06-20-2009, 04:55 PM
Well, Jordanes said they came from Scandia, but he write that in the begining, as made a fantastic origin for Goths and isnt established too sure from where they really originated. And as i sad, their archeological culture is made mostly by Dacian and roman elements, with Sarmatian influences. The fact that traces of them can be found in today Poland too doesnt change anything, Strabo and i think Ptolemey too put the northern Dacian borders durring Burebista up to Baltic Sea. As well, when the supposed gothic writings show up ? Not from which time was dated, when was dicovered ? Until then, this are several ancient writers, who said about Goths/Gets ( Getae ). Philostorgius (368 - 425), in "Historia Eclesiastica"- Scythians from beyond the Danube ( Ister ) who was named before Getae, and now are named Gothes", Claudius Claudianus (Panegiric, 395, Against Rufinus, 396 ?i De bello Gothico, 402) write over 50 times about Getae, Dacians, the blonde Dacians, and just one time use the word Goths, in title. Ausonius, who is ask the emperor Gratian (367 - 383) to stop the Getic Mars, and write too about Getae, instead of Goths, Prudentius (348 - c?tre 405), in "Divinity of Christ" write as well Getae instead of Goths, and name the Alaric as "the Getae tiran", Hieronymus (345 - 420) write "Et certe Gothos omnes retro eruditi magis Getas quam Gog et Magog appellare consueverunt", meaning that in the past for Goths was used the name Getas, instead of Gog and Magog, as well medieval writers use the same names. In the same times, we know that classical Dacians was still know, for ex. Constantin the Great use the title Dacicus Maximus after defeating some Dacian invasion at Danube, and as well Belisarius took the title Geticus Maximus after he defeat the Ostrogoths. Goths themselves said that Getae are their ancestors, and their "official" history writed by Cassiodorus at Teodoric request was named "De origine actibusque Getarum", not Gothorum, and in Jordanes writings as well he didnt name at all the Goths as being related with Germanic peoples. In my opinion, Goths was a mix of different peoples, Germanic, Dacian, maybe Sarmatian or even Celtic one, but who adopted much of the Dacian heritage, possible because of a big Dacian component, or Dacian bigger prestige.
Razvan A.
