From Scanza (Scandinavia, perhaps Skäne), Berig led a migration in three ships to the Baltic coast near Danzig. (Gepidae derived from Gapanda = loiterers, from the ship that lagged behind the others). The Ulmerugi (ulme|rugi) and the Vandals were defeated. Pytheus reported the Guttones (gut|thiuda = Gothic people) on the Baltic shore trading in amber. This gives aproxmately 330 BCE as the latest date at which this migration could have occured.

If the runic Futhorc was derived from the Greek alphabet by way of the Greek colonies on the north coasts of the Black Sea who traded amber up the Dnieper and the Dniester to Samland then the Goths could have been installed in this region well before Pytheus reports them. Assyrian inscriptions from the tenth century BCE record a caravan trade through European Russia to the amber rich coasts.

If the runes do correspond to the Greek alphabet they must have been based on versions of that alphabet in use between 540 BCE and 480 BCE.

Gothic migration to the Black Sea must have taken place after the end of the first century CE because both Tacitus and Ptolemy place the Goths on or near the Baltic coast. The Peutinger Table, (230 CE) does not mention the Goths within or close to the Roman frontier. Filimer began to lead south about the middle of the second century. The Goths entered the Oium (au|jom = dative plural of 'au', a water meadow), and defeated the Spali, (pehaps a sclavonic speaking people). Pliny mentions Spalae on the Don. Both the Burgundians and the Lugii were displaced and put pressure on their neighbours, leading to a general movement and the Marcomannic war (167 CE). The fall of Maroboduus, the king of the Marcomanni, brought the Goths to the notice of Roman authors.

At the beginning of the third century the Goths were between the Carpathians, the river Don and the Black Sea. Pressure across the Roman frontier began.

conflict with Rome

Some Gothic royal families are known - that of Alaric, the Balthi (the bold), and that of Theodoric, the Amali.

Alaric (Ala : reiks = all prince).

"Reiks" in Athanaric, Athalaric, Genseric, Hunneric, Chilperic (Frankish), Theodoric, Roderic, and Leofric (English).

Baltai (bold) in Willibald, Ethelbald, and Garibaldi.