The Goths (The Peoples of Europe)

BetweenthefirstandseventhcenturiesAD,GothicgroupsmovedthousandsofmilesacrossthemapofEurope,fromthefringesoftheBaltictotheshoresoftheAtlanticocean.Intheprocess,theytransformedthemselvesfromaninsignificantpeopleontheoutskirtsoftheknownworldintohighlymilitarizedforces,capableofcarvingoutsuccessorstatesforthemselvesfromthebodypoliticoftheRomanEmpire.Thisbookdrawsonalltheavailableliteraryandarchaeologicalevidence,muchofthelatterneverbeforediscussedinEnglish,toreconstructtheGoths'dramatichistory,andtoexplorethemeaningofGothicidentityatdifferentmomentsandindifferentcontexts.Thevolumeisdividedintothreeparts,correspondingtothethreemainphasesinGothichistory:theirearlyhistorydowntothefourthcentury,therevolutioninGothicsocietysetinmotionbythearrivaloftheHuns,andthehistoryoftheGothicsuccessorstatestothewesternRomanEmpire.