Gothic History
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The Tervingi (the Visigoths)
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Originally, they were pagans, worshipping Wooten and Tyr (Odin and Thor) just as other people of Scandinavian descent did. However, during this period many were converted to Christianity due to the efforts of an ex-slave named Ulfias (Little Wolf). He not only evangelised the masses but he sought to enlighten t hem and translated the Bible into their native Gothic. This was a feat not yet accomplished in the Roman church and often it is forgotten in history.
The Visigoths were minding their own business and happily trading with everyone, Rome included, when a group of ex Chinese slaves known as the Huns came marauding through. In front of them, some of their sister tribe, the Ostergoths scattered...having been thoroughly routed in their own land by these Huns. The Visigoths were hardly pushovers and they put up a good fight, but the Huns were more ruthless, and more importantly, a greater number than the Visigoths. Eventually the noble ones crumbled and sought protection from their trading partner - the Roman Empire.
The Roman Empire was known for incorporating other groups of people into the empire, so it seemed the logical thing to do. Rome did not have the resources to take the Goths enmasse, but they allowed small groups to cross the border over time. Even this measure did not ensure there were enough supplies, men or resources to handle the refugees and things got ugly.
The Goths were placed in holding camps until Emperor Valens granted them all asylum and placed them in the Bulgarian Swamplands. There had been no food and no freedom in the holding camps and things were not much better in the swamp. Besides this, Roman citizens made it very clear the Goths were not welcome within polite Roman society. Goths were also taxed quite heavily and their leader Fritigern suffered several attempts on his life. Their situation really did not improve over time either as swampland is not the most agriculturally sound. (A non-productive swamp, what a surprise!)
Roman society had an elaborate welfare system which should have eased things...but it was not used effectively in this case for some reason. Large portions of the Gothic population faced continual starvation. Sometimes food would be provided by the Roman garrison, in exchange for slaves. The going price for the meat of a single dog was a gothic child.
People tend not to hold their oppressors in high esteem when they are treated like this. Predictably, the Tervingi expressed dissatisfaction with their situation. Unimpressed Roman officials sought to shift the blame and said they should go to Marcianople where they would receive help and provisions. The Goths took the advice and went to Marcianople.
When the starving gothic refugees arrived at their destination...they found the doors to the city closed tight. The seriously pissed, persecuted and very hungry Tervingi had had enough. They copped a 'tude, sacked the city and raided the local villages. (Note to self: never starve or ignore those you wish to retain as peaceful subjects)
Afterwards, they were still angry and evidently not finished expressing themselves. The moved against Adrianople in 378 where they challenged the emperor's forces to battle. They made sure they were well fed and rested where the Roman legions came in by foot. They put the hot, tired Roman foot soldiers at a disadvantage by setting all the fields on fire and using a mounted cavalry to break the discipline of the ranks. While it appeared to be an easy victory at first, the emperor's trained army got its worst defeat since Hannibal. Both groups were well trained and well armed. They both had armour. What happened was that the Roman army allowed itself to be surrounded and it underestimated the size and passion of the Goths. Two-thirds of the army perished along with Emperor Valens. (Note to self: never underestimate a group of seriously pissed barbarians on horseback)
In 382, the new emperor negotiates a deal giving the Tervingi additional territory that was more suited to agriculture in exchange for military service. It was accepted and many of the Goths moved up in the ranks of the military and gained status within the legion. Regardless of these accomplishments, they were still outcasts among the general population and the Romans used them as disposable troops in combat.
A strong leader, Aleric, moved up in both the military and among Gothic society. He spent years plotting for the equality of his people within the kingdom. It wasn't that he wanted to take over Rome, he just wanted his people to share in the "glory" that was the empire...When the emperor dies he finds himself no longer held by the treaty and yet he chose in 395 to side with the new emperor Theodosius against various threats and insurgencies.
Ironically he saved the empire he despised. Theodosius gives the Goths more land and assures Aleric he would have direct leadership over his people. All seemed to be going fairly well when this emperor soon dies and leaves two incompetent sons as his heirs. When the predictable corruption and abuse began to become public, a disgusted Aleric marched on Rome, with both his people and an alliance of other disenfranchised "barbarians" of varying nationalities. He was repulsed a few times but in August of 410 AD Rome began it's "fall" as he entered the city. By 476, Rome officially was done and the dark ages began.
Eventually, however, the Tervingi left the peninsula and settled in what is now Spain and France. They remained strong and prosperous for quite a while there and united briefly with the Greutungi under Theodoric the Great. After his death they went solo again until they were driven north in 711 by the Moorish invasion. They retreated into the Asturias where they maintained a smallish kingdom until the death of the last King of Asturias in 741.
Goths have been branded marauding hordes out to destroy civilisation. However if you look at the situation objectively (with eyes untainted by the love of the Roman empire) you can plainly see that all the Visigoths really wanted was self determination, food and a chance to become respected members of the society around them. It wasn't until Rome repeatedly denied this that they rebelled and eventually overthrew the empire.
I say this because it's obvious Aleric could have capitalised on the internal strife of Rome and destroyed it completely instead of siding with Theodosius and preserving the empire for another parcel of a generation. This type of thing happened more than once, with treaties and agreements between Rome and the Goths. If the Goths had truly wanted to destroy Rome for the sake of destroying it, they could have done so at any of these junctures. But they didn't. Additionally, the cultural revival under Theodoric the Great, if you study it, was not that of a "gothic" type culture - it was more Roman than anything. Much of what was Roman was preserved with great respect by the invading Goths. They did not want to destroy Rome, they wanted a "piece of the pie" of their own.
For some reason, and I cannot account for it myself, our society has been fascinated with what was Rome to the point that it discounts the tales and histories of the people they conquered. Rome is seen as the great civilisation and the rest of the world as barbarian just as the Romans saw it. We believe our culture to be founded on the Roman model, our government buildings are fashioned in a Roman manner. Our republican ideals supposedly are Roman. However, if you really look, you will see Rome was plagued by many social ills, cultural snobbery being one of them. The Roman perspective on what was happening in history therefore may not always be the correct one.
