Ostrogoths

The Ostrogoths (Latin: Ostrogothi, Austrogothi) were a Roman-era Germanic people who, in the 5th and 6th centuries, established one of the two major Gothic kingdoms within the Western Roman Empire. They drew on large Gothic populations settled in the Balkans since the 4th century and rose to prominence under Theodoric the Great, who in 493 founded the Ostrogothic Kingdom in Italy after defeating Odoacer.

Theodoric belonged to the Amal dynasty, which had gained power in Pannonia after the collapse of Attila's Hunnic empire. Backed by the Byzantine emperor Zeno, Theodoric invaded Italy and established his rule from Ravenna, preserving Roman administration, law, and culture while governing Goths and Romans under parallel systems. His reign marked the height of Ostrogothic power and stability in Italy.