_a._ A.D. 482. "Trocondo et Severino consulibus--Theodoricus cognomento Valamer utramque Macedoniam, Thessaliamque depopulatus est, Larissam quoque metropolim depredatus, Fausto solo consule (A.D. 485)--Idem Theodoricus rex Gothorum Zenonis Augusti munificentia pene pacatus, magisterque praesentis militiae factus, consul quoque designatus, _creditam sibi Ripensis Daciae partem_ Moesiaeque _inferioris, cum suis satellitibus pro tempore tenuit_."--Marcellini Comitis Chronicon, D.N. _b._ "Frederichus ad Theodoricum regem, qui tunc apud Novam Civitatem provinciae Moesiae morabatur, profectus est."--Vita S. Severini, D.N. _c._ "Zeno misit ad Civitatem Novam, in qu[^a] erat Theodoricus dux Gothorum, filius Valameris, et eum invitavit in solatium sibi adversus Basiliscum."--Anon. Valesii, p. 663, D.N. d. _Civitas Nova_ is Nicopolis on the Danube; and the nation thus spoken of is the Gothic nation in the time of Zeno. At this time they are settled in the Lower Moesia, or Bulgaria. How they got here from the _northern_ side of the Danube we find in the history of the reign of Valens. When pressed by intestine wars, and by the movements of the Huns, they were assisted by that emperor, and settled in the parts in question. {32} Furthermore, they were converted to Christianity; and the Bible was translated into their language by their Bishop Ulphilas. Fragments of this translation, chiefly from the Gospels, have come down to the present time; and the Bible translation of the Arian Bishop Ulphilas, in the language of the Goths of Moesia, during the reign of Valens, exhibits the earliest sample of any Gothic tongue. s. 72. How Gothic tribes reached the Lower Danube is a point upon which there is a variety of opinion. The following facts, however, may serve as the basis of our reasoning. A.D. 249-251--The Goths are found about equidistant from the Euxine Sea, and the eastern portion of the range of Mount Haemus, in the Lower Moesia, and at Marcianopolis. Here they gain a great battle against the Romans, in which the Emperor Decius is killed. His successor, Gallus, purchases a peace. Valerian defends himself against them. During the reign of Gallienus they appear as _maritime_ warriors, and ravage Asia Minor, Greece, and Illyria. A.D. 269--Are conquered at Naissus, on the western boundary of Moesia _Superior_ by Claudius. A.D. 282--Are defeated by Carus. A.D. 321--Ravage Moesia (Inferior?) and Thrace. A.D. 336--Attacked by Constantine in Dacia--_north_ of the Danube. A.D. 373--In the reign of Valens (as already stated), they were admitted to settle within the limits of the empire. s. 73. Now, although all this explains, how a Gothic language was spoken in Bulgaria, and how remnants of it have been preserved until the nineteenth century, the manner in which the tribe who spoke it reached Marcianopolis, so as to conquer the Emperor Decius, in A.D. 249, is unexplained. Concerning this there are three opinions--