TIMELINE OF EVENTS IN AND AROUND GERMANIA AD 150-410

AD 150

As recorded by Ptolemy in his geography, a Goth migration lasting from AD 150-151 initiated by King Filimer who moved southeast from lower Vistula (Musset, 1975) .

 

151

King Filimer returns to Germania AD 151 (Musset, 1975) .

 

166

Gothic tribes attack the Danube limes in two different areas, but the Romans hold them off (Musset, 1975) .

 

167

Evidence suggests that there is a movement of the Gothic tribes due to an increase in population and the army set forth to find a new abode.  This movement of the Goths forced the movements of the Marcomanni in AD 167-175 and 178-180 (Hodgkin, 1880) . 

 

168

The Marcomannic Wars begin because the Goths displace the Marcomanni into the Roman Empire (AD 167-175) (Hodgkin, 1880) .

 

169

            The Marcomannic Wars continue (Hodgkin, 1880) .

 

170

            The Marcomannic Wars continue (Hodgkin, 1880) .

 

171

The Marcomannic Wars continue (Hodgkin, 1880) .  The Cimbri attack the frontier in Dacia and are repelled by the Roman army (Musset, 1965) .

 

172

The Marcomannic Wars continue and there is an internal movement of the Germanic tribes (Hodgkin, 1880) .

 

173

The Marcomannic Wars continue and there is an internal movement of the Germanic tribes (Hodgkin, 1880) .

 

174

The Marcomannic Wars continue and there is an internal movement of the Germanic tribes (Hodgkin, 1880) .

 

 

175

The Marcomannic Wars continue (Hodgkin, 1880) .  Germanic movement is documented as stopping during the period of Marcus Aurelius, the limes hold but movement occurs in the East along the limes that stop around AD 175 (Musset, 1975) .

 

178

The Second Marcomannic War starts in AD 178 and continue until 180 (Hodgkin, 1880) .

 

179

            The Marcomannic Wars continue (Hodgkin, 1880) .

 

180

The Marcomannic Wars concludes and the Marcomanni are forced to return to Germania (Hodgkin, 1880) .

 

200

The Burgundians are forced from their homeland (Diesner, 1982) .  The Alamans arrive in southwestern Germania and begin to raid the Empire (Diesner, 1982) .  The Roman province of Germanicus Inferior is at its height of occupation (Tent, 1973) .  The Goths divide along the Dniester River into the Visigoths (Thervings) and Ostrogoths (Greutungs) (Bradley, 1888) .

 

201

The Alamans continue to raid Agri Decumates (Diesner, 1982) . 

 

208

Earliest evidence that Goths were being incorporated into the Roman Army (Speidel, 1977) .

 

220

The Ostrogoths invade Asia Minor successfully and the Visigoths migrate inside Germania (Musset, 1975) .

 

230

Ostrogoths move and settle near the Slavic tribes northwest of the Black Sea (Musset, 1975) .

 

233

Vandals and Alamans move inside Germania (Todd, 1972) .

 

238

During the reign of Emperor Gordian III, the Carpi invade Dobuja in Dacia repeatedly from AD 238 to 244 (MacKendrick, 1975) .

Evidence of Goth attacks in AD 238 is found in Iulius Capitolinus, Scriptores Historiae Augustae, Maximus et Balbinus 16,3 (Scorpan, 1980 , Magie, 1921) .  The first major Gothic incursion into the Roman territory came in 238 with the city of Histria at the mouth of the river Danube being pillaged and the Roman army failing to defend it (Heather and Matthews, 1991) .  The Goths came from north of the Black Sea to Moesia with Germanic allies (Cunliffe, 1993b, Todd, 1992) .  The Goths invade and extract payment from the Romans before they withdrew and returned prisoners that they had taken in the raids.  The Romans continue to pay the Goths to not attack until AD 245 when the Goths invade promptly (Grant, 1999) .

 

239

The Carpi invade Dobuja in Dacia repeatedly from AD 238 to 244 during the reign of Emperor Gordian III (MacKendrick, 1975) .

 

240

The Carpi invade Dobuja in Dacia repeatedly from AD 238 to 244 (MacKendrick, 1975) .

