Fritigern: a Christian prior to 376?

[Alanus]

Fact is, we can't be sure what the contact of fritigern with the empire was about. Was it military aid? Was it Christianity? Both perhaps? We can't be sure. My guess is therefore, you may well be right. Valans may have seen Fritigern as a pawn which he could use, to split up and weaken, or perhaps even to dominate a threat across the border. Diplomacy was part of the Roman strategy, so I wouldn't be surprised.

Hello, Robert

Thanks for the reply. I'd say it was a combination of both. Fritigern and Soranus were quite handy for Valens. If this final chapter in the Tyrfingi's saga began directly after the emperor's 369 treaty with Athanaric, and so it seems, then the homogeneity of the tribe was destroyed.

Valens was not a humane individual by nature. We know how he treated the Orthodox clergy. He burned a shipload of them. :whistle: Yet we find this anomaly, as the good-intended cross the Danube to help Gothic Christians, both Arian and Orthodox. We don't know the internalizations of either Soranus or Fritigern, only that Athanaric was killing Christians in significant numbers.

My point was simply bringing up events not mentioned by Ammianus, who repeatedly avoided the subject of religion, events occurring several years prior to the Goths crossing the Danube and their official-- missdated-- conversion in 376. A little after the fact. :dizzy:

With all of the involvement from so many quarters, plus political intrigue, it might make a good Hollywood film. Then we can see Soranus wearing Ist Century Roman armor and Fritigern clothed in mangy furs.