Ostrogotha

Ostrogotha was possibly a leader of the Goths during the Crisis of the Third Century.

A Goth named Ostrogotha is mentioned by the 6th-century historian Jordanes. He reports that Ostrogotha crossed the Danube during the reign of Philip the Arab and invaded the provinces of Moesia and Thrace. The later emperor Decius could not defeat him either, whereupon Ostrogotha again raided Roman territory. Jordanes claims that Ostrogotha was the progenitor of the Ostrogoths, and that he was succeeded by Cniva.

Jordanes' account differs with those of Zosimus and Joannes Zonaras, who do not mention Ostrogotha. His historicity has been questioned.

Sources

• Thomas Gerhardt, Udo Hartmann: Fasti. In: Klaus-Peter Johne (Hrsg.): Die Zeit der Soldatenkaiser. Band 2. Akademie Verlag, Berlin 2008, S. 1194f.
• Jana Grusková, Gunter Martin: Ein neues Textstück aus den „Scythica Vindobonensia“ zu den Ereignissen nach der Eroberung von Philippopolis. In: Tyche 29, 2014, S. 29–43.
• Jana Grusková, Gunter Martin: Zum Angriff der Goten unter Kniva auf eine thrakische Stadt (Scythica Vindobonensia, f. 195v). In: Tyche 30, 2015, S. 35–53