Gothic Invasions of the Third Century

From the middle of the third century, Gothic and allied groups crossed the Danube and used captured or locally obtained ships to raid the Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean. Roman provinces, coastal cities and trade routes faced repeated attacks while imperial armies were divided by civil war and Persian pressure.

The invasions varied in scale and composition, involving Goths, Heruli and other communities rather than a single unified army. Raids reached Asia Minor, Greece and the Aegean before Roman victories late in the 260s reduced the immediate threat.

The Caspian Gates and The Wolves of the North move the Warrior of Rome series into this northern theatre. Ballista confronts raiders, frontier politics and the unstable alliances linking Roman commanders with peoples beyond the empire.