Customer Reviews

Rome's Gothic Wars: From the Third Century to Alaric (Key Conflicts of Classical Antiquity)

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This is a short book and easy to read but is packed with eye openers, it is valuable both for a hobbiest like myself and the professional. I recently read Peter Heather's "The Fall of the Roman Empire" (2005), as well as other survey accounts of the Goths including Gibbon and Bury (and of course the History Channel "Barbarians") - Kulikowski's writing style is great, it's difficult to tire of such an incredible story, everyone tells it a little differently adding new ideas and perspectives.

More than a survey, Kulikowski makes a bold (and convincing) case about the origins of the Goths and what motivated them (or not) to cross the Danube in 376. In addition we learn about the latest approach to barbarian ethnicity (called "ethnogenesis") which is applicable to all the ancient peoples and important to understand in the face of so much racist and nationalistic scholarship out there; an excellent historiography of Gothic studies which reveals some interesting connections to modern educational institutions; a general overview of the barbarians and the Roman Empire; a "Further Reading" where we get the authors recommendations on the best books available for specific topics; a list of key names with short descriptions (about 150 names).

This is the first in a series which is described in the opening matter: "This series is composed of introductory-level texts that provide an essential foundation for the study of important wars and conflicts of classical antiquity. Each volume provides a synopsis of the main events and key characters, the consequences of the conflict, and its reception over time. An important feature is the critical overview of the textual and archaeological sources for the conflict, which is designed to teach both historiography and the methods that historians use to reconstruct events of the past."

After acknowledging "the historian has a duty to make history intelligible" (p. xi), Professor Kulikowski proceeds to further obscure the already obscure subject of Romano-Gothic relations. Rather than "help those who are just beginning the advanced study of late antiquity," he abandons serious scholarship and builds a house of cards which admits little scrutiny.

Professor Kulikowski starts with the humble-sounding premise that "even the most basic facts are either unknown or else uncertain because of contradictory evidence" (p. 12), then proceeds to savage his our sources.

Even more startling is his thesis that "the Roman empire create[d] the Goths as we know them." (p. 13) Time and again throughout the first half of Wars, Kulikowski tells us "as we will see", then spends the second half saying "as we have seen" never having supported his intriguing thesis. In the end the reader is left with an assertion--a plausible scenario, but not the only plausible scenario.

The key chapter is "The Search for Gothic Origins" in which Kulikowski deconstructs ancient and modern theories that the Goths or their prehistoric antecedents came from the region of modern Scandinavia and/or Poland. Then he examines archeological evidence in the region from which the Goths first came to the attention of classical cultures. While he acknowledges that the Alans and Sarmatians lived as a horse culture on top of an agricultural substrata, he avows that the remains uncovered in the Sântana-de-Mureº/Èernjachov cultural zone support his assertion "that there was no Gothic history before the third century. The Goths are a product of the Roman frontier, just like the Franks and the Alamanni who appear at the same time." (p. 67)

In addition to needing a refresher in logic, the good professor should have sought grammar assistance from his school's English department. The text is replete with participles and passive constructions, which will not help those beginning students he proclaimed as his target audience. While Professor Kulikowski tends to cite (and analyze the reliability of) ancient sources, he rarely quotes those sources, leaving the reader to accept his analysis of what the source did nor did not report.

Maps in Wars are woefully inadequate, both in number and detail. Kulikowski's statement on page xii that the Department of History "produced [them] at short notice" implies that all the maps were an afterthought.

Make no mistake, Professor Kulikowski's theory is a provocative and insightful one. But the norm for historical writing these days is provocative new theories. Modern historians are not content to stand on the shoulders of their predecessors for a slightly better view. Modern historians feel compelled to tear down everything before them and start anew--even if it means they are writing fiction. Kulikowski explains his new theory well enough; he just never proves it.

Despite its shortfalls, Rome's Gothic Wars offers a good review of the current state of knowledge about Romano-Gothic relations between A. D. 376 and 410. Professor Kulikowski offers insights to Rome's degeneration from an externally invincible empire to a shadow of its former self--the "eternal city" sacked and independent barbarian kingdoms established within its borders.

Guardedly recommended.

Rome's Gothic Wars: From the Third Century to Alaric (Key Conflicts of Classical Antiquity) by Michael Kulikowski is a needed addition to the subject of the Goths and the Roman Empire. It's a must-read for all interested in this era of history and hopefully encourages readers to further exploration.

The book may appear controversial to some: Aside from presenting the history of the Goths from the 3rd century CE to Alaric, the author looks at modern views on Gothic history, a touchy subject among modern scholars, who "support their own positions with an intensity that most people reserve for their favourite football team or rock band ... I am no exception." (He certainly isn't...)

That discussion revolves around the trustworthiness - or lack thereof - of the ancient writer Jordanes, whose Getica is the predominantly accepted source for the origin and migration of the Goths. The author lays out in great detail why he has concluded that Jordanes is not only unreliable but "deeply misleading." He states that the Getica underpins nearly every modern treatment of the Goths, consciously or not. He sees the narrative as so pervasive because the idea of northern Gothic roots has played an over-arching role in conceptualizing the northern European past.

The story of the Goths and Mr. Kulikowski's arguments are well laid out. The time period he discusses reaches from a brief chapter The Goths before Constantine (with a discourse on the "Scythians") to the sack of Rome by Alaric and its aftermath, in sequence titled The Roman Empire and and the Barbarian Society, Imperial Politics and the Rise of Gothic Power, Goths and Romans, The Battle of Adrianople, Theodosius and the Goths, Alaric and The Sack of Rome, and The Aftermath of Alaric.

The chapters are divided in sub-chapters with bolded titles which makes it easy to go back to individual sections. The book has two helpful glossaries, a Glossary of Ancient Sources and a Biographical Glossary, as well as a chapter "Further Readings," and there are four excellent maps.

Michael Kulikowski's book is one of the best works on Gothic history. The author achievs a clarity and elegance of language that is very rarely found in history books. The argumentation and conclusions are original and cutting edge. The scope of the book exceeds the boundaries suggested by the title. In short, this is an excellent book and that I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the history of late antiquity.

This the first book I have read that evaluates the ancient sources and puts comtemporary research in perspective. I was particularly interested in the uses to which the NAZIS used ideas on germanic migrations to further their racial ideas.

The writer thesis is that the Goths were a local force that formed and grew at the border of the Roman Empire. Over time, they became more powerful. Soon, they inflicted on Rome possibly her greatest defeat at Adrianople. Although Rome could bring the Goths in some sort of control over time, a few generations later a Gothic general sacked Rome, and soon the Goths managed to create their own state in the Western half of the empire.

The maps could have been better, but I am not so sure with the internet these really matter now days. It would suggest that you examine maps over the net on the Goths before reading this book.

I would have liked more on the aftermath of the sacking of Rome from a Gothic perspective. I accept that it did the general Alaric little good, however what it needs is some discussion on what effect it had on the Goths.

I think the book was well-written and, I enjoyed it.

A scholarly work on the Gothic Wars of the third century to Alaric's sacking of Rome. A bit too scholarly for me but I am a newbie with this period of Roman History. I learned from this book and the sacking of Rome by Alaric was actually moving.

Was a text for college but still it was fun for me since I love this time. Recommend it.