"Romana" and "Getica"

Translated with an introduction and notes by Peter Van Nuffelen and Lieve Van Hoof. Of Gothic descent, Jordanes has left us a unique set of histories. The 'Getica' narrates the history of the Goths from their earliest origins until the middle of the sixth century. Building on the lost history of Cassiodorus, it is the earliest example of a history told from the perspective of one of the barbarian peoples establishing kingdoms in the fifth and sixth centuries. It had great influence on later early medieval historians, on national histories of the nineteenth century and on modern accounts of Gothic history. The 'Romana' is a survey of world and Roman history. If largely dependent on traditional Roman histories and chronicles for events up to the fourth century, it contains much unique information for the last two centuries it narrates. This book offers the first translation into English of the 'Getica' for a century and the first modern translation of the 'Romana'. The introduction locates the 'Getica' and the 'Romana' in the context of ancient historiography, building a new picture of Jordanes as a historian and of the two works themselves. It also offers a detailed discussion of the sources used by Jordanes, suggesting possible ways to identify the debt to Cassiodorus. Extensive notes guide the reader through these fascinating but often complex texts.