Gothic Wars

The Gothic Wars were a long series of conflicts against the Roman Empire between the years 249 and 554. The main wars are detailed below.

(Goths under Cniva against the Roman Empire)

The War was probably instigated after emperor Decius' predecessor Philip the Arab had refused to continue payments of annual subsidies to the aggressive tribes of the region initiated by Emperor Maximinus Thrax in 238..

The Battle of Abritus was one result, at which Decius and his son Herennius Etruscus were killed.

(Goths and Scythians against the Roman Empire)

During the "Crisis of the third century" when the Empire almost collapsed, the greatest Gothic invasion so far occurred in 268. The Goths' seaborne allies, the Heruli, supplied a fleet carrying huge armies along the coast of the Black Sea where they ravaged coastal territories in Thrace and Macedonia. Other huge forces crossed the Danube in Moesia. An invasion of Goths into the province of Pannonia was also threatening disaster.

In 268, Emperor Gallienus won some important initial victories at land and sea, but it was his successor Claudius II who finally defeated the invaders at the Battle of Naissus in 268 or 269, one of the bloodiest battles of the 3rd century. The invaders incurred thirty to fifty thousand dead.

(Thervingi against the Eastern Roman Empire)

The Gothic king Ermanaric of a powerful kingdom north of the Danube from the Euxine to the Baltic Sea, had engaged to supply the usurper Procopius with troops for the struggle against Valens. The Gothic army, reportedly numbering 30,000 men, arrived too late to help Procopius, but nevertheless invaded Thrace and began plundering the farms and vineyards of the province. Valens, marching north after defeating Procopius, surrounded them with a superior force and forced them to surrender.

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