The Gepids: The History and Legacy of the Germanic Tribe that Controlled Central Europe during the Fall of Rome

Summary

The Gepids were a Germanic tribe often overshadowed by the Huns because they shared roughly the same space in Cntral Europe, yet they did not menace nearly as extensive an area. They are also overlooked because they were all but wiped out by the late 6th century, but while they were around, they influenced the course of events in central and Eastern Europe. The Gepids were no less bellicose than the other Germanic tribes or the Huns, for that matter, causing immense destruction throughout Europe and constantly threatening the stability of the Eastern Roman Empire, which later became the Byzantine Empire. It is this destruction for which the Gepids are best remembered, as well as the threat they were able to parlay into creating a sizable kingdom in what is today Hungary, but the Gepids were not merely brutal warriors. Some of their rulers demonstrated incredible political acumen. The Gepids knew how to use the powerful Byzantine Empire to their advantage and to make alliances with other Germanic tribes that helped them keep their hold on the power.

By the early 6th century CE, Gepids were major players in the geopolitics of the region, and their kings knew how to use diplomacy - as much as warfare - to their advantage. However, despite their abiliites, the Gepids were eventually defeated and driven out like the Huns before them and the Avars after them. Europe was a tough place at the time, so the fact the Gepids were able to dominate there as long as they did is a testament to their marital prowess and diplomatic skills.