Aoric (Latinized ''Aoricus'') was a Thervingian

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

(''

reiks Reiks (; pronunciation ; Latinized as ''rix'') is a Gothic title for a tribal ruler, often translated as "king". In the Gothic Bible, it translates to the Greek '' árchōn'' (ἄρχων). It is presumably translated as '' basiliskos'' (βασ ...

'' and ''

kindins Kindins is a Gothic word (attested only in the Gothic Bible, translating Greek ἡγεμών) that is identified by some scholars as the vernacular title for what may have been a political or judicial position among the 4th century Goths, identified ...

'') who lived in the 4th century. Aoric was son of

Ariaric Ariaric also known as Ariacus was a 4th-century Thervingian Gothic pagan ruler (''reiks'', ''kindins'') He was succeeded by Geberic. In 328, Constantine the Great constructed a bridge across the Danube and built fortifications in the territor ...

and father of

Athanaric Athanaric or Atanaric ( la, Athanaricus; died 381) was king of several branches of the Thervingian Goths () for at least two decades in the 4th century. Throughout his reign, Athanaric was faced with invasions by the Roman Empire, the Huns and a c ...

, he was raised in

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

, where a statue was erected in his honour. He was recorded by

Auxentius of Durostorum Auxentius of Durostorum also probably known as Mercurinus was a deacon in Alexandria and later bishop of Durostorum. An Arian, he was prominent in conflict with St Ambrose. Identity Auxentius was the foster-son of Wulfila, the "apostle to the ...

leading a

persecution of Gothic Christian There is a record of Gothic persecution of Christians in the third century. According to Basil of Caesarea, some prisoners taken captive in a Gothic raid on Cappadocia around 260 preached the gospel to their captors and were martyred. One of their ...

s in 347/348.

Herwig Wolfram Herwig Wolfram (born 14 February 1934) is an Austrian historian who is Professor Emeritus of Medieval History and Auxiliary Sciences of History at the University of Vienna and the former Director of the . He is a leading member of the Vienna Scho ...

noted that "alliteration, variation, and rhythm in the line of names Athanaric, Aoric, Ariaric resemble the 'ideal type' of Hadubrand, Hildebrand, Heribrand". He considered the similarities and comparison suggested that all three kings were members of the

Balti dynasty Balti may refer to: Places * Bălți, a city in Moldova * Bălți County (Moldova), a former county of Moldova * Bălți County (Romania), a former county of Romania * Balti Power Plant, one of two Narva Power Plants in Estonia * Bălți Steppe, ...

References

{{reflist Gothic kings Balt dynasty 4th-century monarchs in Europe 4th-century Gothic people