Chapter Waiting for the barbarians: the frontiers of the Ostrogothic Kingdom during the reign of Theoderic
Abstract
Several letters written by Cassiodorus deal with Ostrogothic borders, describing the forts that guarded the Alpine passes, discussing the administration of frontier areas or lingering on the virtues and the vices of the people who inhabited them. The evidence provided by the Variae indicates that frontiers were a crucial part of the Ostrogothic Kingdom during the reign of Theoderic, not only because they were the gates of Italy and had to be garrisoned to prevent hostile incursions, but also because they became a cornerstone of his political communication, stressing the difference between “Romanized” Goths and the “savage” tribes who lived beyond the Alps.
Keywords
5th–6th centuries; Italian frontiers; Ostrogoths; Theoderic; Cassiodorus; VariaeDOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0416-3.07ISBN
9791221504163, 9791221504163Publisher
Firenze University PressPublisher website
https://www.fupress.com/Publication date and place
Florence, 2024Series
Reti Medievali E-Book, 48Classification
General and world history