Lets Talk Adrianople

[Alanus]

Once Valens was dead Theodosius agreed to his crossing of the Danube and he was treated as a honoured guest at Constantinople for the rest of his life there.

Figures! I bet Theodosius used him to counter-balance Alaric or other Gothic groups.

Unfortunately for Theodosius' well-planned events, Athanaric died within a fortnight after reaching Constantinople. His entrance reception was on January 11, 381, and he died rather mysteriously on January 25th, 381. If Ammianus interviewed him, he had 14 days to accomplish it. All Theodosius could do was give Athanaric a splendid funeral. 8-)

Adrian mentioned Theodosius "invited him and his tribesmen over." Athanaric had no tribesmen. They abandoned him. Perhaps he had a few loyal followers, like immediate relatives, but this character of poor character had run out of pagan gods to help him. Let's not speculate like Alessandro Barbero :dizzy:

ALSO-- if Athanaric changed his name after crossing the Ister, he had an incredibly short time to use it. He was called "Athanaricus" by Roman authors who habitually Romanized barbarian names, and I doubt he had the wherewithal to add the "us" himself.

As for Athanaric ever being a Greutungus?-- it's an impossibility. The Tyrfingi were ruled by the Balths, while the Greutungi were under the Amals. There were no kingly exchanges between the two groups or families. Wolfram called Athanaric a "Tervingian judge," Heather and Matthews used "iudex of Tervingi," and I've referred to him as a "Tyrfingi magistrate," all the same position and tribe.

Let us return to facts. The latter posts dealing with Athanaric on this thread are increasingly conjectural as historicity becomes a casualty. :whistle:

Thank you, please