Gothic Fleets

A small Gothic Fleet attacks Asia Minor (c.255-7 CE)

  • Probably emerging from the Dniester, this first sea attack concentrated on the eastern Black sea coast.
  • In c.255 CE, a small Fleet unsuccessfully attempted to sack Pityus.
  • In c.256 CE a second Fleet of unknown size, sacked the cities of Pityus and Trapezus, and ravaged the coast of Pontus.
  • In c.257 CE, a third more adventurous Gothic Fleet, ravaged the coasts of Bithynia and the coastline of the Sea of Marmara (the Propontis), along with the cities of Apamea, Cius, Chalcedon, Nicaea, Nicomedia and Prusa.

A Gothic Fleet of 500 attacks the Aegean (c. 267-8 CE)

  • 10 years later, in c. 267-8 CE, a 500 vessel combined Fleet of the Goths and Heruli, with the Heruli (from Scandinavia) in command, ravaged Byzantium, Cyzicus and Heraclea Pontica. The Roman Navy confronted the Fleet, but was outmanoeuvred by them and the Gothic Fleet sailed through the Sea of Marmara, into the Aegean.
  • Here they sacked the Islands of Lemnos and Scyros, and the coasts of Achaea.
  • There followed the Sack of Athens
  • They also sacked the cities of Corinth, Argos, Olympia and Sparta.

A second Gothic Fleet of between 2,000-6,000 vessels attacks the Aegean (c. 268-9 CE)

  • The same year, a huge combined Fleet of the Goths, Gepids, Peucini and Heruli, again with the Heruli in command, assembled in the estuary of the Dniester, next to the Crimean Peninsular, with an estimated 325,000 men.
  • After minor attacks along the western Black sea coast, they sacked Byzantium and Chrysopolis.
  • After losing part of the fleet in the Sea of Marmara, possibly due to bad weather or action by the Roman Navy, they entered the Aegean and sacked the islands of Crete, Rhodes and Cyprus and probably the cities of Troy and Ephesus.

Battle of Naissus (269 CE)

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