HISTORY AND ETHNOLOGY. 57 



3. Tup: Gepid^. 



These were clearly a branch of the old Gothic stock. Their name 

 (Gepidse: lazy, slothful) originated, it is believed, from the sliiggisli 

 movement of the awkward ships in which they emigrated from Scandi- 

 navia into Germany. 



After settling near the mouth of the Vistula they became so numerous 

 and powerful that, 254 A.D., they moved out under their king Fastida, and 

 conquered the Burgundians. Yery soon after this they met a mortifying 

 defeat from the Ostrogoths. Subdued by the hordes of Attila, they finally 

 settled, 454 A.D., in Dacia, where they founded a kingdom, concluded a 

 friendly alliance with the Romans, and assisted the Ostrogoths against the 

 Suevi, but strove to prevent the passage of King Theodoric into Italy, 

 489 A.D., although their attempt was unsuccessful. 



In the reign of Justinian they began to extend their dominion, but he 

 applied to the Longobardi for assistance against them ; and in the war 

 which ensued they were obb'ged to encounter the united forces of 

 the Longobardi, Avonians, and Romans. They fell, in the unequal contest, 

 under the power of Alboin, king of the Lombards, and became incor- 

 porated with the Lombardi, 565 A.D. {PI. 20, fig. 3, a Gepide.) 



4. The Yandals. 



The Yandals were a cognate race with the Goths, dwelling in the 

 mountainous regions of Lusatia. They possessed a fine physical formation, 

 having slender figures, fair complexion, yellow hair, and a frank open 

 countenance. Xear the end of the second century they concluded a 

 treaty of alliance with the Romans nnder the emperor Commodus, and also 

 with the Qnadi and Marcomanni. Later, they waged war with the 

 emperor Aurelian, but were unsuccessful, when, uniting with the Bur- 

 gundians, 280 A.D., against the emperor Probus, they renewed hostilities 

 on the frontiers of Gallia with no better fortune, part of them being laid 

 low, and the remainder either persecuted or sent to Britain with the 

 legions as agriculturists. 



From this point we lose sight of the West Yandals, while their eastern 

 brethren gained a considerable celebrity. They had early settled in 

 Transylvania, which they continued to hold and govern until the Goths 

 expelled them, when they were kindly received by the emperor Coustantinus, 

 who located them in Pannonia. During the great national migrations the 

 peaceful Yandals, together with some hordes of the Alani, were pushed on 

 into Gaul, 406 A.D. On their march they received numerous accessions 

 from the Suevi. Strengthened by these forces, they attacked and 

 devastated Strasburg, Worms, Mayence, and various other cities, and 

 then marched through the entire country of Gallia. After a brief sojourn 

 here they passed into Spain, by the Pyrenees, 409 A.D. There they 



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