TIMELINE OF EVENTS IN AND AROUND GERMANIA AD 150

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)