Neighbours and Strangers? Ostrogoths and Italians during the Gothic War

Until 535, the Ostrogothic Kingdom was an example of peaceful coexistence between two different peoples: the Ostrogoths had managed to settle down without alienating the Italians and had quietly begun to adopt a Roman lifestyle. However, the Gothic War put an abrupt end to this process, seemingly turning the Ostrogoths from (more or less) welcome neighbours into dangerous strangers. This paper aims to study the interactions between these peoples from 535 to 552, taking into consideration language, religion, customs and self-representation, as well as their political goals. Sixth-century sources indicate that the Ostrogoths spoke Latin and Arianism or their eligibility to serve in the army were never divisive factors during the war. Ostrogoths and Romans did not always have the same goals, yet their “loyalties” were by no means obvious, since there were Gothic nobles who sided with Constantinople and Italians who supported the Ostrogoths. The hatred for strangers is nowhere to be found in sixth-century sources. Theoderic’s people had been part of Italian society for almost fifty years and what was in question during the Gothic War was not their right to live in Italy, but only their right to rule over it.