The book offers a critical study of Herulian history. This is the first modern monograph to present a comprehensive analysis of literary and epigraphic sources for the relatively short history of this Scandinavian people. The author eliminated the pseudo-history of the Herules and concentrating on the well-established events from the organized social life of the Herules, he reduced their share in the history of ancient and early medieval Europe, which had been uncritically expanded by some scholars in the past. Prosopography, produced for the first time, will guide the reader in the personal history of the Herules. The geographic extent of the tribe’s wanderings, invasions and campaigns (Scandinavia, Ukraine, Greece, Austria, Germany, France, Spain, Bohemia, the Balkans, Italy, Asia and Africa), and their direct participation in the overthrow of the Western Roman Empire in ad 476, make their past extremely fascinating.

Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction

I The Scandinavian origins of the Herules

II The Herules on the Azov Sea

III The problem of the ‘western’ Herules

IV The Herules in the Roman army in Italy before 476

V From Attila to the defeat of King Rodulf

VI The Herules in the Byzantine Empire

VII Herules in Justinian’s army: Asian battle-fronts

VIII The Herules in Roman campaigns in North Africa and Italy

IX Sinduald: the last king of the Herules

X The religion of the Herules

XI Runic epigraphs (eril-inscriptions) and their interpretation

XII The afterlife (Nachleben) of the Herules

XIII Prosopographia Herulica

Conclusion
Bibliography
Index