The Goths were Germanic tribes who controlled much of Europe from the 5th to 8th centuries AD. They were the first Germanic tribes to convert from paganism to Arianism, an early form of Christianity. The Goths originated in Northern Europe and moved into Central Europe before harrying and plundering parts of the Roman Empire. They split into two main groups, the Ostrogoths and the Visigoths, who controlled the Balkans and Italy and the Iberian peninsula respectively. Gothic artifacts can be found in European museums, and traces of the Gothic languages persist in parts of Europe today.
The Goths were a group of Germanic tribes who briefly controlled much of Europe between the 5th and 8th centuries AD The tribes collectively referred to as Goths varied throughout history as names and territories changed, but the two main tribes were the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths. While the Romans may have viewed the Goths as barbarians, they actually contributed a great deal to European culture and history, especially after the fall of the Roman Empire.
These tribes are known, among other things, to have been the first Germanic tribes to convert from paganism. The evidence suggests that the dialogue with Arianism, an early form of Christianity, was probably brought about by the conversion of a single Goth who then spread the word to all the tribes, and the conversion happened very quickly, probably with the assistance of Christian Roman captives which undoubtedly influenced their captors. This form of Christianity, incidentally, is not to be confused with Aryan racial theory.
The origins of the Goths are not really known. It is clear they had settlements in Northern Europe before slowly moving into Central Europe, and the Goths famously harried and plundered parts of the Roman Empire in the third century. When the Goths began to be supplanted by the Huns in the 4th century, they took refuge with the Romans, fleeing to the Roman Empire, which they finally conquered in the 5th century, united under Theodoric the Great.
Eventually, the Goths split into two main groups. The Ostrogoths retained control of the regions now known as the Balkans and Italy, while the Visigoths moved into the Iberian peninsula. The Ostrogoths managed to maintain their empire until the 6th century, when they were finally defeated by the Byzantine era, while the Visigoths held out in the West until the 8th century, before being supplanted by the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula.
Numerous Gothic artifacts can be found in European museums, documenting the life and culture of these complex people. The Goths were skilled metalsmiths, producing beautiful pieces of ornamental jewelry alongside functional metalware, and traces of the Gothic languages persist in parts of Europe today, in regions where Germanic languages are spoken. The Goths also produced a number of notable architectural marvels, including vast basilicas and churches.
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