 

241

The Carpi invade Dobuja in Dacia repeatedly from AD 238 to 244 (MacKendrick, 1975) .

 

242

The Carpi invade Dobuja in Dacia repeatedly from AD 238 to 244 (MacKendrick, 1975) .  There are several invasions along the Black Sea, but mostly are raiding parties (Scriptores Historiae Augustae, Gordianus III, 26,4; 34,4) (Magie, 1921) .

 

243

The Carpi invade Dobuja in Dacia repeatedly from AD 238 to 244 (MacKendrick, 1975) .

 

244

The Carpi begin a new campaign against Dobuja in Dacia in late AD 244 shortly after the AD 238 to 244 ended at the beginning of the year.  The next campaign lasts from 244 to 249 (MacKendrick, 1975) .

 

245

The Romans stop paying tribute to king Ostrogotha of the Ostrogoths (Amaling) in AD245.  Rome had been paying tribute to Goths because of the attacks of 238 to protect them from the Sarmatians.  Emperor Philip the Arab ceased the payment and Ostrogotha crossed the Danube with his army and plundered Moesia and Thrace. Emperor Decius quickly brought the Roman army, and the Goths retreat over Danube into Germania (Bradley, 1888) .

From AD 244 – 249, the Carpi invade Dobruja in a second campaign (MacKendrick, 1975) .  It was Emperor Maruc Julius Phillipus who was forced to repell the Carpi from AD 245-47 (Grant, 1999) .

 

246

The Carpi attack Dobuja. (Pippidi, 1971, MacKendrick, 1975) .  Emperor Maruc Julius Phillipus repelled the Carpi from AD 245-47 (Grant, 1999) .  There are a few minor attacks along the limes as evident in B. Mitrea, Pontica, 8, 1975, 125-175 (Scorpan, 1980) .

           

247

The last date from dendrochronology from the limes, a wood-lined well at Rainer-Buch, is recorded as 247.  This is the last known repair or construction from new wood and therefore the last definable stand of the limes (Friedrich and Greiner, 2001) .  There is no other evidence of the limes being repaired or of new construction after AD 247.

From AD 244 - 249 the Carpi invade Dobruja in a second campaign (MacKendrick, 1975) .  Emperor Maruc Julius Phillipus continues to repelled the Carpi from Dacia in AD 245-47 (Grant, 1999) .

 

248

From AD 244 – 249, the Carpi invade Dobruja (MacKendrick, 1975) .  The Goths invade Moesia in AD 248 (MacKendrick, 1975) .  The Asdings are displaced in Pannonia by the Huns, forcing them to relocate inside Germania (Musset, 1975) . 

The first of 4 major attacks (248,249-251, 253, and 267) on the limes occur in AD 248 (Scorpan, 1980) .

 

249

The Carpi are forced to reconsolidate from their failed attacks on Dobruja (MacKendrick, 1975) .

The Gothic King Kniva crosses the river Danube in 2 columns sending one to Dobruja and the other to Novae, Nicopolis, Philippopolis, and Augusta Traiana (Scorpan, 1980) .  This is the second of the 4 major waves of Germanic tribes, which occur from AD 249 to 251 (Scorpan, 1980) .

 

 

250

The Goths move into Asia Minor and remain there in some capacity from AD 250-270 (Cunliffe, 1993b) .  The Carpi again invade Dacia, the Goths under Kniva defeats Emperor Decius near Beroea(verria) (Grant, 1999) .  The Gothic king, Kniva continues to invade Moesia (Scorpan, 1980) .  The city of Beroea in Greece is sacked by the Goths (Kinder and Hilgemann, 1974) .

The second of the 4 major attacks (248,249-251, 253, and 267) continues (Scorpan, 1980) .

 

251

The second of the 4 major attacks continues with many skirmishes along the limes (Scorpan, 1980) .

