ABRIDGED TIMELINE
FOR GERMANIA AD 150 to 410
150
(see figure 6.2 for the detailed tree-ring record)
AD
150 is the end of a ten-year period below the mean and is a year with the
tree-ring value below the mean. There
is a migration initiated by King Filimer of the Goths. AD 151 is a continuation of Filimer’s migration and has
been removed from this timeline.
166
AD
166 ends a seven-year period below the mean and is a year with the tree-ring
value below the mean. The Gothic
tribes attack in two different areas.
167
AD
167 is the first above mean year after seven below mean years.
The Goths move due to an increase in population and displace the
Marcomanni. The first Marcomannic
War continues from AD 167 to 175 and will be removed from this timeline.
178
AD 178 is the first of five below mean years with this year below the mean. The Second Marcomannic War starts in AD 178 and continues until 180 so the years 179 and 180 have been removed from this timeline.
200
AD
200 is the third of a 14-year period below the mean with this year below the
mean. The Burgundians move, Alamans
raid the Empire, and Goths divide. AD
201 is a continued attack by the Alamans and the comments in AD 208 are
anecdotal, so they have both been removed.
220
AD 220 is in the middle of a long 19-year period below the mean that is divided from the earlier 14-year below mean period by only two years above the mean. This year is a quite below the mean. The Ostrogoths and Visigoths move and attack.
230
AD 230 is the only one of the few above mean years in the 19-year period below the mean. The Ostrogoths settle near the Slavic tribes.
233
AD 233 is in an average period with this year being the first year above mean since the AD 215. The Vandals and Alamans relocate.
238
AD
238 is the last of three below mean years with this year under the mean .
The first of the Gothic incursions into the Roman Empire occurs.
The Carpi attack Dacia repeatedly from 238 to 249.
AD 239 to 249 have been removed for continuation of raids.
The Gothic attacks in 242 are raids at the Black Sea and are removed from
the study because they are a series of smaller raids.
AD 245 is removed because the Gothic attacks are connected to the
stoppage of tribute. AD 246 is
removed due to the small size of attacks on the limes.
AD 247 is removed because it is anecdotal.
248
AD
248 is in a period above the mean with this year being just above the mean
value. The Huns displace the
Asdings and there are various major attacks on the limes.
249
AD 249 is in a period above the mean with this year being well above the mean value. The Carpi are forced to retreat from inside the Roman Empire. The Goths launch a major attack.
250
AD
250 is the first of three below mean years with this year way below the mean.
The Goths move into Asia Minor and remain in some capacity.
The Carpi invade Dacia again. Emperor
Decius is defeated.
251
AD
251 is the second of three consecutive below mean years with this year being
under the mean. There are many
skirmishes and attacks on the Roman Empire.
Decius is killed.
253
AD 253 is the first year in a period above the mean with this year being well above the mean. There are major attacks on the Empire.
254
AD
254 is at the beginning of an eleven-year period above the mean but this year
below the mean. There is a series
of major attacks on the limes that are
successful. AD 255 to 257 are
continuations of these successful attacks.
258
AD
258 is in the eleven-year period above the mean with this year above the mean.
The Franks enter Gaul.
259
AD
259 is at the end of the eleven- year period above the mean with this year being
well above the mean. Multiple
attacks occur along the Roman frontiers.
260
AD 260 is at the beginning of an average period with this year being well below the mean. The Franks attack Gaul and several tribes move. Postumus breaks away from Rome. AD 261 to 264, 266 are continuations of these movements and attacks have been removed from this timeline.
265
AD 265 is the second year of a nine-year period below the mean with this year being well below the mean. The Franks relocate in Gaul.
267
AD 267 is in a period below the mean with this year being well below the mean. There are major attacks and migrations in this year.
268
AD 268 is in a period below the mean with this year also being below the mean. There are major attacks on the Empire.
269
AD
269 is in a period below the mean with this year also being below the mean.
There are several significant invasions on the Empire.
270
AD
270 is in a period below the mean with this year also being below the mean.
Several large migrations and invasions occur.
271
AD
271 is in a period below the mean with this year also being below the mean.
There are many attacks on the frontier and several migrations.
272
AD
272 is in a period below the mean with this year also being below the mean.
There are a several invasions with Dacia ultimately falling to the
Germanic tribes. There are several
smaller invasions, which continue from 273 – 275 and 276, so they have been
removed from this timeline.
277
AD 277 is in a period below the mean with this year also being below the mean. There is a migration caused by one tribe displacing another tribe.
278
AD 278 is in a period below the mean with this year also being below the mean. The Burgundians move and eventually return to Germania in AD 285. Between AD 286 and 289 there were several small incursions, so the years from AD 285 to 289 have been removed from this timeline.
295
AD
295 is in an eight-year period below the mean with this year also being below
the mean. Rome holds off several
attacks and significantly reinforces the northern frontier.
