Getica by Jordanes - Gothic historical tradition or conditions of epoch: current state of problem study

The article isdevoted to the modern views on the origin and career of the Gothic historian Jordanes and to the features of his chronicle, "The Originand Deeds of the Goths," which is the main written source for historical reconstruction of the early history of the Gothic tribes.Barbarian Goths are one of the most studied in the historic literature, the community, traditionally regarded as a bi-unity of the Ostroandthe Visigoths. Researchers' attention to the Goths is explained not only due to a significant role in the recent historical context of theearly Middle Ages, but also to a relatively presentable body of sources on the history of the Gothic tribes. Central among these sourcesis Jordanes' "De Origine Aqtibusque Getarum". This chronicle is the only work that has survived to our time, which is devoted directlyto the history of the formation of a barbarian tribe from its origins to the formation of kingdoms in the declining empire. Some of itsevidence is unique, or at least considerably more detailed than in other sources. The specific qualities and advantages of this chronicle isthe fact that its author, Jordanes, considers himself a Goth, which automatically makes it a more authentic evidence. Other writtensources pertaining to this period, have Greek or Latin origin, and broadcast the appropriate attitudes and identity. At the present state ofresearch of Jordanes' Getica it should be stated that most scholars are inclined to accept one as a metatext chronicle of at least the thirdorder - originally quite artificial, but repeatedly corrected in accordance with the political situation. In this sense, Getica must becharacterized as a reflection of the historical period of its creation. It seems that the most productive questions will be addressed toGetica not precisely to what it says, but how and why. Getica does not tell the history of the Goths, but one is itself part of the historyand so is its creator. It is the result of the crisis of both the Roman and the barbarian identities, an attempt of cultural assimilation of thebarbarians; an attempt that helped to shape the Gothic self-identity and self-determination, and therefore positively echoed among theRomans, among barbarians and among those who could not confidently be attributed to either category. Getica is a good example of thephase and hard formation of post-Roman Europe in all its diversity and syncretism.

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