The Gothic tribes were hugely destructive during their invasions in AD 251 (Wolfram, 1988) .  King Cniva (not the Amaling) attacked Moesia and Thrace, while Roman Emperor, Decius, went to defend Nicopolis from the Goths.  The Goths, however, went to the Balkan Mountains to attack Philippopolis. So, Decius pursued Cniva toward Philippopolis. However, Cniva unexpectedly turned and fought.  Decius lost the battle and fled.  Cniva then took the city and lost thousands in the attempt, but it is said that over 100,000 Romans were massacred inside the city.  Decius sets up an ambush at the Balkan Pass.  The Goths requested passage through the pass in exchange for their remaining prisoners.  Decius rejects the offer and the Battle of Abrittus commenses (Bradley, 1888) .  Rome loses the battle and their Emperor Decius at the Battle of Abrittus (Victor and Bird, 1994, Scorpan, 1980) .  Arminius gets lost in a swamp and Goths destroy the Roman army with Decius - (Bury, 1926) .  Decius’ body was never recovered. Emperor Trebonianus decides to pay the Goths a large sum of money and left the land to them as appeasement (Bradley, 1888) .  Emperor Trebonianus paid Goth a great sum of money and land because he was “perhaps distracted by the effects of severe plague … and failed to return to the Danube” (Grant, 1999) .

In Rome, Cyprian describes the demeanor of the populous in AD 251 as evident in Ad Demetrianum.   He lists the many problems of the Empire such as the church being split by heretics, this defeat of Decius, too many wars, natural catastrophes, plagues, economic hardships, and danger of new persecution as reasons why he and many others in Rome were becoming pessimistic about the survival of the Empire (Cyprian and Donna, 1965) .

The Goths after the attacks of AD 251 were categorized with everything from bloodlust to the eating of raw meat (Wolfram, 1988) .

           

253

The third of the 4 major attacks (248,249-251, 253, and 267) occurs in AD 253 with many tribes attacking the Empire (Scorpan, 1980) .

Dobruja in Dacia is invaded again (Scorpan, 1980) . 

Rome’s Danubian troops forced Aemilius Aemilianus Marcus’ usurpation in early summer of 253.  This internal fighting exposed Greece to the Gothic invasion (Grant, 1999) .

After Decius's death in AD 251, Saint Cyprian noted as a general opinion of the populous of Rome that the collapse of the Roman Empire was at hand in Ad Demetrianum, 3 (Cyprian and Donna, 1965) .

 

254

A series of major attacks on the limes in AD 254-6 and 255-7 are recorded in Zosimus’ New History (1.27 and 1.31-6).  The reason given by Zosimus for these raids, occurring all along the Danubian limes, was an apparent quest for booty and humans (for ransom).  Upper Germania falls and the West is attacked by the Germans as far as Milan in AD 254  (Cunliffe, 1993b) .  The Gothic invasions in East continue in AD 254 (Grant, 1999) .

 

255

The Sassanids begin to move and the Goths begin attacking in the East (Grant, 1999) .

 

256

Asia Minor and Greece are attacked and the Gothic invasion in the East continues.  The Visigoths move internally (Grant, 1999) .

 

 

257

The Franks cross the river Rhine and attack Gaul.  The Goths invade the Roman Empire in a series of raids for booty and land in AD 257 (Grant, 1999) .

 

258

The Goths attack Greece, Thrace, Asia Minor in two columns.  One column attacks across the Black Sea and the other column attacks along the west coast of the Black Sea (Zosimus I, 34,2; I,35,2).

The Franks "having sacked Gaul, occupied Spain, sacked Tarragona, they took ship to Africa", a report of a contemporary author (Cunliffe, 1993b, Todd, 1992) .

 

259

Belgium is attacked, the Alamans invade Agri Decumates, the Goths invade Greece, Thrace, Asia Minor and the West is attacked as far as Milan in AD 259 (Cunliffe, 1993b) .

 

260

The Franks cross the river Rhine into Gaul.  Postumus rebels from weak leadership in Rome and takes over in Gaullia, Britannia, and Spain.  The Goths continue to invade Greece, Thrace, and Asia Minor. The Alamans invade Italy.  There are six different tribes that move inside Germania (Bradley, 1888, Bury, 1926) .

