History glossary
Goths
Germanic-speaking peoples who interacted with Rome as enemies, refugees, soldiers, settlers, and rulers in late antiquity.
- Category
- Historical group
- Region
- Roman frontier, Balkans, Italy, Gaul, and Iberia
- Date range
- 3rd-6th centuries CE
What it means
The Goths were Germanic-speaking peoples who became deeply entangled with the Roman Empire in late antiquity. Different Gothic groups, including the Visigoths and Ostrogoths, crossed Roman frontiers, served in Roman armies, fought Roman forces, and founded successor kingdoms in the western Mediterranean. In this story, Gothic pressure and settlement show how Rome's frontier world became part of the medieval order.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The Byzantine Empire
From Constantine's new capital to the fall of Constantinople, Byzantium preserved Roman law, Orthodox Christianity, imperial government and classical learning through more than a thousand years of adaptation.
The Fall of Rome to Early Medieval Europe
From the arrival of Gothic peoples at the Danube to the crowning of Charlemagne, this story traces how the Western Roman Empire fragmented into successor kingdoms and how a new medieval world took shape.
The Rise of Christianity
From Jesus in Roman Judea to medieval Europe, Christianity grew from a persecuted movement into an imperial and civilisational force.
Feudalism and Medieval Society
From the estates of Charlemagne's empire to the flowering of Gothic cathedrals, this story explores how feudal hierarchies, manorial agriculture, and Church authority shaped the lives of kings, knights, and peasants alike.
