Sheringham remarks, — ^* Getarum arma victricia in Scythia, Thracia, Dacia, Moesia, ad
Istrum, et mare Ponticum exposuimus, eosque in illis regionibus, pro varietate sedis varia
habuisse nomina ; sed omnes uno communi nomine Getas, a Grseqis et Latinis vocatos esse
diximus. Hi, vero, procedente tempore, legiones et vexilla sua in uitimos Europae fines
detulerunt, et quod bellicosius erat, ipsam Romam, et ferocientes Romanos magis cicures et



144 'niE GERMAN AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE&

of the Geta^ and Goths cannot be better proved than by these two
sentences of Capitolinus in Maximino : — ^^ Sub Macrino a militia
desiity et in Thracia, in vico ubi genitus fuerat, possessiones com-
paravit, ac semper cum Gk>this commercia exercuit. Amatus est autem
unice a Getis quasi eorum civis/' * Spartianus, also, in Caracalla, after
relating the death of Geta, adds, — " Non ab re est etiaiii diasyrticum
quiddam in eum dictum addere. Nam cum Germanid^ et Parthidj
et Arabici, et Alemannici nomen ascriberet Helvius Pertinax filius
Pertinacis dicitur joco dixisse, Adcle si placet etiam Geticus Maximus,
quod Getam occiderat fratrem, et Gk>tti G^tae dicerentur." f Pro-
copius, therefore, was perfectly correct in expressing this opinion : —
" The Goths were formerly, and still continue, a numerous people ;
but amongst them the greatest and most distinguished are the Goths,
Vandals, Visigoths, and Gepidse. In ancient times they were called
Sauromatse and Melanchlseni, and by some the G^tic nation. They
thus differ from each other in name, but in nothing else ; for they
are all fair, yellow-haired, and good-looking ; they observe the same
institutions, and worship the same God, as they are all of the Arian
sect ; and they all use the same language, which is called Gothic It,



mansuetos efTecerunt, Romanumque imperium ita elumbaverint, ut mitius tractatu aliis
quoque gentibus exinde fuit ; ex quibus plurimse arrepta dehinc occasione animos sustulerint,
atque diutinam servitutem et exitiale jugum excusserint. Turn primum Getae Gothamm
nomine Grfficis Romanisque noti sunt: deinceps vero scriptoribus nunc Getae nunc Gothi
appellantur. 