 

261

The Franks continue to invade Gaul.  The Goths continue to invade Greece, Thrace, and Asia Minor (Bradley, 1888, Bury, 1926) .  The Alamans invade Italy (Todd, 1992) .  The city of Mediolanum in Italy is sacked by the Alamans (Kinder and Hilgemann, 1974) .

 

262

The Goths continue to invade Greece, Thrace, and Asia Minor.  The Alamans continue to invade Italy (Bradley, 1888, Bury, 1926) .

 

263

The Ostrogoths invade Asia Minor by sea (Scorpan, 1980) .  Agri Decumates begins to fall as a result of a long process of cross-border interaction and migration and of frequent small-scale incursions … lasting decades (Wells, 1999) .

The Alamans invade Italy and the Sarmatians attack and burn Callatis in AD 263 (MacKendrick, 1975) .

 

264

Ostrogoths continue to invade Greece, Thrace, and Asia Minor and the Alamans continue to invade Italy (Scorpan, 1980) .

 

265

The Franks move in Gaul, the Ostrogoths continue to invade Greece, Thrace, and Asia Minor, and the Alamans continue to invade Italy (Bradley, 1888, Bury, 1926) .

 

266

Ostrogoths continue to invade Greece, Thrace, and Asia Minor and the Alamans continue to invade Italy (Scorpan, 1980) .

 

267

The fourth of the 4 major attacks (248,249-251, 253, and 267) occurs in AD 267 (Scorpan, 1980) .  The Ostrogoths continue to invade Greece, Thrace, and Asia Minor and the Alamans continue to invade Italy (Scorpan, 1980) .  The Goths and Heruli cross the limes (Trebellius Pollio, Scriptores Historiae Augustae, Gallieni, 13, 6) (Magie, 1921, Scorpan, 1980) .  Histria in Dacia is sacked (MacKendrick, 1975) .

           

 

268

The Ostrogoths attack Sparta, Athens, and Corinth (Bradley, 1888, Bury, 1926) .  Ostrogoths continue to invade Greece, Thrace, and Asia Minor and the Alamans continue to invade Italy (Scorpan, 1980) .  The Visigoths move internally in Germania and Gaul is attacked (Grant, 1994) .

 

269

The Vandals, Visigoths, Heruli, Gepidi, Bastarni and Sarmati invade Dacia with about 320,000 men (Scriptores Historiae Augustae, Claudius, 6,1) (Zosimus, I, 42)  (Magie, 1921) (Zosimus and Ridley, 1982)

Ostrogoths continue to invade Greece, Thrace, and Asia Minor and the Alamans continue to invade Italy.  Gaul is attacked (Scorpan, 1980) .

 

270

Ostrogoths leave Greece, Thrace, and Asia Minor and the Alamans continue to invade Italy (Scorpan, 1980) .

Gaul is attacked and the Sassanids and Visigoths move (Bradley, 1888, Bury, 1926) .

From the AD 270s to the 280s no part of the Frontier was safe (Cunliffe, 1993b) .  The first evidence of the city of Rome reacting to outside threats begin in AD 270.  Walls are begun in the Valley of Po because the Capital could no longer ignore its own defense (Grant, 1994) .

 

271

Gaul is attacked.  The Visigoths invade Italy.  The Suthinges attack the Empire (Todd, 1992) .  The Jutes and Alamans attack the frontier (Musset, 1975) .  The city of Pavia in Italy is sacked by the Visigoths (Kinder and Hilgemann, 1974) .

The attacks on Dacia gave many captives to Goths, which are returned for trading rights (Musset, 1975) .

 

272

Gaul is invaded and Dacia falls to the Germanic invasions (Bradley, 1888) .

 

273

Gaul is invaded and the Germanic tribes cross the limes (Bradley, 1888, Bury, 1926) .

 

274

Gaul is invaded and the Germanic tribes cross the limes (Bradley, 1888, Bury, 1926) .

 

275

The Germanic tribes cross the limes (Bradley, 1888, Bury, 1926) . The Franks invade Gaul (Todd, 1992) . The Ostrogoths invade Pontus in northern Asia Minor (Grant, 1999) .

