The Goths

Peter Heather gives a very detailed history about a group that, for the most part, I was familar with only as those being "acted on" in history rather than as "actors." That is to say, their role in the implosion of the Roman Empire is probably well known to any student of ancient / early medieval history, but beyond that - where they came from before they arrived on the fringes of the Roman Empire, what their culture was like, and what *their* story was - is largely a mystery. Heather does a thorough job of filling this in.The book begins with a discussion of the origins of the Goths along the Baltic Sea coast in the first century CE. I found his discussion of the archeological record (and the various interpretations of it) very interesting - the cultures and civilizations on the east side of the Rhine and Danube rivers is something not typically addressed in histories of ancient western Europe. The migration (and evolution) of the Goths as they moved farther south eventually into the Roman Balkans in the 4th century CE comprises the next third of the book. Heather really hits his stride in discussing the role of the Goths as one of the "Germanic barbarians" that contributed to the demise of the western Roman empire - the final few chapters (on Theodoric, Justinian's reconquest of Italy and the Visigothic kingdom in Spain) were truly outstanding. Essentially Heather argues that Theodoric (and his successors), while Arian Christians, made a concerted effort to "Romanize" themselves in order to gain political legitimacy, while the remants of the Roman elite similarly sought to ingratiate themselves with the new power-brokers to continue their place at the head of the social and politcal table.The writing is a bit academic, but Heather is writing for a specific audience. The information and interpretation are excellent, all the more laudable for Heather's clear explanation of competing ideas about the changes taking place in 4th and 5th century Italy. Recommended.

This book attempts to trace the origins of the Goths from their initial formation, and show their movements, migrations, politics, and so forth through the Middle Ages. The book is extremely valuable but probably does not cover everything one might want to learn in one volume ( The Early Germans (The Peoples of Europe)  provides more on weapons and tactics than this book does for example).The author discusses theories for the origins of the Goths and concludes that a place of origin in what is now Poland is most likely, thoughtfully rejecting Scandinavian origins cited in early sources. He then discusses the rise of the Goths from archaeological and literary evidence, generally sticking to what is known. Some discussion of the religious conflicts surrounding Arianism are included, but pre-Christian Gothic religion is generally not discussed perhaps because so little is known about it for certain.Then Heather discusses the relations between the Goths and the Roman Empire, concluding that the Visigoths and Ostrogoths represented "super-groups" which formed within the Roman Empire in late antiquity out of many smaller Gothic political units. He traces these developments against the backdrop of Roman military campaigns, politics, and intrigue. Finally he traces the development of Gothic kingdoms and dynastic traditions within this framework and how those lead to the development of Gothic states and the fall of the Roman Empire.This doesn't discuss how the Goths were socially organized in any great detail, and there is very little discussion of the development and characteristics of the Gothic language. I am not aware of any major survey on the first topic, while the second is a specialized field and would recommend other books (for example,  Old English and its Closest Relatives: A Survey of the Earliest Germanic Languages ) for that material.All in all, an impressive and worthy book. Highly recommended.

Peter Heather takes the available ancient literature and relatively up-to-date archaeological evidence and puts it together into a credible story of the Goths. I found it very instructive. He avoids the pitfall that traps most authors about the era. He lays out his thesis, then gives us his thoughtful summary. So many other historians of this period give us what we already know, but come up with forty-two new ways of saying 'we just don't know.' I was just a little better than totally in the dark, but now I feel I can answer such basic questions as about the difference between "Ostrogoths" and "Visigoths." I also enjoyed reading about Gala Placidia, and her important position in the late Roman Empire.

This is a fantastic book. I can't complement Peter Heather enough on his knowledge and analyses of Goth and Roman interactions. He has a point of view: that the movement of the Hunns into Gothic territory set in motion the eventual dismemberment of the Western Roman Empire. After 376 there was a group of barbarians living as an independent group inside Roman territory. I am not a expert, and accept his thesis; but somewhere in the back of my mind I am not sure. The Hunns did not invade Gothic territory in mass, and took their time in finally getting there. The Goths were not pushed across the river, and were quite familiar with being settled in Roman territory. Other groups had been settled in Roman territory before 376. It is more like the Romans could no longer resist emigration across the Rhine and Danube, for some, or many reasons. In any case this is a great book, and anyone who is interested in the history of this period, should read it along with his other books.

The section 'Understanding Identity' in Chapter 1, which you can read above, may be rather hard work; but don't be put off because the story gets started in Chapter 2. Books about ancient history are usually quite dry, but because of the exciting narrative thread in this one - which follows the travels of the Goths across Europe - I found it particularly easy to read. I read it from cover to cover in a few days.I started reading because I wanted to find out more about Ermaneric, who crops up in several medieval sagas. I didn't find out much about him - apparently not much is known - but I got a good overall picture of the Goths and their migrations instead.