Juthungi

JUTHUNGI (Ἰούθουγγοι), a German tribe dwelling on the banks of the Danube. They are described by some ancient writers as a part of the Alemanni (Ammian. 17.6); but they belonged more probably to the Gothic race: even their name seems to be only another form for Gothi or Gothones. (Ambros. Epist. 20.) Dexippus, from whom we learn most about their history, calls them a Scythian tribe, which, however, clearly means that they were Goths.

In the reign of the emperor Aurelian the Juthungi invaded Italy, and, being defeated, they sued for peace, but were obliged to return without having effected their purpose: afterwards they made preparations for another invasion. (Dexip. pp. 11, 12, 18, 19, 21, ed. Niebuhr and Bekker.) In these wars, however, they never appeared alone, but always in conjunction with others, either Alemannians, Suevi, or Goths. (See Eisenschmidt, de Origine Ostrogothorum et Visigothorum, p. 26; Latham, Tacit. Germ., Epileg. p. cxiii.)