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6. SECOND PERIOD IRON AGE (B.C. 50 A. D. 400). 23
Then, early in the second century, A.D., the northern Goths
break away from the main body settled on the Vistula,
and cross to Scandia by way of the islands of Gland and
Gotland. In Gotland they must have had a wealthy settle
ment, the precursor of the greatness of Visby, since not
less than 3,234 silver coins of the early Roman Emperors
from Augustus to Alexander Severus (29 B.C. to 235 A.D.),
were found in that island, the only others found in any
quantity of that epoch being 88 in Gland and 584 in Skane
(Du Chaillu :
Viking Age, Vol. ii., p. 556, Lond. 1889).
The Goths, when established in the peninsula, and prob
ably reinforced by kindred tribes from the south and south
west, especially arriving by the Gota River, still find
Finns or Lapps, who here left their name (Finni) in
Smaland and West Gothland (Geijer, pp. 17 and 30).
Of early serious conflicts between Goths and Sveas
we have no striking record, except to some extent in
Beowulf (canto 35), and we may presume that the latter
withdrew of their own accord, or by agreement with the
Goths, from Scandia, and concentrated themselves beyond
the great lakes and forests at Sigtuna on Lake Malar and
elsewhere in Upland. We may also suppose, in view of
the legends preserved by Jordanis in the sixth century,
19
that a swarm of Scandian Goths, under their king, Berig,
rejoined and reinforced the Gythons of the Vistula in their
southward movements.
These south-faring Goths, as is well known, had a mar
vellous history. Towards the end of the second century
they came in contact with the Roman Empire in Dacia,
19
Jordanis (a Bishop of Bruttium, c. 552 A.D.), de rebus
Geticis, cc. i and 2. In the first chapter he speaks of the
"Suethans" among the northern inhabitants of the Isle of
Scanzia, and says that, like the Thuringians, they use excellent
horses. Amongst the names of tribes there he mentions the
Vagoth, Gautigoth ("
acre hominum genus et ad bellum
promptissimi ")
and Ostrogothae, as well as the Finni. This
looks as if West and East Gothland were already separate
provinces. The "Gautigoth" may be the Goths of Gota-
Elf.
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