nd made her
a Patrician Ordinary. And of her he begat a son, also
called Germanus. But upon the death of Germanus, she
determined to remain a widow. Now how and in what
wise the kingdom of the Amali was overthrown we shall
keep to tell in its proper place, if the Lord help us.

But let us now return to the point whence we made our 82
digression and tell how the stock of this people of whom
I speak reached the end of its course. Now Ablabius the
historian relates that in Scythia, where we have said that
they were dwelling above an arm of the Pontic Sea, part
of them who held the eastern region and whose king was
Ostrogotha, were called Ostrogoths, that is, eastern
Goths, either from his name or from the place. But the
rest were called Visigoths, that is, the Goths of the western
country.

[Sidenote: MAXIMINUS, THE GOTH WHO BECAME A ROMAN EMPEROR]

[Sidenote: Septimius Severus A.D. 193-211]

[Sidenote: Antoninus Caracalla A.D. 198-217]

[Sidenote: Macrinus A.D. 217-218]

[Sidenote: Antoninus Elagabalus A.D. 218-222]

[Sidenote: Alexander A.D. 222-235]

[Sidenote: Maximinus A.D. 235-238]

[Sidenote: Pupienus A.D. 238]

XV As already said, they crossed the Danube and 83
dwelt a little while in Moesia and Thrace. From the
remnant of these came Maximinus, the Emperor succeeding
Alexander the son of Mama. For Symmachus relates
it thus in the fifth book of his history, saying that
upon the death of Caesar Alexander, Maximinus was
made Emperor by the army; a man born in Thrace of
most humble parentage, his father being a Goth named
Micca, and his mother a woman of the Alani called
Ababa. He reigned three years and lost alike his empire
and his life while making war on the Christians. Now 84
after his first years spent in rustic life, he had come from
his flocks to military service in the reign of the Emperor
Severus and at the time when he was celebrating his
son's birthday. It happened that the Emperor was giving
military games. When Maximinus saw this, although he
was a semi-barbarian youth, he besought the Emperor in
his native tongue to give him permission to wrestle with 85
the trained soldiers for the prizes offered. Severus marvelling
much at his great size--for his stature, it is said,
was more than eight feet,--bade him contend in wrestling
with the camp followers, in order that no injury might
befall his soldiers at the hands of this wild fellow. Thereupon
Maximinus threw sixteen att