theses and as
there is no possibility knowing exactly
what Jordanes meant by Scythia and
Germania views of various researchers
differ.

Bertil Haggman





> The point however is this: on what basis
> would you exclude them? I take it that when you say
> "like" you mean more than just an indication of
> arbitrary preference.

> MH finds the reduction of the Heruli by
> Hermanaric"quite credible" (p. 25) (as do I)

> Finally: "The boundaries of the Ostrogothic "empire"
> cannot be defined because it had none. Around a more
> ofr less compactly settled Gothic area lay the sites
> of various tribes. Some of them may have paid regular
> tribute; others only bartered their goods, presumably
> mostly furs, for what the Goths got either from the
> Bosporan kingdom or the Danube provinces; still others
> occasionally may have joined the Ostrogoths in looting
> expeditions.


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