Dacia’s collapse in AD 275 not due to weakness but by the distraction of the Dacian defense to other disasters in  Moesia Inferior and Thracia (Gudea, 1979) .  The Dacian defense forts were still standing in strategic locations at the end of AD 275 (Gudea, 1979) .

 

276

Gaul is invaded.  The Goths invade Greece and are followed by the Huns (Maenchen-Helfen, 1973) . The Goths and Heruls raid the Black Sea area and force their way to Bosporus and Cilicia (Musset, 1975) .

 

277

Gaul is invaded and the Germanic tribes cross the limes (Bradley, 1888, Bury, 1926) .

AD 277, the Huns displace the Silings on the Upper Main river (Musset, 1975) .

 

278

Gaul is attacked and the Burgundians invade Raetia (Bradley, 1888) .

 

285

The Burgundians move back to Germania.  The coasts of Gaul, Britain and Spain are harassed by pirates (Musset, 1965) .

 

286

Saxon pirate attacks continue to harass Gaul and Britain.  Rome divides leadership between Diocletian and Maximian forming the Tetrarchy with their Prefects of the Guard, Galerius and Constantius Chlorus  (Bradley, 1888) .

           

289

Gaul is attacked by the Franks.  The city of Treveri in Gaul is attacked by the Alamans (Kinder and Hilgemann, 1974) .

 

295

Aurelius Victor in Caesares 40.9 remarks of Galerius' clearing of "immense forests" in Pannonia for defensive purposes.  Diocletian and Galerius establish peace in the region (Caesares 39, 43) (Victor and Bird, 1994) .

Romans defeat and repel the Germanic tribes (Bury, 1926) .  The frontier is held by approximately 400,000 men over the 1500 miles of the frontier (Dixon, 1976) .

           

298

            Gaul is invaded by the Alamans (Kinder and Hilgemann, 1974) .

           

 

301

Diocletian's Edict of Prices reflects the serious level to which the decrease of both population and agricultural output had deteriorated the Empire by the late 3rd century AD.  This Edict was an attempt to counter monetary inflation resulting from the scarcity of foodstuffs and other commodities by setting price ceilings (Hughes, 1994) .

 

306

York in Britannia attacked (Todd, 1992) .  By 306, there are more Germans in the standing army of Rome than any other ethnicity.  Even the king of the Alamans was in Constantius' entourage at York in 306 (Dixon, 1976) .

 

315

The Carpi attack south of the river Danube and Dacian region (Scorpan, 1980) .

 

316

            The Carpi attack south of the river Danube (Scorpan, 1980) .

 

320

A cold, wet spell is believed to have ended in 320 AD in the Netherlands according to archaeological evidence (Klesius, 2000) .

 

323

There is a presumed attack but there is little evidence to support it (Scorpan, 1980) .

 

324

There is a presumed attack but there is little evidence to support it (Scorpan, 1980) .

 

330

Byzantine becomes the new Capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.  It is renamed Constantinople (Bury, 1926) .

 

331

There is a presumed attack but there is little evidence to support it (Scorpan, 1980) .

 

332

There is a presumed attack but there is little evidence to support it (Scorpan, 1980) .

Germanic invasions across the river Danube (Scorpan, 1980) .

The Goths are trapped and defeated in Sarmatian territory in AD 332 after siding with Licinius in his civil war against Constantine (Themistius, Orations, 8) (Heather and Matthews, 1991) .

The Visigoths are granted a feodus inside Roman territory which lasts for 35 years (Musset, 1975) .

 

348

Sozomen, a Byzantine writer, stated that in AD 348, the Visigoth king, Athanaric, ordered that a statue of Nerthius (the goddess of the earth) be carried in her wagon through the Christianized Goths.  He forced them to worship her and not the Christian God because a current drought is credited to the citizenry for beginning to worshipping the Christian God in lieu of Nerthius (Hachmann, 1971) .

 

350

            The Burgundians are on the move (Todd, 1972) .

 

 

357

The records of Ammianus about Agri Decumates state that the region was abundant in livestock and crops in AD 357 (Dixon, 1976) .  The Alamans are reported as being abundant in crops in Dacia (Todd, 1992) .

