ABSTRACT
In 376, the Goths beseeched the Romans to allow them to cross the Danube. The Goths were literally running for their lives before the Huns who had suddenly surged out from the hinterland of Euro-Asia. What followed after the initial crossing of the Danube was a series of conflicts between a starving Germanic people and a Roman administration which could not or would not feed and disperse these tribesmen. Before advancing in our analysis of the events leading up to the Battle of Adrianople, it is important to examine the organization of the Gothic tribes, for only then will the true picture of the crisis become evident. These Armenian legions under Profuturus and Trajanus were sent ahead while Valens secured affairs in Antioch. The Goths remained within the laager for a week, which allowed the Romans to bottle up still other hordes in the valleys and passes of the Haemus range.
