The Origin and Deeds of the GothsJordanes, active 6th century
History
The Origin and Deeds of the Goths
Jordanes, active 6th century
Attila, -453; Germanic peoples; Goths
XX While he was given over to luxurious living of 107
every sort, Respa, Veduc and Thuruar, leaders of the
Goths, took ship and sailed across the strait of the Hellespont
to Asia. There they laid waste many populous
cities and set fire to the renowned temple of Diana at
Ephesus, which, as we said before, the Amazons built.
Being driven from the neighborhood of Bithynia, they
destroyed Chalcedon, which Cornelius Avitus afterwards
restored to some extent. Yet even to-day, though it is
happily situated near the royal city, it still shows some
traces of its ruin as a witness to posterity. After their 108
success, the Goths recrossed the strait of the Hellespont,
laden with booty and spoil, and returned along the same
route by which they had entered the lands of Asia, sacking
Troy and Ilium on the way. These cities, which had
scarce recovered a little from the famous war with Agamemnon,
were thus destroyed anew by the hostile sword.
After the Goths had thus devastated Asia, Thrace next
felt their ferocity. For they went thither and presently
attacked Anchiali, a city at the foot of Haemus and not
far from the sea. Sardanapalus, king of the Parthians,
had built this city long ago between an inlet of the sea
and the base of Haemus. There they are said to have 109
stayed for many days, enjoying the baths of the hot
springs which are situated about twelve miles from the
city of Anchiali. There they gush from the depths of
their fiery source, and among the innumerable hot springs
of the world they are esteemed as specially famous and
efficacious for their healing virtues.
(THE TIMES OF DIOCLETIAN)
[Sidenote: Diocletian 284-305]
[Sidenote: Masimian 284-305]
XXI After these events, the Goths had already returned 110
home when they were summoned at the request
of the Emperor Maximian to aid the Romans against the
Parthians. They fought for him faithfully, serving as
auxiliaries. But after Caesar Maximian by their aid had
routed Narseus, king of the Persians, the grandson of
Sapor the Great, taking as spoil all his possessions, together
with his wives and his sons, and when Diocletian
had conquered Achilles in Alexandria and Maximianus
Herculius had broken the Quinquegentiani in Africa, thus
winning peace for the empire, they began rather to neglect
the Goths.
[Sidenote: Constantine I 306-337]
[Sidenote: Licinius 307-323]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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