DBA Armies

II/65 TERVINGI & EARLY VISIGOTHIC 200 AD - 419 AD

This list covers the Tervingi (or “men of the forest”, later called “Visi”) from their arrival on the Dniester until the founding of the Visigothic Tolosan kingdom. Their foot are described as charging in dense formations and fighting with javelins, long sword and round, oval and coffin-shaped shields. They wore their fair hair long but their beards trimmed, and wore trousers and long-sleeved shirts in natural fawn-coloured linen with a coloured hem but not cuffs, and a cloak of natural dark wool or dyed a solid dark colour. Only chiefs and nobles wore armour. They initially raided the Roman empire by boat, notably in 267, but fled the Huns into East Roman territory in 376. They quarrelled with their hosts, brought in friends and won a crushing victory over the East Roman army at Adrianople in 378, but after their king died with no credible successor, were settled by treaty and provided recruits for regular Roman units. One was Alaric who rose to become “magister militum per Illyricum” entitling him to Roman logistic support. He fought for the Eastern Empire against the West 395-399 and then changed sides and fought for the West against the East 403-407. After Stilicho’s murder in 408, he rebelled, was joined by a new emigration of Greuthingi, by ex-prisoners conscripted by the West from the defeated invading German army of Radagaisus and by escaped slaves; invaded Italy and sacked Rome. His successors invaded Gaul and then Spain, fought on behalf of (but not together with) Rome against rebels, Suevi and Vandals before settling as foederati in southern Gaul. References: Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome P. Barker, Barbarians within the Gates of Rome T.S. Burns, Goths and Romans 332-489 P. Heather.

II/65a — Gothic Army at Adrianople 378 AD

List: 1 x General (4Wb), 2 x Greuthingi (3Kn), 1 x Alans (LH), 7 x warriors (4Wb), 1 x archers (Ps)
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 3
Enemies:

II/65b — Tervingi or Early Visigothic Army 200 AD - 407 AD

List: 1 x General on horseback (3Kn) or on foot (4WD), 1 x noble cavalry (3Kn), 8 x warriors (4Wb), 2 x archers (Ps)
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 3
Enemies:
Allies: (II/52 and/or II/67b) or II/78a

II/65c — Alaric & successors 408 AD - 419 AD

List: 1 x General (3Kn), 2 x noble cavalry (3Kn), 1 x cavalry (3Kn or LH), 4 x warriors (4Wb), 2 x freed German prisoners of war and other ex-slaves (4Wb or 7Hd), 2 x archers (Ps)
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 3
Enemies: