At Alaric's time the Goths consisted of the Tervingi and Grethungi, along with Heruli, Alans, Sarmatians, and other East Germanics, along with possibly some Alpidzur or Tongur proto-Turkish peoples fleeing in the face of the Hun empire. In 406-410 they would be joined by forces from Radagasius' confederation which was defeated by Stilicho, and then as they assimilated the local Roman population in Aquitaine they became the Visigoths. March 29, 2016, 08:16 AM #3 Originally Posted by Magister Militum Flavius Aetius According to CA they also had Thracian Oathsworn)))))) March 29, 2016, 08:41 AM #4 Interestingly Stilicho's Hunnic allies (led by Uldin/Ultzin) were instrumental in Radagaisus' defeat. That said, the notion of "High King" isn't entirely off the mark since the Gothic kings (probably called Reiks, see the IB3 thread) had various "sub-kings" who were subordinate to him (probably called Kindins). Although the latter might also be translated as "Chieftain" or something similar. Last edited by Charerg; March 29, 2016 at 08:48 AM.
According to the 6th century AD historian Jordanes whose work forms the basis of our contemporary understanding of the Goths, Alaric was buried according to the custom of the Visigoths, under the riverbed of the Busento. Slaves helped divert the river's water so that the grave could be dug, and Alaric's possessions - potentially including the menorah stolen by Romans from the Temple of Jerusalem in 70 AD - were buried with him. After the burial, the river was un-dammed and the slaves who carried out the funeral were executed so that the location of the tomb would be lost to history. The burial of Alaric in the bed of the Busentinus. Illustration from Ridpath's Universal History,... [+] 1895. (Public domain image via Wikimedia Commons. ) The question of Alaric's cause of death, though, has been nagging at scholars for years. Alaric was hale and hearty after the sack of Rome, planning additional campaigns to the south. And fever is too generic a cause of death. What really killed the most famous warlord in all of classical antiquity?
[3] Thus everyone who knew about the location was dead. Folklore says that a river was diverted over his grave to make it impossible to find (echoing the manner of burial of the Sumerian King Gilgamesh of Uruk or of the Visigoth leader Alaric). [3] Other tales state that his grave was stampeded over by many horses, that trees were then planted over the site, and that the permafrost also played its part in the hiding of the burial site. [3] The Erdeni Tobchi (1662) claims that Genghis Khan's coffin may have been empty when it arrived in Mongolia. Similarly, the Altan Tobchi (1604) maintains that only his shirt, tent and boots were buried in the Ordos (Ratchnevsky, p. 143f. ). Turnbull (2003, p. 24) tells another legend in which the grave was re-discovered 30 years after Genghis Khan's death. According to this tale, a young camel was buried with the Khan, and the camel's mother was later found weeping at the grave of its young. Later accounts [ edit] Marco Polo wrote that, even by the late 13th century, the Mongols did not know the location of the tomb.
And that none might ever know the place, they put to death all the diggers. " EXPLORE MORE: Is Queen Nefertiti hidden inside Tutankhamun's tomb The scale of this treasure is inspiring. Some accounts say he left the smouldering ruins of Rome leading wagons laden with two tons of gold and 12 tonnes of silver. Among other valuables being carted away were said to be thousands of items of silk clothing, fleeces — and 1300kg of the spice pepper. Whatever the exact composition, he — and his tribe — were heavily burdened with the spoils of war. For three days in August his army of enraged tribesmen had rampaged through the eternal city plundering temples and official treasuries, as well as ransacking the homes of wealthy nobles and merchants. Rome would never recover from the assault. As king, Alaric took a lion's share of the loot. History has lost the cause of Alaric's death. But it happened within a few months of his great victory. TREASURE HUNT Adolf Hitler was inspired by stories of the successes of the Gothic chieftain, melding him into a new Nazi mythology extolling the virtues of the German 'master race'.