Overview

Rome's Gothic Wars is a concise introduction to research on the Roman Empire's relations with one of the most important barbarian groups of the ancient world. The book uses archaeological and historical evidence to look not just at the course of events, but at the social and political causes of conflict between the empire and its Gothic neighbours. In eight chapters, Michael Kulikowski traces the history of Romano-Gothic relations from their earliest stage in the third century, through the development of strong Gothic politics in the early fourth century, until the entry of many Goths into the empire in 376 and the catastrophic Gothic war that followed. The book closes with a detailed look at the career of Alaric, the powerful Gothic general who sacked the city of Rome in 410.

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9781139167277

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Reviews

'Kulikowski offers a novel, exhilarating and convincing interpretation ... straight to the heart of a major historical debate.' John F. Drinkwater, author of Fifth-Century Gaul: A Crisis of Identity? '[A] lively and important new study ... engaging and sophisticated narrative of events.' Guy Halsall, author of Violence and Society in the Early Medieval West 'Intriguing, comprehensive, and up-to-date history ... The reader gets a sense of who the Goths were and why they had such a tremendous effect on Rome, defeating the Roman emperor Valens in 378, the greatest military defeat in Roman imperial history, and plundering the city of Rome in 410. In the process Kulikowski de-mystifies the nationalist mythologies surrounding the Goths while telling a fascinating story.' Paul Freedman, Yale University 'An extraordinary window back into the life-and-death struggles of the late Roman Empire. Kulikowski brings an epic conflict, rich in character and detail, to life. A great book.' Robert Gardner, three-time Emmy winner and Academy Award nominee, Producer/Director Barbarians

'Kulikowski offers a novel, exhilarating and convincing interpretation ... straight to the heart of a major historical debate.' John F. Drinkwater, author of Fifth-Century Gaul: A Crisis of Identity? '[A] lively and important new study ... engaging and sophisticated narrative of events.' Guy Halsall, author of Violence and Society in the Early Medieval West 'Intriguing, comprehensive, and up-to-date history ... The reader gets a sense of who the Goths were and why they had such a tremendous effect on Rome, defeating the Roman emperor Valens in 378, the greatest military defeat in Roman imperial history, and plundering the city of Rome in 410. In the process Kulikowski de-mystifies the nationalist mythologies surrounding the Goths while telling a fascinating story.' Paul Freedman, Yale University 'An extraordinary window back into the life-and-death struggles of the late Roman Empire. Kulikowski brings an epic conflict, rich in character and detail, to life. A great book.' Robert Gardner, three-time Emmy winner and Academy Award nominee, Producer/Director Barbarians

Author Information

Michael Kulikowski is Associate Professor of History at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. A recipient of the Solmsen Fellowship at the Institute for Research in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, he is the author of Late Roman Spain and its Cities, which was awarded an Honorable Mention in Classics and Archaeology from the Association of American University Presses. His scholarly articles have appeared in Early Medieval Europe, Britannia, Phoenix, and Byzantium and he has appeared in the History Channel's Barbarians series.

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