Moesia II (Roman province)

Jovian had surrendered Rome's much disputed claim to control over Armenia in 363, and Shapur II, being eager to make good on this new opportunity, had begun enticing Armenian lords over to his camp, eventually forcing the defection of the Arsacid Armenian king, Arshak II, whom he had quickly arrested and incarcerated.

Shapur had then sent an invasion force to seize Caucasian Iberia and a second to besiege Arshak's son, Pap, in the fortress of Artogerassa, probably in 367.

By the following spring, Pap has engineered his escape from the fortress and flight to Valens, whom he seems to have met at Marcianople, Valens’s winter quarters, while campaigning against the Goths.

A Danube flood in spring 368 prevents Valens from crossing; instead the emperor occupies his troops with the construction of fortifications.

Bishop Ulfilas, to escape religious persecution by Gothic chief Athanaric, had in 348 obtained permission from Constantius II to immigrate with his flock of Arian Christian converts to Moesia and settle at Nicopolis ad Istrum, modern northern Bulgaria.

Here, Ulfilas translates the Bible from Greek into the Gothic language, establishing a Gothic alphabet writing system for this purpose.

Surviving fragments, in the University Library of Uppsala, are known as the Codex Argenteus.

The fortified cities of the Danube, with Sirmium at the forefront, contribute to stop an invasion of the Quadi.

Theodosius, the future emperor, had been born in 347 in Cauca in the province of Gallaecia in northwestern Spain.

His father was to become the general Flavius Theodosius; his mother's name is unknown.

His grandparents, like his parents, were probably already Christians.

Growing up in Spain, Theodosius had not received an extensive education but is intellectually open-minded and has acquired a special interest in the study of history.

While on his father's staff, he has participated in his campaigns against the Picts and Scots in Britain in 368-369, the Alamanni in Gaul in 370, and the Sarmatians in the Balkans in 372-373.

As a military commander in Moesia, a Roman province on the lower Danube, he defeats the Sarmatians in 374.

The Quadi revolt in outrage and are joined by the Sarmatians, who cross the Danube.

The allied barbarian tribes devastate Moesia and …

…Pannonia and roll back the Roman legions, which are currently feuding with one another.

Theodosius, commander of a Roman force, halts the Sarmatians and forces them to conclude a separate peace.

The powerful Huns have pushed the division of Goths known as Greuthungs from their home in southern Russia.

The Greuthungs appear on the northeastern frontiers of the Roman Empire in the summer and fall of 376.

The Huns, hard on the heels of the fleeing Goths, defeat those living in Dacia (what is now approximately Romania) and thus arrive at the Danube.

Athanaric, pagan leader of the Therving Goths, flees with a few followers to Transylvania (in present-day Romania), but …

…the bulk of his starving people, led by his rival Fritigern, an Arian Christian, request permission of Valens, Emperor in the East and uncle to Gratian, Emperor in the West, to cross the northern Roman border and settle in Moesia or Thracia, with the Danube River and Roman frontier forts protecting them from the Huns).

Valens agrees to permit Fritigern's followers to enter the empire.

In return, they are to be subject to military service, but will be treated the same as other Roman subjects.

During the fall of 376, the Romans help Alavivus and Fritigern's people cross the Danube and settle in the province of Moesia.

However, many followers of Athanaric also slip across the river, which increases Fritigern's problems in governing his people.

With so many people in such a small area, a famine quickly breaks out among the Goths, and Rome is unable to supply them with either the food they were promised or the land; they herd the Goths into a temporary holding area surrounded by an armed Roman garrison.

As there is only enough grain left for the Roman garrison, they simply let the Goths starve, offering the trade of slaves (often children and young women) for dog meat.

When Fritigern appeals to Valens for help, he is told that his people will find food and trade in the markets of the distant city of Marcianople.

Having no alternative, some of the Goths trek south in a death march, losing the sickly and old along the path.

When they finally reach Marcianople's gates, they are barred from the city by its military garrison and denied entry.

Next, the Romans make an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the Goth leaders during a banquet.

Open revolt begins.

The main body of Goths have spent the rest of 376 and early 377 near the Danube plundering food from the immediate region.

Roman garrisons are able to defend isolated forts but most of the country is vulnerable to Gothic plunder.

The Battle of the Willows, the first major conflict of the Gothic War, takes place at a place called ad Salices ("town by the willows"), or according to Roman records, a road way-station called Ad Salices ("By the Willows"); probably located within fifteen kilometers of Marcianople, although its exact location is unknown.

Forces from the Western Roman Empire under the command of Richomeres advance westward, while forces of the Eastern Roman Empire under Trajanus and Profuturus advance northward where they joined forces to attack the Goths.

The battle, ending with nightfall, is a bloody draw with both sides taking many losses; the Goths remain encamped behind their war-wagon circle for over a week after the battle.

In late winter 377, war begins in earnest; the remaining Goths move south from the Danube to Marcianople.

After a battle later in this year, Lupicinus' troops are completely defeated, leaving the Roman territory in the region defenseless.

As a consequence, the Thervings soon rule much of the neighboring, richer province of Thrace.