The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Origin and Deeds of the Goths, by
Jordanes, Translated by Charles C. Mierow

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: The Origin and Deeds of the Goths

Author: Jordanes

Release Date: January 26, 2005 [eBook #14809]
[Date last updated: July 5, 2006]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ORIGIN AND DEEDS OF THE
GOTHS
***

E-text prepared by Ted Garvin, SuperCrispy, David King, and the Project
Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team

Transcriber's Note:

The numbers in the right margin of the text are from the original book;
although nothing in the book says so, it appears that they might be
page numbers from the manuscript of which this is a translation. They
are preserved in this transcription in the hope that they are indeed
page numbers.

THE ORIGIN AND DEEDS OF THE GOTHS

by

JORDANES

in English Version

Part of a Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Princeton University
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

by CHARLES C. MIEROW

Princeton

1908

NOTE

For the first time the story of the Goths recorded in
the _Getica_ of Jordanes, a Christian Goth who wrote his
account in the year 551, probably in Constantinople, is
now put in English form, as part of an edition of the
_Getica_ prepared by Mr. Mierow. Those who care for the
romance of history will be charmed by this great tale of a
lost cause and will not find the simple-hearted exaggerations
of the eulogist of the Gothic race misleading. He
pictured what he believed or wanted to believe, and his
employment of fable and legend, as well as the naive
exhibition of his loyal prejudices, merely heightens the
interest of his story. Those who want coldly scientific
narrative should avoid reading Jordanes, but should likewise
remember the truthful, words of Delbrueck: "Legende
und Poesie malen darum noch nicht falsch, weil sie
mit anderen Farben malen als die Historie. Sie reden
nur eine andere Sprache, und es handelt sich darum,
aus dieser richtig ins Historische zu uebersetzen."

ANDREW F. WEST.

PREFACE

The following version of the Getica of Jordanes is
based