The Huns Arrive: Gothic World Shattered
The Huns appear in the historical record without warning around 370 CE, attacking the Alans on the Pontic steppe (modern Ukraine and southern Russia). Their origin is debated; possibly related to the Xiongnu who harassed China's northern frontier. After subjugating the Alans they turned on the Ostrogoths. In 376 CE Fritigern, a Visigothic leader, led his people to the Danube and appealed to the Eastern Roman Emperor Valens for permission to cross and settle inside the empire. Valens agreed, seeing in the Goths potential soldiers and farmers. The Roman officials overseeing the crossing charged extortionate prices for food and enslaved Gothic children. This catastrophic mismanagement transformed refugees into rebels. Within two years the crisis exploded at Adrianople.
- Year: 370 CE
- Category: Military
