Goths

People who dwelt s. of the Baltic, invaded Dacia before 200, were checked by Decius 251, pillaged Athens 262, and were defeated by Claudius, Aurelian, and Const an tine. A section settled in Mesia, and were converted by Ulfilas ab. 340-380. The Visigoths began to wander from the Danube ab. 400, invaded Greece, then Italy under Alaric, pillaged Rome, and set up an extensive empire in s. France and n. Spain. The n. section was conquered by Clovis 507, the s. wiped out of existence as a nation by Saracens 711. The Ostrogoths attempted to cro the Danube 386. accompanied Attila into Gaul, and fought the Visigoths 452, and settled in Pannonia. Under Theodoric, 475-526, they wrested several provinces from the Eastern Empire, overran Italy 493, and held it with Ravenna for capital, and the Rhone and Danube for n. boundaries. Their empire was crushed by armies of the Eastern Empire under Belisarius and Narses, and their name disappears 553.