Gothic History
 |
The Greutungi (The Ostergoths)
|
When they split from the Tervingi, they moved into Asia Minor, displacing the Slavic people near the Black Sea. Life was not very easy for them and they found it very convenient to forage off the wealthy Roman Empire. Of course, like any community would, the Romans found this intolerable and therefore attempted to rid themselves of the Goths. The Goths, however, were having too much fun and would not stop plundering them no matter what the Romans tried. Since the Romans could not pull off a clear and decisive victory over the Goths, they eventually felt they need to work out a deal. The terms were simple, the Goths stayed out of Roman territory, they protected the empire from the Sarmations and in return, they received a tribute from Rome which enabled them to procure the things they needed.
In time, though this became hard for the Roman establishment to swallow. Eventually they decided to stop paying tribute. In 245, the Ostergoths regarded the treaty as broken and themselves under no obligation to stay out of Rome. They decided to invade Moesia and Thrace. They were initially repelled, but being naturally endowed with the proverbial Germanic stubbornness, they kept trying. Eventually they carved out a good-sized holding for themselves, which included areas around the Black Sea, Modern Day Ukraine and Southern Belarus. With that, they could support themselves and they settled down somewhat, much to the relief of the surrounding peoples.
No peaceful empire goes unconquered and in 370 AD, the Huns ploughed through Greutungi territory. They met with fierce resistance, but eventually they completely put the Ostergoths down and consumed their lands. They remained a part of the Hun Empire until it fell in the mid fifth century.
When the Ostergoths were free once more, they reverted back to old habits. It seemed to be a good thing to invade Rome again, so they did. Under the leadership of Theodoric the Great, they defeated Rome in 495AD. Despite the fact that he was a conquering monarch, native Romans held him in high regard. This was especially true of local politicians. He also presided over a resurgence of cultural expression. Besides supporting the burst of creativity, he felt it important to unite with his sister clans in the west. He was probably one of the most enlightened and honourable emperor/king for that period.
Not all rulers have the gift of leadership. When he passed on there was no one even close to his equal in the gothic kingdom. A vacuum was created, leaving the empire open to deconstruction and colonisation. The Visigoths split for their own good and went back to managing themselves. The Byzantine emperor decided to invade since things were not stable and after 20 years of violent protest, the Ostergoths ceased to be an independent power in 554AD. Their cultural identity was absorbed by Byzantium and was never free or distinct again.
