the countries now called _Transylvania_, _Moldavia_, and _Wallachia_, and
the eastern part of the upper _Hungary_. Its antient inhabitants were
called _Getæ_ by the _Greeks_, _Daci_ by the _Latins_, and _Goths_ by
themselves. _Alexander_ the great attacked them, and _Trajan_ conquered
them, and reduced their country into a Province of the _Roman_ Empire: and
thereby the propagation of the Gospel among them was much promoted. They
were composed of several _Gothic_ nations, called _Ostrogoths_,
_Visigoths_, _Vandals_, _Gepides_, _Lombards_, _Burgundians_, _Alans_, &c.
who all agreed in their manners, and spake the same language, as
_Procopius_ represents. While they lived under the _Romans_, the _Goths_ or
_Ostrogoths_ were seated in the eastern parts of _Dacia_, the _Vandals_ in
the western part upon the river _Teys_, where the rivers _Maresh_ and
_Keresh_ run into it. The _Visigoths_ were between them. The _Gepides_,
according to _Jornandes_, were upon the _Vistula_. The _Burgundians_, a
_Vandalic_ nation, were between the _Vistula_ and the southern fountain of
the _Boristhenes_, at some distance from the mountain _Crapac_ northwards,
where _Ptolemy_ places them, by the names of _Phrugundiones_ and
_Burgiones_.[1] The _Alans_, another _Gothic_ nation, were between the
northern fountain of the _Boristhenes_ and the mouth of the river _Tanais_,
where _Ptolemy_ placeth the mountain _Alanus_, and western side of the
_Palus Mæotis_.

These nations continued under the dominion of the _Romans_ till the second
year of the Emperor _Philip_, and then for want of their military pay began
to revolt; the _Ostrogoths_ setting up a kingdom, which, under their Kings
_Ostrogotha_, _Cniva_, _Araric_, _Geperic_, and _Hermanaric_, increased
till the year of Christ 376; and then by an incursion of the _Huns_ from
beyond the _Tanais_, and the death of _Hermanaric_, brake into several
smaller kingdoms. _Hunnimund_, the son of _Hermanaric_, became King over
the _Ostrogoths_; _Fridigern_ over the _Visigoths_; _Winithar_, or