Re: [tied] Old Europe & the IEs.

----- Original Message -----

From: Mark Odegard

To: cybalist@egroups.com

Sent: Sunday, September 03, 2000 8:27 PM

Subject: Re: [tied] Old Europe & the IEs.

The Lower Danubian area has always been the primary route for circum-Pontic migrations, and especially for Steppe incursions into the Balkans. Thracians, Sarmatians, Goths, Avars, Bulgars, Slavs and innumerable other peoples went to and fro across the Danube. Even Trajan's Wall was built NORTH of the river, which means that the Romans thought nothing of crossing it and did not rely on the Danube as a natural barrier. They wanted to defend the strategic delta.

 

The Iron Gate rapids are an impediment to navigation, but the gorge is not impassable -- quite the opposite, it's a natural entrance into Pannonia. Judging from how easily the Visigoths marched on Rome from the Lower Danube, the route was feasible enough. The Danube was also an important artery into Byzantium for the Crusaders and into Central and Western Europe for the Ottoman Turks.

 

Piotr

 

 

Mark wrote:

 

Is the approach up the Danube from its delta really feasible as an 'invasion' route? You have to detour out of the Danube valley, presumably to the south into Bulgaria, to get around the gorge of the Iron Gate.