Alani
The Alani were a group of nomadic pastoralists who originally inhabited the region northeast of the Black Sea. Documented in Roman literature from the first century CE, they were recognized as the most powerful faction among the Sarmatians, a group that also included the Rhoxolani and the Izayges, who began moving westward across the Don River around the third century BCE. Noted for their martial prowess and exceptional horse-breeding skills, the Alani frequently engaged in raids against neighboring territories, including the Parthian Empire and Roman provinces. Their influence began to wane after 370 CE when they were overwhelmed by the Huns, which led many to migrate westward into Gaul by 406 CE, where they settled alongside other groups such as the Vandals and Suebi. This migration eventually contributed to the establishment of the Kingdom of the Vandals and the Alani in North Africa. Additionally, some Alani clans that remained under Hunnic control are believed to have given rise to the Ossetians, an ethnic group in the Northern Caucasus. The Rukhs, an outer clan of the Alani, are also linked to the name "Rus," associated with medieval Russia, although they are not ethnically Slavic.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Alani
Date: 1-400 c.e.
Locale: Southeastern Europe
Alani
A group of nomadic pastoralists originally occupying the region northeast of the Black Sea, the Alani were first mentioned in Roman literature in the first century c.e. They were the most powerful of the three main divisions of a group known as the Sarmatians, the other two being the Rhoxolani and the Izayges, which moved westward across the Don in the early third century b.c.e. and displaced the Scythians. In Roman sources, the Alani were considered very warlike and were known for their horse-breeding skills. They frequently raided the Parthian Empire and the Caucasian provinces of the Roman Empire until 370 c.e., when they were overwhelmed by the Huns, after which many fled westward. They crossed into Gaul with the Vandals and the Suebi in 406 c.e., and many settled near Orleans and Valence. The remainder of the westward migration continued on into North Africa, where the kingdom was officially titled “the Kingdom of the Vandals and the Alani.” Those Alani who remained under Hunnic rule, the “inner clans” known as the Os, are said to be the ancestors of the Ossetians of the Northern Caucasus.
One of the “outer clans” of the Alani, called the Rukhs (also Ros or Rus), lived northwest of the Caucasus and are thought to have given their name to Russia (called “Rus” in medieval times), although they are not ethnically related to the Slavs.
Bibliography
Bachrach, Bernard S. A History of the Alans in the West: From Their First Appearance in the Sources of Classical Antiquity Through the Early Middle Ages. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press,1973.
Miclczarek, Mariusz. The Sarmatians. Oxford, England: Osprey, 2000.
Sulimirski, Tadeusz. The Sarmatians. New York: Praeger, 1970.