298
AD
298 is in the middle of an eight-year period below the mean with this year being
well below the mean. The Alamans
invade Gaul.
301
AD
301 is the last of an eight-year period below the mean with this year being just
under the mean. Diocletian's Edict
of Prices is issued to control the hyperinflation of food costs in the Empire.
AD 306 is anecdotal and is removed.
315
AD 315 is in a period above the mean with this year also being above the mean. The Carpi attack the Empire. This attack continues in AD 316 so it is removed. AD 320 and 330 are removed because they are anecdotal references. AD 323, 324, and 331 are removed for lack of evidence to support the attacks. AD 332 is a political confrontation brought on by a civil war and is removed from this timeline.
348
AD 348 is the sixth to the last year in a twenty-year period below the mean with this year also being below the mean. There is a documented reaction to a sustained drought period. AD 350 is removed because the author estimates the year as mid-fourth century.
357
AD
357 is in the fourth year of a 12-year period above the mean with this year also
being above the mean. Records
suggest that southwest Germania is prospering.
359
AD 359 is the sixth year of a 12-year period above the mean with this year also being above the mean. The Burgundians settle and develop economic ties with Rome. AD 361 is removed because of proximity. AD 362 and 363 are removed because the movement is attributed to population increase.
364
AD 364 is the first year of a 19-year period below the mean with this year well below the mean. The Goths invade the northern borders of the Roman Empire. AD 365 is a small movement inside of Germania and has been edited from the timeline.
366
AD 366 is in a long period below the mean with this year being well below the mean. Procopius is killed in the Battle of Catalonian Fields.
367
AD 367 is in a long period below the mean with this year being well below the mean. The Goths move and invade attack Emperor Valens.
368
AD
368 is in a long period below the mean with this year also being below the mean.
The Goths attack Emperor Valens.
369
AD
369 is in a long period below the mean with this year being just above the mean.
The Goths declare war on Rome for being banned from being allowed to
trade for foodstuffs.
370
AD
370 is in a long period below the mean with this year also being below the mean.
The Huns attack the Alans, the Alans attack the Goths, the Goths mass
migrate.
371
372
AD
372 is in a long period below the mean with this year being below the mean.
The Huns attack the Goths and the Goths move.
373
AD
373 is in a long period below the mean with this year also being below the mean.
There are various attacks on the limes.
374
AD
374 is in a long period below the mean with this year also being below the mean.
The Goths, Quadi, and Burgundians attack the Roman Empire.
375
AD 374 is in a long period below the mean with this year being the first of two years above the mean. The Huns attack the Goths and Alans. Thousands of Germanic refugees flee to the Roman Empire.
376
AD 376 is in a long period below the mean with this year being well under the mean. There are major attacks on the limes and inside Germania.
377
AD 377 is in a long period below the mean with this year being well above the mean. The Goths attack the Empire.
378
AD
378 is in a long period below the mean with this year being well below the mean.
The Battle of Adrianople (Hadrianople) and Emperor Valens is killed in
battle.
379
AD
379 is at the end of the 19-year period below the mean with this year also being
below the mean. The limes
are pacified. AD 383 to 390 are
removed due to the raid-like quality of the invasions.
AD 389 is an above mean year, but it is recorded as a famine year in Rome
by Wolfram.
390
AD
390 is at the end of a nine-year period above the mean with this year being
above the mean. The Huns settle in
the Pannonian Basin.
394
AD 394 is in an average period with this year being below the mean. The Visigoths and Alamans attack the Romans. Years AD 395 to 399 are removed as continued aggression by the Goths. AD 396 is anecdotal.
400
AD 400 is the second year of a period below the mean with this year also being below the mean. The repeated aggression on the limes forces an order of no more Roman soldier transfers. Goths, Vandals, and Lombards move. AD 401 to 405 are removed as repeated aggression.
406
AD 406 is the first year of a 15-year period above the mean with this year being above the mean. There are major attacks on the limes usually referred to as a “flood” of people. This continues until the displacement of the Western Roman Empire.
There are two years that have been removed from the abridged timeline in the calculations. These years are AD 357 and 359. They were removed because they are documented evidence of a climate event, not a migration or invasion event. They were left in the above timeline to illustrate the correlation with the tree-ring record. The documentation of AD 357 includes many comments that the Alamans and other southern Germania tribes were doing very well and living off abundant crops and livestock (Dixon, 1976, Todd, 1992) . AD 357 is the fourth year in a 12-year above mean period in the tree ring record. The trees were growing in a long, sustained period at a greater than average rate at the same time that there is a documented agricultural explosion in 357. Two years later in AD 359, the Burgundians settle in Swabia and develop a trade relationship with the Romans, which may be due, in part, to this sustained period that remains above the mean for another six years (Musset, 1975) .