Jornandes

Jornandes, better JORDANIS, historian of the Goths, was by birth a Goth, or of both Alan and Gothic descent, and flourished in the middle of the 6th century. He was first a notary, but afterwards, adopting the Christian religion, became a monk. He wrote two historical works in Latin—De Regnorum ac Temporum Successione, a dry compendium of history from the creation to 550 A.D., and only valuable for events subsequent to 450 A.D., and De Getarum Origine et Rebus Gestis, which is based on the earlier work (now lost) of the Roman Cassiodorus. This last is our only source of information about much connected with the Goths and other barbarian tribes. The work is, however, a mere compilation, and has many inaccuracies and inconsistencies. Its text is published in Muratori, Rer. Ital. Script. vol. i., and in Grotius, Hist. Gotthorum, &c. (1655).