 

359

In AD 359, the Bugundians settle in Rhone and Swabia and develop economic ties with Rome (Musset, 1975) .

 

361

            The Sassarids move in AD 361 (Musset, 1975) .

 

362

            The Goths move within Germania (Burns, 1984) .

 

363

            The Goths move within Germania (Bury, 1926) .

 

364

According to Ammianus Marcellus XXVII, 4,6, the Goths invade the Roman Empire from the north (Scorpan, 1980) .

 

365

            The Goths move internally inside Germania (Bury, 1926) .

 

366

Procopius killed by the Goths (Heather and Matthews, 1991, Scorpan, 1980) .  The battle of Catalonian Fields in Gaul (Kinder and Hilgemann, 1974) .

 

367

The Goths move and invade attacking Emperor Valens (Heather and Matthews, 1991) .

 

368

The Goths attack Emperor Valens (Heather and Matthews, 1991) .

There are records of floods on the Danube in AD 368 (Amm. Marc. 27.5.5)(Heather and Matthews, 1991) .

 

 

369

Ammianus recounts that the Goths desired to trade for needed produce, but Emperor Valens boycotted the Goths in the market place.  A conflict ensues. (Musset, 1975) .  Emperor Valens defeated.  The Roman Empire decided that a heavily fortified frontier was in order to keep the peace (Heather and Matthews, 1991) .

 

370

The Huns overpowered the Alans in AD 370. The Huns and the remaining Alans attacked the Goths.  The Goths try to hold off the Huns and Alans at the river Dniester.  The Goths are outflanked and are forced retreated southwest (Dixon, 1976) . Huns force the Goths move by the thousands (Todd, 1992) .

 

371

The Goths continue to move and raid the Roman Empire (Todd, 1972, Burns, 1984) .  The Saxons invade Gaul (Kinder and Hilgemann, 1974) .

 

372

Huns attack the Goths (Todd, 1992) .  The Goths move away from the Huns (Bury, 1926, Burns, 1984) .

Fraomer, king of some Alamans near Mainz, is recorded as a Roman Officer in Britain in AD 372 (Dixon, 1976) .

           

373

The various Gothic tribes migrate and/ or attack along the limes (Bury, 1926, Burns, 1984) .

 

 

374

The various Gothic tribes migrate and/ or attack along the limes (Bury, 1926, Burns, 1984) .  The Quadi and Burgundians attack Pannonia (Kinder and Hilgemann, 1974) .

 

375

Huns attack the Goths on the Pontiac Steppes (Burns, 1994) .  The Huns crush the Alans (Maenchen-Helfen, 1973) .  The Ostrogoths in the Ukraine are defeated by the Huns (Burns, 1994) .  Although the Ostrogoths are first mentioned in AD 375, they remain partially assimilated into the Huns (Musset, 1975) .  The Huns move constantly in small units about Europe never forming a large politic (Musset, 1975) .

Thousands of German refugees flee the Huns and approach the river Danube.  Marcellinus, the commander of Danube frontier, took no note of troubles to the north until 1000s of German refugees showed up at the Danube and begged to get in (Dixon, 1976) .  Word sent to Emperor Valens who stated that there was a need for men for the region and granted them a feodus in autumn 375.  There were rumors of dog meat being sold to starving Germans for slaves (Dixon, 1976) .

           

376

The Huns move to the Russian Steppes (Maenchen-Helfen, 1973) .

In AD 376, Roman intelligence reports reached the Roman officers at the Danube that there were unusually large and widespread disturbances among the Gothic Peoples to the North (Todd, 1972) .

Goths continue to attack (Burns, 1994) .  The Danube limes are under constant pressure(Goffart, 1980) .

Visigoths invade the Empire in AD 376 and 418.  The Visigoths stay in the Balkans for 23 years after 376 (Musset, 1965) .

 

377

The Goths attack the Empire (Burns, 1994) .

 

378     

The Battle of Adrianople (Hadrianople), the last decisive victory by the Romans, causes the defeat of Germans (Bury, 1926) .  The Romans lose Emperor Valens in the battle (Scorpan, 1980) .

