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 bepage numbers from the manuscript of which this is a translation. Theyare preserved in this transcription in the hope that they are indeedpage numbers.
by
in English Version
by CHARLES C. MIEROW
Princeton
1908
For the first time the story of the Goths recorded inthe Getica of Jordanes, a Christian Goth who wrote hisaccount in the year 551, probably in Constantinople, isnow put in English form, as part of an edition of theGetica prepared by Mr. Mierow. Those who care for theromance of history will be charmed by this great tale of alost cause and will not find the simple-hearted exaggerationsof the eulogist of the Gothic race misleading. Hepictured what he believed or wanted to believe, and hisemployment of fable and legend, as well as the naïveexhibition of his loyal prejudices, merely heightens theinterest of his story. Those who want coldly scientificnarrative should avoid reading Jordanes, but should likewiseremember the truthful, words of Delbrück: "Legendeund Poesie malen darum noch nicht falsch, weil siemit anderen Farben malen als die Historie. Sie redennur eine andere Sprache, und es handelt sich darum,aus dieser richtig ins Historische zu übersetzen."
The following version of the Getica of Jordanes isbased upon the text of Mommsen, as found in theMonumenta Germaniae Historica, AuctoresAntiquissimi 5 (Berlin 1882). I haveadhered closely to his spelling of proper names, especiallythe Gothic names, except in the case of a very few wordswhich are in common use in another form (such asGaiseric and Belisarius).
I wish to express my sincere thanks to Dean Andrew F.West of the Princeton Graduate School for his unfailinginterest in my work. It was in one of his graduatecourses that the translation was begun, three years ago,and at his suggestion that I undertook the compositionof the thesis in its present form. He has read the entiretreatise in the manuscript, and has been my constantadviser and critic. Thanks are also due to Dr. CharlesG. Osgood of the English Department of PrincetonUniversity for reading the translation.
Classical Seminary,
Princeton University,
July 1908.
(Preface)
Though it had been my wish to glide in my little boat 1by the shore of a peaceful coast and, as a certain writersays, to gather little fishes from the pools of the ancients,you, brother Castalius, bid me set my sails toward thedeep. You urge me to leave the little work I have inhand, that is, the abbreviation of the Chronicles, and tocondense in my own style in this small book the twelvevolumes of the Senator on the origin and deeds of theGetae from olden time t