The Goths

Probably the largest and strongest of all the German tribes, the Goths got further than in their time than the Saxons, Angles, Jutes etc., although the Goths did not touch what is now called England.

Surprisingly the Goths were one of the first Germans to adopt Christianity. The Goths were descendants of Swedish emigrants who came 2 or 3 centuries before the Goths became recognised as a tribe. The Goths were incredably strong and in the second century they finished of a lot of powerful Greek towns and cities such as Athens. Other tribes joined the Goths as to stay alive. In the 4th century AD the Goths became so large that it stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. The kingdom, however, was hard to run and was split in two, although not as enemies. The groups were the Ostrogoths (Latin for 'Easterrn Goths') and the visigoths (Latin for the good/noble Goths) At the time were another group - the Huns. The Huns threatened the Visigoths, who went to Rome for protection. However the Romans did not treat the Visigoths well. This was the start of a whole new series of battles in which the Emporer, Valens, was killed. The new Emporer, Theodusius, made peice and managed to convert the Visigoths to Christianity. However when Theodusius died the Visigoths destroyed the Roman and Greek Empires and many more.

The ostrogoths were not so succesful. Many were defeated by tribes and the rest joined the Huns. The Huns (including the Ostrogoths) fought the Visigoths but the Ostrogoths turned on the Huns after joining with the Visigoths. The two groups afterwards split and the Ostrogoths were gradually defeated elsewhere.

The Visigoths soon calmed and settled.

Although the Goths are now gone as a tribe they still must have millions of descents now and so are still remembered today.

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