This book examines the collision of Goths and Romans in the fourth and fifth centuries. It explores the interactions with Roman power which both prompted the creation of the Visigoths and Ostrogoths around newly emergent dynasties and helped bring about the fall of the Roman Empire.

`compelling re-reading of Gothic and Roman history ... a masterful account.' The Historian 'Goths and Romans, 332-489 represents a considerable amount of research and thought by its author, This is a significant book for specialists and can be read with profit by non-specialists interested in the period. Classroom teachers in schools and colleges will appreciate the consistent thematic development and the careful effort at estimating the size of populations and forces involved.' Thomas S. Burns Emory University The Classical Outlook Winter '94 `an exemplary reading of the late Roman texts on the Goths. He uses this to rewrite the history of the Goths in a way which demolishes myths and establishes a realistic narrative of events. Heather's critical and pragmatic approach to his sources works well in countering their more or less obvious bias,,,excellent book.' Shorter Notices vol 110 issue 436 `A thoroughgoing study of Gothic origins and the formation of the large groupings of the Ostrogoths and Visigoths. `Not the last word on the subject, but the first one should read'.' The Medieval World