 

379

Ausonius wrote in Gratiarum Actio II, 7 that “…a most powerful emperor: witness the 'limes' of the Danube and of the Rhine, pacified in one year” (Ausonius et al., 1919, Todd, 1992) .

 

383

Emperor Gratian killed while retreating in Brittania (Todd, 1992) .

 

384

A Gothic invasion is recorded in Din istoria Dobriogei (2, 395-396) (Pippidi, 1971) .

 

 

385

A Gothic invasion is recorded in Din istoria Dobriogei (2, 395-396) (Pippidi, 1971) .

 

386

A Gothic invasion is recorded in Din istoria Dobriogei (2, 395-396) (Pippidi, 1971) .

 

388

            The city of Siscia is attacked in Pannonia (Kinder and Hilgemann, 1974) .

 

389

The Germanic tribes attack (Burns, 1994) .

A famine was recorded in the Roman Empire in AD 389 (Wolfram, 1997) .

 

390

Riots inside of the Roman Empire killed Germans out of hatred including the Goth commander, Thessalonica (Todd, 1992) .

Huns settle in Panonian Basin and set up state 390 (Musset, 1975) .

 

394

The Visigoths attack the Romans and take losses (Burns, 1994) .  The city of Aquileia in Italy is attacked by the Alamans (Kinder and Hilgemann, 1974) .

 

395

Alaeric leads the Goths against the Roman Empire (Todd, 1992) .

 

396

Alaeric invades the Roman Empire (Burns, 1994) .  Rome divides into East and West Roman Empire (Kinder and Hilgemann, 1974) .

 

 

397

            The Ostrogoths invade the Roman Empire (Todd, 1992) .

 

398

Alaeric invades the Roman Empire (Burns, 1994) .

Lucien Musset claims that most of the invasions coincided with either epidemics or social upheavals by AD 398 and that famine led to cannibalism, mass suicide, noble ladies begging, deportations, arrests, and massacres of hostages (Musset, 1965) .

 

399

            The Ostrogoths invade the Roman Empire (Todd, 1992) .

 

400

The Ostrogoths invade the Roman Empire (Todd, 1992) .  Goths lead a revolt, but are defeated by the Huns (Burns, 1994) .

A Roman order is issued that there are to be no more soldier transfers (Bury, 1926) .

The Goths, Vandals, and Lombards move (Todd, 1992) .

 

401

            The Ostrogoths invade Italy (Todd, 1992) .

 

402

            The Goths move to Italy (Burns, 1994) .

 

403

            The Goths move to Italy (Burns, 1994) .

 

404

            Suevi and Vandals move to Spain (Todd, 1992) .

 

405

The Vandals move to Gaul (Burns, 1994) . 

The Huns move into the area of modern Hungary (Todd, 1992) .

The Romans beat the Asdings (Goffart, 1980) .

 

406

The Germanic tribes “flood” into Gaul (Burns, 1994) .  Tuscany is abandoned by the Roman Empire (Goffart, 1980) .

A recorded cold winter in which the river Rhine froze solidly and three separate attacks traverse the river (Todd, 1992) .

The last night of the year, 15,000 barbarian warriors along with their women and children and farm animals migrate as a group into Gaul (Simons and Time-Life Books., 1968) .

 

407

            Rome permanently abandons Britannia (Todd, 1992) .

408

During the initial stages of an invasion against the Roman Empire, the Roman population riots and kills all of the Visigoth families living in the area (Todd, 1992) .

 

409

The Vandals head to Spain (Burns, 1994) .  The Suebi and the Alans head to Spain (Goffart, 1980) .  Spain breaks into civil war in AD 409 (Wolfram, 1997) .

           

410

Rome Sacked from the 24th to 27th August 410 AD by Alaeric (Burns, 1994) .

 

After AD 410, the Rome is no longer able to control the Western Empire and it slowly becomes under the control of various factions and barbarians.  The extent of Rome’s power from the 3rd century AD, shown in figure 1.3, slowly pulls back into the Eastern Empire based in Constantinople.